New blog, new life, this one up for nostalgic reasons. *Sniff* IMREALLYSORRYIDIDNTKEEPTHISBLOGACTIVE *breathes* IWILLKEEPTHENEXTONEGOOD!!!
Victor Ching
New one:
www.vi-scrabble.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Monday, June 19, 2006
I Own The World
Some people just think that. They own the world. They own everything. You own everything to them. I was practising piano in the boarding house dining hall lobby and all of a sudden a faggot year 12 came up to me and said: The sound of a piano is annoying and irritating, go play somewhere else, or find another lobby to play in (it was said in a more rude manner, but i can't really remember it). What? No one asked for their opinion! Its not your boarding house! Its not your piano! Its everyones. No one wanted you to tell me tht you hate the sound of the piano! No one wants to know! No one asked you to listen!
Why do people do that? Can't they just walk away and keep their own thoughts and words to themselves? Must they offend everyone that comes their way? Piano is a very important part of my life, and I am deeply offended by that. Can't they hear the beauty of the instrument (thats beside the point). Must they give their unwanted childish opinions? No wonder you are where you are (No i wont elaborate on that point)
Just keep those unwanted owrds to yourself. No one wants to know. Theres a old saying, if you cant say anything nice, dont say it. Exactly. Keep your bloody mouth shut and just fuck off. Besides, if the piano is so irritating, go somewhere else. You were just passing it. No one wanted to know it (am repeating myself here, but I am quite angry and hurt now).
Go away. The world is better without you. You dont own the world, nor is anything owed to you. Fullstop.
Why do people do that? Can't they just walk away and keep their own thoughts and words to themselves? Must they offend everyone that comes their way? Piano is a very important part of my life, and I am deeply offended by that. Can't they hear the beauty of the instrument (thats beside the point). Must they give their unwanted childish opinions? No wonder you are where you are (No i wont elaborate on that point)
Just keep those unwanted owrds to yourself. No one wants to know. Theres a old saying, if you cant say anything nice, dont say it. Exactly. Keep your bloody mouth shut and just fuck off. Besides, if the piano is so irritating, go somewhere else. You were just passing it. No one wanted to know it (am repeating myself here, but I am quite angry and hurt now).
Go away. The world is better without you. You dont own the world, nor is anything owed to you. Fullstop.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Mahathir. Did he do the right thing?
Mahathir slams Adullah. There were many criticisms leveled at Mahathir for criticizing his sucessor. I believe otherwise. Everyone has a right to voice his opinions. Why cant Mahathir criticize Abdullah? Is a Prime Minister 'unslammable'? Mahathir was just acting as a normal citizen of Malaysia, questionning the path taken by his beloved country. Is this wrong?
Furthermore, Mahathir, the brainchild of many of the canceled projects, must be allowed to convey his opinions on all his former projects. Why must he keep quiet and not say anything? Critics like Musa Hitam say its wrong for Mahathir to interfer. Is it wrong to ask what, as a citizen of our country, as a former prime minister, is happening to our country? The country he led for 20+ years? Is it a crime to criticize it?
Is it a crime for Mahathir to defendd himself? He has been accused by the cabinet of using up all the money. His project, where he endlessly worked for has been canceled. Should he be forced to remain silent? Should he be forced to take these criticisms and not defend himself? He after all, is a citizen of Malaysia, and has a right, under the constitution, to convey his opinions and feelings. What is so wrong about that? As a former prime minister, I would have been dissapointed and would have lost all respect for him if he had stood quietly and received these criticisms.
What Abdullah did was correct. But what other members of the cabinet (presumely under the orders of Abdullah) did was wrong. Yes, you can support your prime minister. But what you should not have done is to say that Mahathir should not voice his opinions. He should keep quiet. After all, its his opinion, and in this democratic society of Malaysia, everyone, including Mahathir, as a good citizen, should have a say on what happens in his country. Its his responsibility to do so.
Good job, Mahathir, and may your constructive criticisms be forever heard and heeded. Dont give up!
Furthermore, Mahathir, the brainchild of many of the canceled projects, must be allowed to convey his opinions on all his former projects. Why must he keep quiet and not say anything? Critics like Musa Hitam say its wrong for Mahathir to interfer. Is it wrong to ask what, as a citizen of our country, as a former prime minister, is happening to our country? The country he led for 20+ years? Is it a crime to criticize it?
Is it a crime for Mahathir to defendd himself? He has been accused by the cabinet of using up all the money. His project, where he endlessly worked for has been canceled. Should he be forced to remain silent? Should he be forced to take these criticisms and not defend himself? He after all, is a citizen of Malaysia, and has a right, under the constitution, to convey his opinions and feelings. What is so wrong about that? As a former prime minister, I would have been dissapointed and would have lost all respect for him if he had stood quietly and received these criticisms.
What Abdullah did was correct. But what other members of the cabinet (presumely under the orders of Abdullah) did was wrong. Yes, you can support your prime minister. But what you should not have done is to say that Mahathir should not voice his opinions. He should keep quiet. After all, its his opinion, and in this democratic society of Malaysia, everyone, including Mahathir, as a good citizen, should have a say on what happens in his country. Its his responsibility to do so.
Good job, Mahathir, and may your constructive criticisms be forever heard and heeded. Dont give up!
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Racism. What is it?
From my past one and a half years of studying in Australia, I have encountered many racist comments and incidents (including the infamous incident where I retaliated). Except for the mentioned situation, I have not retaliated and ket silent. However, today, as I endured a wave of racism from a Bulgarian/Australian mixed boarder during dinner, I started to wonder. Racism. What is it? Why does it happen?
While I type this, I wonder whether racism is sparked by entertainment. The entertainment to attack someone, someone unknown. As I sat in the dining hall enduring the racist remarks, my began wondering. The antagonizer was Nick Lolev, being my close friend. Why does he do that? What was the motive? Do we really gain pleasure from discriminating and hurting other members of our society?
What is racism? The internet defines a racist person as: a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others. Does he think he is superior to us? Or is it a joke? If it is a joke, i think he has certainly taken the joke too far.
Many have snapped before me. Maybe because its my carefree and forgiving attitude that enables me to endure the taunt and remarks. Asians. We are no less inferior to you Mat Sallehs. The funny thing is, those who attack me usually usually put a less inportance in education. With the exception of Nick, they are all who are content with lesser marks, while I pursue and try to chase high marks.
This does not mean all white people are racist. No no no. Its just some bas****s that ruin this. They think they are superior, look at themself. Most of them are not that well off. Is it because they have a superiority conplex and think all Mat Sallehs are superior? Is it because they are not well off, and they feel jelous? I don't know, but their presence sometimes scares me, and I try my best to endure it. You know, I would have been happier in Malaysia. Less pressure, less racism, more scrabble :).
On a happier note, I am top of English and Indonesian in my school. Yay! The Irony... I beat the Mat Sallehs at their own language! XD
Victor
While I type this, I wonder whether racism is sparked by entertainment. The entertainment to attack someone, someone unknown. As I sat in the dining hall enduring the racist remarks, my began wondering. The antagonizer was Nick Lolev, being my close friend. Why does he do that? What was the motive? Do we really gain pleasure from discriminating and hurting other members of our society?
What is racism? The internet defines a racist person as: a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others. Does he think he is superior to us? Or is it a joke? If it is a joke, i think he has certainly taken the joke too far.
Many have snapped before me. Maybe because its my carefree and forgiving attitude that enables me to endure the taunt and remarks. Asians. We are no less inferior to you Mat Sallehs. The funny thing is, those who attack me usually usually put a less inportance in education. With the exception of Nick, they are all who are content with lesser marks, while I pursue and try to chase high marks.
This does not mean all white people are racist. No no no. Its just some bas****s that ruin this. They think they are superior, look at themself. Most of them are not that well off. Is it because they have a superiority conplex and think all Mat Sallehs are superior? Is it because they are not well off, and they feel jelous? I don't know, but their presence sometimes scares me, and I try my best to endure it. You know, I would have been happier in Malaysia. Less pressure, less racism, more scrabble :).
On a happier note, I am top of English and Indonesian in my school. Yay! The Irony... I beat the Mat Sallehs at their own language! XD
Victor
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Highlights at the Nationals
I know its a bit late, but here are the highlights:
1. My first win!!! Against Fang Hai when he accidently opened one and I put down CURDING
2. My first game against Sim Swee... Lost eventually, but was leading at first
3. My first ever rated win against a certified master... SORRY FISHTAIL!!! I was looking for a bingo until I saw cuteness through the e from abode... was a neck to neck game until then... warren couldnt find a bingo, so he had to dump his blank to extend Shift to shifters...
4. My win against Fang Hai... Oariest and Aeriest, both put by me :)
5. Our rather interesting game. Was leading by 89 points till the end, where the letter Q dropped out... we both saw it, and put it in the bag. This became crucial when he put down harming, and got the lead. I knew he had the Q, and failed to stop him. However, I won the endgame by a mere 2 points :) :) :)
6. The most frusrating game of the tournament. Was leading by 10 points against martin until i opened up zit at the endgame for him to outplay with Agonies. Had to lick my wounds with vacs, which was minimal compared to what he scored :(
1. My first win!!! Against Fang Hai when he accidently opened one and I put down CURDING
2. My first game against Sim Swee... Lost eventually, but was leading at first
3. My first ever rated win against a certified master... SORRY FISHTAIL!!! I was looking for a bingo until I saw cuteness through the e from abode... was a neck to neck game until then... warren couldnt find a bingo, so he had to dump his blank to extend Shift to shifters...
4. My win against Fang Hai... Oariest and Aeriest, both put by me :)
5. Our rather interesting game. Was leading by 89 points till the end, where the letter Q dropped out... we both saw it, and put it in the bag. This became crucial when he put down harming, and got the lead. I knew he had the Q, and failed to stop him. However, I won the endgame by a mere 2 points :) :) :)
6. The most frusrating game of the tournament. Was leading by 10 points against martin until i opened up zit at the endgame for him to outplay with Agonies. Had to lick my wounds with vacs, which was minimal compared to what he scored :(
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
EXAMS!!!!
Having my mid year exams. Its the first ever official exam I have sat in in Australia. So far I have done 3 tests:
Indonesian Orals: Scored 9.5/10 for listening and 18/20 for speaking
Indonesian Exams: No mean feat to write 11 pages on 3 essays + answer all the questions in 3 hours
English: 14 pages on 4 essays in 3 hours. Used the same pen as I did in the Indo exams... hmm... see how long it can last me... Will continue using the same pen (from brand new ink become half full after 25 pages)
Tomorrow got Physics ugh...
Indonesian Orals: Scored 9.5/10 for listening and 18/20 for speaking
Indonesian Exams: No mean feat to write 11 pages on 3 essays + answer all the questions in 3 hours
English: 14 pages on 4 essays in 3 hours. Used the same pen as I did in the Indo exams... hmm... see how long it can last me... Will continue using the same pen (from brand new ink become half full after 25 pages)
Tomorrow got Physics ugh...
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Sarawakian Elections 2006
The Sarawak government is now the weakest in its history, with 9 seats with the opposition.
With the inroads made by the opposition, especially the DAP, it is now clear that the Chinese are sending a strong message to the Barisan Nasional state government. They had enough!
What is only predictable now is that the BN will win and form the government. No one doubted that. With their massive machinery and unlimited resources, the BN will probably continue to rule the state and country for many more years to come.
What surprised many in the just-concluded state election, and probably those in the BN in particular, is that they had never expected such a swing from the Chinese electorate, especially in Kuching..
That such well known and seasoned candidates, including two assistant ministers and a mayor, from the 50-year-old Supp can lose four of its seats in Kuching to political novices from the DAP, is anything but shocking!
While Padungan has always been seen as a ‘grey’ area for the BN, Pending, Batu Lintang and the new seat of Kota Sentosa have been considered ‘safe’ for Supp. Supp has been ‘untouchable’ in these seats for the past two decades or more.
Assistant Minister and Supp secretary general Sim Kheng Hui was defeated in Pending, the stronghold of his late uncle and former deputy chief minister Sim Kheng Hong. Who would have imagined that he would lose the ‘family’s crown jewel’ to a DAP newcomer, 29-year-old Violet Yong.
Batu Lintang has been Chan Seng Khai’s fortress since 1991. Even former Sarawak DAP strongman Sim Kwang Yang was defeated in Batu Lintang. In subsequent elections in 1996 and 2001, Chan who is mayor of Kuching City South scored overwhelming victories over his opponents. That Voon Lee Shan of the DAP could unseat him with more than 3000-vote majority this time is a total surprise.
Particularly humiliating
In Kota Sentosa, the sleepy town outside Kuching famed for its hospital for the mentally handicapped, Supp’s Alfred Yap must have thought that the electorate there are all mentally unsound. The assistant minister was dumped in favour of DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen. Yap, a long-time aide of former Supp deputy president the late Chong Kiun Kong, also took over from his mentor as the paramount chief of the Hakkas in Batu Kawah.
PKR’s Dominique Ng, a former DAP member, managed to win Padungan after his third attempt.
The hard-working human rights lawyer came face to face with the equally strong workaholic Supp wanita leader Lily Yong. Among all the Chinese seats in Kuching, Padungan has always been a touch-and-go affair and Ng’s victory was not altogether unexpected.
The defeat of Supp candidates in Kuching was particularly humiliating when they lost by big margins of several thousand votes.
This was the first time Chinese voters in Kuching swing to the opposition in such huge numbers. In Kidurong, Bintulu and Bukit Assek, Sibu, the voters there have been quite ‘predictable’ in voting in and out Supp and DAP people. In Meradong, down the mighty Rejang River from Sibu, the victory of DAP’s Ting Tzu Hui was more a result of Supp’s internal strife than anything else.
Now, why did the voters of Kuching swing all the way? What was the cause of such high anti-establishment sentiments among them?
As Supp leaders in Kuching start licking their wounds in the days ahead, they must ponder on one major issue which the opposition has been harping on - what power does Supp leaders have in the power-sharing concept of the BN state government?
Unable to get things done
It became clear to the urban and more sophisticated voters that many of them could not get things done through their elected representatives. Many are said to be angry at the limited or no business opportunities for them. Government contracts, big or small, are known to be reserved for only an elite group of people.
At the centre of it all is the dominant presence of the larger-than-life Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Perhaps, many Chinese in Kuching are starting to believe that a man must not be in power for too long. Perhaps, they are now telling him that he has overstayed his welcome and that it is time for a transition of power to a new state chief executive.
The BN must be congratulated for its resilience in winning the majority votes from the people of Sarawak. They should be happy that the majority of Sarawakians still support the BN government.
But they should bear in mind this message from the Kuching Chinese delivered in the just-concluded election.
When the people are pushed to the wall, when the people are angry without opportunities for survival, they will fight back.
Today, they did…with good reasons.
With the inroads made by the opposition, especially the DAP, it is now clear that the Chinese are sending a strong message to the Barisan Nasional state government. They had enough!
What is only predictable now is that the BN will win and form the government. No one doubted that. With their massive machinery and unlimited resources, the BN will probably continue to rule the state and country for many more years to come.
What surprised many in the just-concluded state election, and probably those in the BN in particular, is that they had never expected such a swing from the Chinese electorate, especially in Kuching..
That such well known and seasoned candidates, including two assistant ministers and a mayor, from the 50-year-old Supp can lose four of its seats in Kuching to political novices from the DAP, is anything but shocking!
While Padungan has always been seen as a ‘grey’ area for the BN, Pending, Batu Lintang and the new seat of Kota Sentosa have been considered ‘safe’ for Supp. Supp has been ‘untouchable’ in these seats for the past two decades or more.
Assistant Minister and Supp secretary general Sim Kheng Hui was defeated in Pending, the stronghold of his late uncle and former deputy chief minister Sim Kheng Hong. Who would have imagined that he would lose the ‘family’s crown jewel’ to a DAP newcomer, 29-year-old Violet Yong.
Batu Lintang has been Chan Seng Khai’s fortress since 1991. Even former Sarawak DAP strongman Sim Kwang Yang was defeated in Batu Lintang. In subsequent elections in 1996 and 2001, Chan who is mayor of Kuching City South scored overwhelming victories over his opponents. That Voon Lee Shan of the DAP could unseat him with more than 3000-vote majority this time is a total surprise.
Particularly humiliating
In Kota Sentosa, the sleepy town outside Kuching famed for its hospital for the mentally handicapped, Supp’s Alfred Yap must have thought that the electorate there are all mentally unsound. The assistant minister was dumped in favour of DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen. Yap, a long-time aide of former Supp deputy president the late Chong Kiun Kong, also took over from his mentor as the paramount chief of the Hakkas in Batu Kawah.
PKR’s Dominique Ng, a former DAP member, managed to win Padungan after his third attempt.
The hard-working human rights lawyer came face to face with the equally strong workaholic Supp wanita leader Lily Yong. Among all the Chinese seats in Kuching, Padungan has always been a touch-and-go affair and Ng’s victory was not altogether unexpected.
The defeat of Supp candidates in Kuching was particularly humiliating when they lost by big margins of several thousand votes.
This was the first time Chinese voters in Kuching swing to the opposition in such huge numbers. In Kidurong, Bintulu and Bukit Assek, Sibu, the voters there have been quite ‘predictable’ in voting in and out Supp and DAP people. In Meradong, down the mighty Rejang River from Sibu, the victory of DAP’s Ting Tzu Hui was more a result of Supp’s internal strife than anything else.
Now, why did the voters of Kuching swing all the way? What was the cause of such high anti-establishment sentiments among them?
As Supp leaders in Kuching start licking their wounds in the days ahead, they must ponder on one major issue which the opposition has been harping on - what power does Supp leaders have in the power-sharing concept of the BN state government?
Unable to get things done
It became clear to the urban and more sophisticated voters that many of them could not get things done through their elected representatives. Many are said to be angry at the limited or no business opportunities for them. Government contracts, big or small, are known to be reserved for only an elite group of people.
At the centre of it all is the dominant presence of the larger-than-life Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Perhaps, many Chinese in Kuching are starting to believe that a man must not be in power for too long. Perhaps, they are now telling him that he has overstayed his welcome and that it is time for a transition of power to a new state chief executive.
The BN must be congratulated for its resilience in winning the majority votes from the people of Sarawak. They should be happy that the majority of Sarawakians still support the BN government.
But they should bear in mind this message from the Kuching Chinese delivered in the just-concluded election.
When the people are pushed to the wall, when the people are angry without opportunities for survival, they will fight back.
Today, they did…with good reasons.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Customs Culture Cronulla - Is Australia a Multicultural Myth?
I recently wrote a feature article for my school, and decided to post it here, enjoy:
The bashing of two lifeguards at Sydney's Cronulla beach last week has sparked ugly race-related rioting in several Sydney suburbs. Do these incidents signify the intolerance of these ‘True Blue Ozzies’ as they call themselves towards foreigners, when at the same time, we proudly call ourselves an undiscriminating multi multicultural society?
Our Prime Minister confidently states that Australia is not a racist society. He refuses to believe that there is any underlying racism in any part of the Australian society. How true is our Johnny Howard this time? Is Australia a multicultural haven, or is it… a multicultural myth?
The Lebanese antagonists obviously are to blame, but only to a certain extent. However, the general Lebanese Australian community… Were they justly harmed? Should there be a grudge held against for the lifeguard attacks that were performed by these 3 Lebanese youths?
It was a dark night, where several Lebanese Australian citizens were walking home from a hard day’s work. As they relax from their sores from the day’s construction work, they were confronted by several semi-drunk youths of Caucasian descendant. They were beaten up, and left to lick their wounds, supposedly to ‘clean them of the filth they have accumulated’ and to ‘pay for what their brothers did’. When the Lebanese tried to explain, their pleas fell on deaf ears. Is this justifiable?
This doesn’t stop there. How many countless times have you heard racist jokes being thrown at ‘abos’ as we racistly call them, ‘wogs’, ‘dagos’, ‘ching chongs’ etc? Do we still pride ourselves on being a ‘undiscriminating multicultural society’ as our Johnny Howard so lovingly calls it?
A recent survey on foreigners that have either worked of studied in Australia reveals that 98 percent of them have either been bullied once in their life, 67 percent have been actively bullied before, while 35 percent are being actively bullied. Whether this is a result of racism or social bullying, this survey greatly differs from the official bullying rate in Australia of 9 percent. Do we still call ourselves a multicultural society?
I, being a Malaysian studying in Australia, have been, on numerous occasions, been discriminated against and have witness discrimination. These discriminations, which fall between the lines of racial differences, have made me make the early conclusion that Australia is in fact, contrary to its claim, a racist and discriminating society.
These conclusions, which clearly show the true face of the Australian society, have not been drawn out of nowhere. Do we still pride ourselves on being a multicultural society?
This multicultural rebuttal does not end here. We see internally, the Aboriginals, impoverished compared to the ‘white settlers’. The spacious and vast lands with the many abundant resources rightfully belongs to them. Why are these original inhabitants discriminated against? Why are they so impoverished? Are we still a multicultural society?
There is obviously something wrong with our pursue of racial tolerance and multicultural equality. While we contemplate on the racism and racial intolerance that Australia is suffering from, let’s follow the journey of Muhammad and trace the roots and the causes of this discrimination.
Muhamad is a Middle Eastern student in Australia pursuing his education in Australia. While in his pursue of knowledge, he encountered many racist and insulting comments and situations. He is made to feel inferior and is put down by his ‘mates’. After he graduates with a TER of 99.92, he is put down several times for a job.
We analyse why Muhammad is put down for most of his jobs. Is it because of his inability? Or is this because of something else? Is this because he is of Middle Eastern origin? Is this because we fear his Middle Eastern origins? So this is it. It’s the fear of the unknown. The fear of all fears. We fear Muhamad because he represents the unknown. We do not know his culture, his attitudes and customs. We are ultimately, fearing difference.
Remember the witch ages? Where we, the civilized people burned people just because they looked like or acted like witches? Well, this is happening again. We discriminate these ‘black people’ or these ‘people that eye’s grow sideways’ because they are the unknown. We fear what they bring. However, the ultimate question is still, why are they feared?
I believe it’s the influence of the media that has put these ‘different’
people in a bad light. How many times have we seen Indonesians blown up Bali? We fear them! We are afraid that they would blow us up again!
It is clear. The only way to stop this discrimination and turn Australia into the visualized multicultural haven is by education. The media has to resists its temptations to exploit the naivety of the public.
Education must be in place to educate the Australian public about these unknowns. Only then, there will be racial equality and they can declare ‘free at last! Free at last from discrimination’ (Martin Luther King – I have a dream speech)
The bashing of two lifeguards at Sydney's Cronulla beach last week has sparked ugly race-related rioting in several Sydney suburbs. Do these incidents signify the intolerance of these ‘True Blue Ozzies’ as they call themselves towards foreigners, when at the same time, we proudly call ourselves an undiscriminating multi multicultural society?
Our Prime Minister confidently states that Australia is not a racist society. He refuses to believe that there is any underlying racism in any part of the Australian society. How true is our Johnny Howard this time? Is Australia a multicultural haven, or is it… a multicultural myth?
The Lebanese antagonists obviously are to blame, but only to a certain extent. However, the general Lebanese Australian community… Were they justly harmed? Should there be a grudge held against for the lifeguard attacks that were performed by these 3 Lebanese youths?
It was a dark night, where several Lebanese Australian citizens were walking home from a hard day’s work. As they relax from their sores from the day’s construction work, they were confronted by several semi-drunk youths of Caucasian descendant. They were beaten up, and left to lick their wounds, supposedly to ‘clean them of the filth they have accumulated’ and to ‘pay for what their brothers did’. When the Lebanese tried to explain, their pleas fell on deaf ears. Is this justifiable?
This doesn’t stop there. How many countless times have you heard racist jokes being thrown at ‘abos’ as we racistly call them, ‘wogs’, ‘dagos’, ‘ching chongs’ etc? Do we still pride ourselves on being a ‘undiscriminating multicultural society’ as our Johnny Howard so lovingly calls it?
A recent survey on foreigners that have either worked of studied in Australia reveals that 98 percent of them have either been bullied once in their life, 67 percent have been actively bullied before, while 35 percent are being actively bullied. Whether this is a result of racism or social bullying, this survey greatly differs from the official bullying rate in Australia of 9 percent. Do we still call ourselves a multicultural society?
I, being a Malaysian studying in Australia, have been, on numerous occasions, been discriminated against and have witness discrimination. These discriminations, which fall between the lines of racial differences, have made me make the early conclusion that Australia is in fact, contrary to its claim, a racist and discriminating society.
These conclusions, which clearly show the true face of the Australian society, have not been drawn out of nowhere. Do we still pride ourselves on being a multicultural society?
This multicultural rebuttal does not end here. We see internally, the Aboriginals, impoverished compared to the ‘white settlers’. The spacious and vast lands with the many abundant resources rightfully belongs to them. Why are these original inhabitants discriminated against? Why are they so impoverished? Are we still a multicultural society?
There is obviously something wrong with our pursue of racial tolerance and multicultural equality. While we contemplate on the racism and racial intolerance that Australia is suffering from, let’s follow the journey of Muhammad and trace the roots and the causes of this discrimination.
Muhamad is a Middle Eastern student in Australia pursuing his education in Australia. While in his pursue of knowledge, he encountered many racist and insulting comments and situations. He is made to feel inferior and is put down by his ‘mates’. After he graduates with a TER of 99.92, he is put down several times for a job.
We analyse why Muhammad is put down for most of his jobs. Is it because of his inability? Or is this because of something else? Is this because he is of Middle Eastern origin? Is this because we fear his Middle Eastern origins? So this is it. It’s the fear of the unknown. The fear of all fears. We fear Muhamad because he represents the unknown. We do not know his culture, his attitudes and customs. We are ultimately, fearing difference.
Remember the witch ages? Where we, the civilized people burned people just because they looked like or acted like witches? Well, this is happening again. We discriminate these ‘black people’ or these ‘people that eye’s grow sideways’ because they are the unknown. We fear what they bring. However, the ultimate question is still, why are they feared?
I believe it’s the influence of the media that has put these ‘different’
people in a bad light. How many times have we seen Indonesians blown up Bali? We fear them! We are afraid that they would blow us up again!
It is clear. The only way to stop this discrimination and turn Australia into the visualized multicultural haven is by education. The media has to resists its temptations to exploit the naivety of the public.
Education must be in place to educate the Australian public about these unknowns. Only then, there will be racial equality and they can declare ‘free at last! Free at last from discrimination’ (Martin Luther King – I have a dream speech)
Monday, May 15, 2006
Sarawak Election 2006 - Can it be free and fair?
A new news and another gallery categories on Sarawak Election 2006 is now available for the upcoming Sarawak State Election.
The 9th Sarawak State Election is to take place just after the 9th Malaysian Plan, the 5-yearly national development plan of the country had just been approved by the national parliament. It is purely coincidental of course. The supposed independent Election Commission had set nomination day on 9th May and the polling day will be on 20th May.
For Sarawakians, the upcoming election will perhaps see some livelier contest, as for a long time, there had not been such a coordinated opposition alliance in which this time round, former ruling coalition politicians-turned-opposition is teaming with the only opposition party since its inception – Parti Keadilan Rakyat - to take on the resource and power-rich ruling National Front coalition. So, this should be a more challenging election to watch. To what extend this challenge will prove to be depends on the voters, to a certain extent. Now why only a certain extent? Voters will have the final say in situation to which they can vote according to what would be collectively best for them, without threat, inducement and \"sweet\" promises. In addition, if only election would be free and fair, not just to the political parties, but free and fair to the voters too.
In Malaysia, and more blatantly in the Sarawak context, where outright threat against the voters can be issued by ruling politicians and get away unpunished by any law of the land, voters are more often than not being held to ransom. This is especially so for the rural voters. The by-election of Ba\' Kalalan in interior Sarawak in September 2004 revealed how When votes were tallied at designated polling stations - yet another critical weakness of the electoral process - collective punishment was mooted out when vote-counting allowed for identification of voters from an areas who voted for non-ruling party candidate. Even though the ruling coalition candidate won, that did not stop the Sarawak Government from immediately announcing its intention to stop a \"development\" project - rural growth area - planned for the area where communities had voted for the independent candidate then.
While such is a blatant threat which will serve as reminder to communities contemplating voting non-ruling coalition candidates, that does not stop even federal minister from issuing threat against Sarawak voters as a whole for the upcoming election. The Sarawakian Federal Minister for Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Miri in Sarawak, was reported in The Star newspaper of 30th April 2006 as saying \"vote for the opposition and you may lose projects proposed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).\" Blackmail, holding voters to ransom or however you choose to call such irresponsible and illegal act, the ruling coalition seems immuned from the laws of the land.
Change must be forced upon such and other illegal and irresponsible act coming from the ruling parties. Sarawakian voters all know that money politics are aplenty, but the voters also need to change, in order to bring about greater changes in the system, of not just voting, but governance. Evidence is needed.
This is where Rengah Sarawak calls upon voters and their friends and families, especially those from rural areas, to arm yourselves with either camera, audio recorded or video recorder or all of them - if you can have access to them of course - and act as the people who will keep the politicians honest. Secretly record any illegal acts - bribing, giving of gifts, threats etc - and pass them on to us and others who will then expose them and their illegal acts.
So bring out your cameras, your video recorders, your audio recorders and help capture audio, video and visual of political parties and politicians carrying out corrupt practices before and during the election period. Submit with details of place, date, time, state seat that the place falls under, contact details if appropriate and any other comments to describe your audio, video and or visual submission. All submissions will be treated with strictest confidentiality.
If all the propaganda talk of Malaysian IT (Information Technology) supremacy is a rhetoric in your rural areas - where it is likely that the basic electricity is not even available, least of all any IT infrastructure - arrange to send them to us when convenient. We will publicize various contact details for you to get in touch in due time.
Thus the new news category of Sarawak Election Monitoring 2006 – to ask the masses to act as eyes, ears and mouth of Sarawak Election.
Until then, happy voting to the Sarawak voters and may citizen powers rule over corrupt politicians.
The 9th Sarawak State Election is to take place just after the 9th Malaysian Plan, the 5-yearly national development plan of the country had just been approved by the national parliament. It is purely coincidental of course. The supposed independent Election Commission had set nomination day on 9th May and the polling day will be on 20th May.
For Sarawakians, the upcoming election will perhaps see some livelier contest, as for a long time, there had not been such a coordinated opposition alliance in which this time round, former ruling coalition politicians-turned-opposition is teaming with the only opposition party since its inception – Parti Keadilan Rakyat - to take on the resource and power-rich ruling National Front coalition. So, this should be a more challenging election to watch. To what extend this challenge will prove to be depends on the voters, to a certain extent. Now why only a certain extent? Voters will have the final say in situation to which they can vote according to what would be collectively best for them, without threat, inducement and \"sweet\" promises. In addition, if only election would be free and fair, not just to the political parties, but free and fair to the voters too.
In Malaysia, and more blatantly in the Sarawak context, where outright threat against the voters can be issued by ruling politicians and get away unpunished by any law of the land, voters are more often than not being held to ransom. This is especially so for the rural voters. The by-election of Ba\' Kalalan in interior Sarawak in September 2004 revealed how When votes were tallied at designated polling stations - yet another critical weakness of the electoral process - collective punishment was mooted out when vote-counting allowed for identification of voters from an areas who voted for non-ruling party candidate. Even though the ruling coalition candidate won, that did not stop the Sarawak Government from immediately announcing its intention to stop a \"development\" project - rural growth area - planned for the area where communities had voted for the independent candidate then.
While such is a blatant threat which will serve as reminder to communities contemplating voting non-ruling coalition candidates, that does not stop even federal minister from issuing threat against Sarawak voters as a whole for the upcoming election. The Sarawakian Federal Minister for Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Miri in Sarawak, was reported in The Star newspaper of 30th April 2006 as saying \"vote for the opposition and you may lose projects proposed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).\" Blackmail, holding voters to ransom or however you choose to call such irresponsible and illegal act, the ruling coalition seems immuned from the laws of the land.
Change must be forced upon such and other illegal and irresponsible act coming from the ruling parties. Sarawakian voters all know that money politics are aplenty, but the voters also need to change, in order to bring about greater changes in the system, of not just voting, but governance. Evidence is needed.
This is where Rengah Sarawak calls upon voters and their friends and families, especially those from rural areas, to arm yourselves with either camera, audio recorded or video recorder or all of them - if you can have access to them of course - and act as the people who will keep the politicians honest. Secretly record any illegal acts - bribing, giving of gifts, threats etc - and pass them on to us and others who will then expose them and their illegal acts.
So bring out your cameras, your video recorders, your audio recorders and help capture audio, video and visual of political parties and politicians carrying out corrupt practices before and during the election period. Submit with details of place, date, time, state seat that the place falls under, contact details if appropriate and any other comments to describe your audio, video and or visual submission. All submissions will be treated with strictest confidentiality.
If all the propaganda talk of Malaysian IT (Information Technology) supremacy is a rhetoric in your rural areas - where it is likely that the basic electricity is not even available, least of all any IT infrastructure - arrange to send them to us when convenient. We will publicize various contact details for you to get in touch in due time.
Thus the new news category of Sarawak Election Monitoring 2006 – to ask the masses to act as eyes, ears and mouth of Sarawak Election.
Until then, happy voting to the Sarawak voters and may citizen powers rule over corrupt politicians.
Friday, May 12, 2006
I HATE ANG MO!!!
Yesterday, when i was having a video confrence with my parents, two ANG MOS ( Guai Lou, Orang putih, mat salleh etc etc anything to keep them in the dark) were watching pornography and insulting my parents IN FRONT OF THEM WITH THE PORN!!! They said that my mum was a malaysian prostitute(I TRICK YOU NOT) and my dad was a gigolo. ON TOP OF THAT! THEY WERE DOING THAT IN FRONT OF MY PARENTS!!! (I share a room in the boarding house). So I politely put down the convo, and politely asked them to stop. So i restarted the video confrence. BUT NOOOO THEY DIDNT WANT TO STOP!!! after about 4 times repeatedly asking them to halt their activities, i FINALLY CRACKED AFTER THE BEING STRAINED AND TESTED FOR 2 WEEKS!!! I CONFRONTED THEM, AND STARTED THROWING PUNCHES AT THEM (THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I HAVE RESORTED TO PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AS I USUALLY PREFER A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION). Wah Lau. My ferocity and anger shocked me. Apprarently, I was shouting so loud, that the Master on Duty, stationed about 200 meters away heard it through 3 solid wooden doors! He came into my room and calmed me down. OK. YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BLOODY END OF STORY!!! Noooo... To cap it off, the master THOUGHT IT WAS MY F*CKING FAULT!!! He gave me a house duty (clean the boarding house etc etc) that was due next week. I was so shaken by the events i didnt think to defend my self. Apparently the 2 other boys said that I was hitting them for no reason. That was yesterday. I am goingn to confront him, today, and clarify it. To justify myself on my blog, I will tell you the strain I was under that time.
1. The insults during the video confrencce. I asked them to stop at least 7 times.
2. They were insulting me BEFORE the video confrence. same old thing, why do your eyes grow sideways, does that mean your vag*na grows sideway as well etc etc
3. I was studying for 2 test, a CHEM and PHYSICS test before that, and I was very well under pressure
4. I just had a outbreak at some of my closest friends for being racist (Australia multicultural society? EAT SH*T LA... RACIST IDIOTS), but none that could match this. They were on about how malaysia and china etc etc were such poor countries same old thing etc etc
5. I had very little dinner as the boarding house's food provided was SH*T... yesterday;s breakfast.
6. I just sat for a rather straining GT test and was still fuming about the SILLY MISTAKES I MADE!!! :@!!!
So reader, was I justified in doing what i did?
1. The insults during the video confrencce. I asked them to stop at least 7 times.
2. They were insulting me BEFORE the video confrence. same old thing, why do your eyes grow sideways, does that mean your vag*na grows sideway as well etc etc
3. I was studying for 2 test, a CHEM and PHYSICS test before that, and I was very well under pressure
4. I just had a outbreak at some of my closest friends for being racist (Australia multicultural society? EAT SH*T LA... RACIST IDIOTS), but none that could match this. They were on about how malaysia and china etc etc were such poor countries same old thing etc etc
5. I had very little dinner as the boarding house's food provided was SH*T... yesterday;s breakfast.
6. I just sat for a rather straining GT test and was still fuming about the SILLY MISTAKES I MADE!!! :@!!!
So reader, was I justified in doing what i did?
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
MORE governemnt attacks
KUALA LUMPUR: Toe the line. This is the order from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to all Barisan Nasional legislators when it comes to voting in Parliament.
Abdullah sent out this order after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting here yesterday.
He made the order following the controversial decision by former Backbenchers Club (BBC) chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad to support an Opposition motion to refer a Barisan MP to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee.
Jasin MP Datuk Mohd Said Yusoff was said to have asked the Malacca Customs Department to “close one eye’’ over a timber consignment from Indonesia which had contravened regulations.
The other Barisan MPs, however, did not back Shahrir, who later resigned as BBC chairman.
Abdullah said even if Shahrir had not resigned, he would have been dropped from the position.
“But he (Shahrir) had already anticipated the action that would be taken against him, and so he resigned.”
Abdullah also said any move by the BBC to re-elect the Johor Baru MP as chairman would not be welcome.
“There is no need to pressure him into accepting the post back. He has made his decision and we should respect that,” he added.
The Prime Minister’s order puts paid to an appeal by a group of Barisan MPs yesterday to allow them to vote in Parliament according to their conscience on matters that do not affect the Government’s legislative position.
Abdullah, who is also Umno president, said this sort of voting was not possible for Barisan MPs because they must abide by party rules.
“Everyone knows the rules and not only must they understand them, they must also abide by them,” he said.
“There will not be any leniency (on the rules) or exception to anyone to do whatever he or she wishes,’’ he said.
When pointed out that democracies in developed countries such as the United States allowed representatives to support an Opposition motion, Abdullah replied: “We have our own democracy. We have survived on the basis of what we have been practising before, and we will continue with this practice.”
“That has not caused us to suffer any kind of problem. I still believe party discipline is very important, and all party members have to observe it.’’
Abdullah said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nazri Aziz would meet the BBC today to seek an explanation.
Earlier, before the Prime Minister's press conference, Shahrir, who is an Umno supreme council member, expressed to reporters his willingness to be re-elected as BBC chairman.
WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THE GOVERNMENT!!! ISN'T THE MPS SUSPOSE TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE? OR IS THE GOVERNMENT SOLELY EXISTING TO 'DISAPPROVE ALL MOTIONS BY THE OPPOSITION'? THIS IS BLOODY REDICULUS!!!
Lets say a motion to ban drugs (bad example, but i'll stick to it) was proposed by the opposition. What is the government going to do? OPPOSE IT??? WHAT IS THE BLOODY REASON FOR A PARLIAMENT THEN???
CAN'T YOU BLOODY SEE THAT THE FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES ALL ALLOW THAT??? WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE? SPECIAL??? OR A STUPID BACKWARD THIRD WORLD AGRICULTURAL BASED COUNTRY???
GOVERNEMNT, PLEASE RECONSIDER.
Abdullah sent out this order after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting here yesterday.
He made the order following the controversial decision by former Backbenchers Club (BBC) chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad to support an Opposition motion to refer a Barisan MP to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee.
Jasin MP Datuk Mohd Said Yusoff was said to have asked the Malacca Customs Department to “close one eye’’ over a timber consignment from Indonesia which had contravened regulations.
The other Barisan MPs, however, did not back Shahrir, who later resigned as BBC chairman.
Abdullah said even if Shahrir had not resigned, he would have been dropped from the position.
“But he (Shahrir) had already anticipated the action that would be taken against him, and so he resigned.”
Abdullah also said any move by the BBC to re-elect the Johor Baru MP as chairman would not be welcome.
“There is no need to pressure him into accepting the post back. He has made his decision and we should respect that,” he added.
The Prime Minister’s order puts paid to an appeal by a group of Barisan MPs yesterday to allow them to vote in Parliament according to their conscience on matters that do not affect the Government’s legislative position.
Abdullah, who is also Umno president, said this sort of voting was not possible for Barisan MPs because they must abide by party rules.
“Everyone knows the rules and not only must they understand them, they must also abide by them,” he said.
“There will not be any leniency (on the rules) or exception to anyone to do whatever he or she wishes,’’ he said.
When pointed out that democracies in developed countries such as the United States allowed representatives to support an Opposition motion, Abdullah replied: “We have our own democracy. We have survived on the basis of what we have been practising before, and we will continue with this practice.”
“That has not caused us to suffer any kind of problem. I still believe party discipline is very important, and all party members have to observe it.’’
Abdullah said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nazri Aziz would meet the BBC today to seek an explanation.
Earlier, before the Prime Minister's press conference, Shahrir, who is an Umno supreme council member, expressed to reporters his willingness to be re-elected as BBC chairman.
WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THE GOVERNMENT!!! ISN'T THE MPS SUSPOSE TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE? OR IS THE GOVERNMENT SOLELY EXISTING TO 'DISAPPROVE ALL MOTIONS BY THE OPPOSITION'? THIS IS BLOODY REDICULUS!!!
Lets say a motion to ban drugs (bad example, but i'll stick to it) was proposed by the opposition. What is the government going to do? OPPOSE IT??? WHAT IS THE BLOODY REASON FOR A PARLIAMENT THEN???
CAN'T YOU BLOODY SEE THAT THE FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES ALL ALLOW THAT??? WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE? SPECIAL??? OR A STUPID BACKWARD THIRD WORLD AGRICULTURAL BASED COUNTRY???
GOVERNEMNT, PLEASE RECONSIDER.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Political Rantings
Yesterday, on MSN, I was speaking to various people about the political party they support. One of the interesting answers to why someone would vote for the opposition is: We need a strong opposition to keep the government in check. The governemnt will be too arrogant and not listen to the people.
Personally, I support the opposition DAP. This is mainly because I see the incompetence of the Pak Lah government. (OK... blogs are suppose to be cencored free and everyone can criticise anything, its a free world) Who would cancel the bridge project just because there are 'certain legal implications'? You alreasdy put in like 500 million in it, why not go ahead. This has shamed me as a Malaysian when I am in a international community. Singaporeans have came up to me and laughed about Malaysians being scared of Singaporeans. I say, TAKE THE SINGAPOREANS TO THE ICJ!!! What is there to be afraid of? Even Mahathir strongly opposes this cancelation of the bridge project. This is a key issue and reason why I think the government is incompetent.
I quote a famous DAP political leader's quote. Who owns Malaysia? Malaysians. Who are Malaysians? I hope I am Malaysian, Mr Speaker, but sometimes, sitting in this Chamber, I question this fact... Why is it that Bumiputras get so much extra benefit? Why is the educational system so tilted and distorted that Matriculation is used comparable to the STPM??? Can't the government see that MAtriculation, a paper marked by your OWN TEACHERS is much easier that STPM, a OPEN EXAM??? Why are the best amanah sahams reserved for the Bumis? Amanah saham bumiputra gets about 20 percent dividents while Normal Amanah Saham gets about 5%. If I was to name the countless list of things the Bumis get in extra, there would be no space, not to mention the NEP. To prevent another 513 riot? Are there 513 riots when BN wins? NOOOO.... but when DAP and GERAKAN gets some extra seats, ALL THE MALAYS GET ANGRY? Government, enough is enough. How many more feet and tongkats do you want to add to the so heavily support malay population? You are making them more and more unindipendant!!!
Pak Lah is also famous for emphasizing on Agriculture. This type of Agriulture is effective for large amounts of land like Australia, but come on Malaysia, advance. Start relying on other sectors ie services. Look at Singapore. They are so much more advanced and succesfull. Do they have any agricultural land??!?
So readers, you are welcomed to comment on this. I would like to see the general views of everyone.
Personally, I support the opposition DAP. This is mainly because I see the incompetence of the Pak Lah government. (OK... blogs are suppose to be cencored free and everyone can criticise anything, its a free world) Who would cancel the bridge project just because there are 'certain legal implications'? You alreasdy put in like 500 million in it, why not go ahead. This has shamed me as a Malaysian when I am in a international community. Singaporeans have came up to me and laughed about Malaysians being scared of Singaporeans. I say, TAKE THE SINGAPOREANS TO THE ICJ!!! What is there to be afraid of? Even Mahathir strongly opposes this cancelation of the bridge project. This is a key issue and reason why I think the government is incompetent.
I quote a famous DAP political leader's quote. Who owns Malaysia? Malaysians. Who are Malaysians? I hope I am Malaysian, Mr Speaker, but sometimes, sitting in this Chamber, I question this fact... Why is it that Bumiputras get so much extra benefit? Why is the educational system so tilted and distorted that Matriculation is used comparable to the STPM??? Can't the government see that MAtriculation, a paper marked by your OWN TEACHERS is much easier that STPM, a OPEN EXAM??? Why are the best amanah sahams reserved for the Bumis? Amanah saham bumiputra gets about 20 percent dividents while Normal Amanah Saham gets about 5%. If I was to name the countless list of things the Bumis get in extra, there would be no space, not to mention the NEP. To prevent another 513 riot? Are there 513 riots when BN wins? NOOOO.... but when DAP and GERAKAN gets some extra seats, ALL THE MALAYS GET ANGRY? Government, enough is enough. How many more feet and tongkats do you want to add to the so heavily support malay population? You are making them more and more unindipendant!!!
Pak Lah is also famous for emphasizing on Agriculture. This type of Agriulture is effective for large amounts of land like Australia, but come on Malaysia, advance. Start relying on other sectors ie services. Look at Singapore. They are so much more advanced and succesfull. Do they have any agricultural land??!?
So readers, you are welcomed to comment on this. I would like to see the general views of everyone.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Hammarskjold Trophy
Just returned from the finals of the prestigious Hammarskjold Trophy held in the legislative chamber in the parliament house. I was representing SLovakia in this mock Security Council UN meeting. The highlight of the day (for me) was definately the last impromptu resolution. The resolution was about North Korea's nuclear weapons and whether to enpose sanctions and embargoes on them. I was the only person to vote not to impose sanctions. It was a last ditch attempt to win the trophy. It was either make it or break it. I quote my 'famous' climax of the speech:
Who are we, a western dominated organization, to infiringe upon the sovereignity of this country, this country with a proud history reaching back to more than a thousand years. Who are we, the outsiders, to execute the basic decisions for the country, and by that, taking the sole privilidge of the country to decide upon where it wants its people to go, what it wants to do. Who are we, the Security Council, to decide why or what another state can't do. We say North Korea might causes a war. Well, the US (at this point member state from USA started staring at us) has nuclear weapons and caused the Iraq war. Should it be taken away from them? We all take the assumption that what we decide is what is best for this society. By invading the sovereignity of this country, we are taking away its sovereign, its pride, its independant existance. Do we want another Iraq? I am sure most member of states voted against that war that the US indefinately decided to ignore the UN and continued( at this stage US started scribbling intensively, probably to suggest a point of information), even as the world opposed. This is why, I pledge to all members of state, to vote against this blasphemous resolution and stop the United Nations from being a busybody. Thank YOu
Hehe... couldnt resist, had to type up the second part of my speech. I was shouting at the climax, and the president of the UN youth association said that that was the most memorable speech of the day. Feel proud :) Check my blog later tomorrow to see whether i won :) the results will be announced in the presentation evening to night.
Who are we, a western dominated organization, to infiringe upon the sovereignity of this country, this country with a proud history reaching back to more than a thousand years. Who are we, the outsiders, to execute the basic decisions for the country, and by that, taking the sole privilidge of the country to decide upon where it wants its people to go, what it wants to do. Who are we, the Security Council, to decide why or what another state can't do. We say North Korea might causes a war. Well, the US (at this point member state from USA started staring at us) has nuclear weapons and caused the Iraq war. Should it be taken away from them? We all take the assumption that what we decide is what is best for this society. By invading the sovereignity of this country, we are taking away its sovereign, its pride, its independant existance. Do we want another Iraq? I am sure most member of states voted against that war that the US indefinately decided to ignore the UN and continued( at this stage US started scribbling intensively, probably to suggest a point of information), even as the world opposed. This is why, I pledge to all members of state, to vote against this blasphemous resolution and stop the United Nations from being a busybody. Thank YOu
Hehe... couldnt resist, had to type up the second part of my speech. I was shouting at the climax, and the president of the UN youth association said that that was the most memorable speech of the day. Feel proud :) Check my blog later tomorrow to see whether i won :) the results will be announced in the presentation evening to night.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
On my birthday....
Events
1777 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Bennington - British forces are defeated by American troops.
1780 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden - The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina.
1812 - War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army.
1819 - Eleven people die and 400 are injured by cavalry charges at the Peterloo Massacre at a public meeting at St. Peter's Field, Manchester, England.
1841 - U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history.
1858 - U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal will force a shutdown of the service in a few weeks.
1868 - Arica, Peru (now Chile) is devastated by a tsunami which followed a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in the Peru-Chile Trench off the coast. The earthquake and tsunami killed an estimated 25,000 people in Arica and perhaps 70,000 people in all.
1896 - Skookum Jim Mason, George Carmack and Dawson Charlie discover gold in the Klondike in Canada.
1913 - Tōhoku Imperial University (modern day Tōhoku University) admits its first female students.
1915 - World War I: Should victory be achieved over the Central Powers, the Triple Entente promises the Kingdom of Serbia: the Austro-Hungarian territories of Baranja, Srem, Slavonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina; and the eastern 2/3 of Dalmatia (from the river of Krka to the city of Bar).
1920 - Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians is hit in the head by a fastball thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees, and dies early the next day. To date, Chapman is the only player to die from injuries sustained in a Major League Baseball game.
1928 - Murderer Carl Panzram is arrested in Washington, DC after killing 20 people.
1930 - The first color sound cartoon, called Fiddlesticks, is made by Ub Iwerks
1942 - World War II: - The two-person crew of the U.S. naval blimp L-8 disappear without a trace on a routine anti-submarine patrol over the Pacific Ocean. The blimp drifts without her crew and crashlands in Daly City, California.
1946 - The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, is established, and Ichirō Ishikawa is appointed its representative.
1954 - Sports Illustrated magazine is first published.
1960 - Cyprus gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
1960 - Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,330 m), setting three records that still stand today: high-altitude jump, free-fall, and fastest speed by a human without an aircraft.
1962 - The Beatles fire drummer Pete Best and replace him with Ringo Starr.
1964 - Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Duong Van Minh with General Nguyen Khanh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy.
1966 - Vietnam War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested.
1972 - The Royal Moroccan Air Force mistakenly fires upon, but fails to bring down, Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
1974 - The Ramones play their first ever show at the CBGB's.
1984 - Carmaker John De Lorean is acquitted of all eight counts of possessing and distributing cocaine.
1987 - A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 carrying Northwest Airlines flight 255 crashes on takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport killing 155 people onboard, with the sole survivor four-year old Cecelia Cichan).
1993 - The Debian GNU/Linux distribution is founded by Ian Murdock.
1996 - Sigma Beta Rho is founded at the University of Pennsylvania.
2003 - U.S. Representative from South Dakota Bill Janklow hits and kills a motorcyclist with his car at a rural intersection near Trent, South Dakota; he will eventually be convicted of manslaughter and will resign from Congress.
2005 - West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashes near Machiques, Venezuela, killing the 160 aboard.
[edit]
Births
1355 - Philippa Plantagenet, Countess of Ulster
1378 - Hongxi Emperor of China (d. 1425)
1557 - Agostino Carracci, Italian artist (d. 1602)
1596 - Frederick V, Elector Palatine (d. 1632)
1645 - Jean de La Bruyère, French writer (d. 1696)
1650 - Vincenzo Coronelli, Italian cartographer and encylopedist (d. 1718)
1682 - Louis, Duke of Burgundy, heir to the throne of France (d. 1712)
1832 - Wilhelm Wundt, German psychologist (d. 1920)
1845 - Gabriel Lippmann, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1921)
1860 - Jules Laforgue, French poet (d. 1887)
1862 - Amos Alonzo Stagg, American coach (d. 1965)
1868 - Bernarr McFadden, American publisher (d. 1955)
1884 - Hugo Gernsback, Luxembourg-born editor and publisher (d. 1967)
1888 - T. E. Lawrence, English writer and soldier (d. 1935)
1888 - Armand J. Piron, American musician (d. 1943)
1892 - Otto Messmer, American cartoonist (d. 1983)
1894 - George Meany, American labor union leader (d. 1980)
1895 - Albert Cohen, Swiss novelist (d. 1981)
1895 - Liane Haid, Austrian actress (d. 2000)
1902 - Georgette Heyer, English novelist (d. 1974)
1904 - Wendell Meredith Stanley, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
1911 - E. F. Schumacher, German economist and statistician (d. 1977)
1912 - Ted Drake English footballer (d. 1995)
1913 - Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1992)
1920 - Charles Bukowski, American poet (d. 1994)
1923 - Millôr Fernandes, Brazilian cartoonist and playwright
1924 - Fess Parker, American actor
1925 - Willie Jones, baseball player (d. 1983)
1928 - Ann Blyth, American actress
1929 - Helmut Rahn, German footballer (d. 2003)
1930 - Robert Culp, American actor
1930 - Frank Gifford, American football player and announcer
1931 - Eydie Gorme, American singer
1933 - Julie Newmar, American actress
1937 - David Anderson, Canadian politician
1939 - Trevor Mcdonald OBE, Television Newsreader
1940 - Bruce Beresford, Australian film director
1946 - Massoud Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician
1946 - Lesley Ann Warren, American actress
1950 - Hasely Crawford, Trinidad and Tobago athlete
1952 - Reginald VelJohnson, American actor
1953 - Kathie Lee Gifford, French-born singer and actress
1954 - James Cameron, Canadian film director
1958 - Angela Bassett, American actress
1958 - Madonna, American singer and actress
1960 - Timothy Hutton, American actor
1964 - Jimmy Arias, American tennis player
1967 - Ulrika Jonsson, Swedish-born television personality
1968 - Mateja Svet, Slovenian alpine skier
1972 - Stan Lazaridis, Australian footballer
1974 - Robin Hull, Finnish snooker player
1974 - Krisztina Egerszegi, Hungarian swimmer
1976 - Jonatan Johansson, Finnish footballer
1978 - Eddie Gill, Professional basketballer
1980 - Vanessa Carlton, American singer, songwriter, and pianist
1980 - Robert Hardy, English bassist (Franz Ferdinand)
1981 - Taylor Rain, American actress
1987 - Kyal Marsh, Australian actor
[edit]
Deaths
1027 - Giorgi I, King of Georgia (b. 998)
1327 - Roch, French saint
1358 - Duke Albert II of Austria (b. 1298)
1419 - Wenceslaus, King of the Romans, King of Bohemia (b. 1361)
1443 - Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Japanese shogun (b. 1434)
1445 - Margaret of Scotland (Dauphine of France), wife of Louis XI. (b. 1424.
1518 - Loyset Compère, French composer
1532 - John, Elector of Saxony (b. 1468)
1661 - Thomas Fuller, English churchman and historian (b. 1608)
1678 - Andrew Marvell, English poet (b. 1621)
1705 - Jakob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and scientist (b. 1654)
1733 - Matthew Tindal, English deist (b. 1657)
1791 - Charles-François de Broglie, marquis de Ruffec, French soldier and diplomat (b. 1719)
1886 - Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Indian guru (b. 1836)
1893 - Jean-Martin Charcot, French neurologist (b. 1825)
1899 - Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, German chemist (b. 1811)
1907 - James Hector, Scottish geologist (b. 1834)
1921 - King Peter I of Serbia (b. 1844)
1938 - Robert Johnson, American singer and guitarist (b. 1911)
1938 - Andrej Hlinka, Slovak politician and priest (b. 1864)
1948 - Babe Ruth, baseball player (b. 1895)
1949 - Margaret Mitchell, American novelist (b. 1900)
1956 - Bela Lugosi, Hungarian actor (b. 1882)
1957 - Irving Langmuir, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
1959 - Wanda Landowska, Polish harpsichordist (b. 1879)
1973 - Selman Waksman, Ukrainian-born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1888)
1975 - Vladimir Kuts, Ukrainian-born runner (b. 1927)
1977 - Elvis Presley, American singer and actor (b. 1935)
1979 - John Diefenbaker, thirteenth Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
1988 - Keema, Almost Famous
1983 - Earl Averill, baseball player (b. 1902)
1989 - Amanda Blake, American actress (b. 1929)
1997 - Gerard McLarnon, Irish playwright and actor (b. 1915)
2002 - Abu Nidal, Palestinian political leader (b. 1937)
2002 - Jeff Corey, American actor (b. 1914)
2003 - Idi Amin, Ugandan dictator (b. 1928)
2004 - Ivan Hlinka, Czech hockey coach (b. 1950)
2004 - Robert Quiroga, American boxer (b. 1969)
2005 - Frère Roger of Taizé, Swiss monk and mystic (b. 1915)
1777 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Bennington - British forces are defeated by American troops.
1780 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden - The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina.
1812 - War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army.
1819 - Eleven people die and 400 are injured by cavalry charges at the Peterloo Massacre at a public meeting at St. Peter's Field, Manchester, England.
1841 - U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history.
1858 - U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal will force a shutdown of the service in a few weeks.
1868 - Arica, Peru (now Chile) is devastated by a tsunami which followed a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in the Peru-Chile Trench off the coast. The earthquake and tsunami killed an estimated 25,000 people in Arica and perhaps 70,000 people in all.
1896 - Skookum Jim Mason, George Carmack and Dawson Charlie discover gold in the Klondike in Canada.
1913 - Tōhoku Imperial University (modern day Tōhoku University) admits its first female students.
1915 - World War I: Should victory be achieved over the Central Powers, the Triple Entente promises the Kingdom of Serbia: the Austro-Hungarian territories of Baranja, Srem, Slavonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina; and the eastern 2/3 of Dalmatia (from the river of Krka to the city of Bar).
1920 - Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians is hit in the head by a fastball thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees, and dies early the next day. To date, Chapman is the only player to die from injuries sustained in a Major League Baseball game.
1928 - Murderer Carl Panzram is arrested in Washington, DC after killing 20 people.
1930 - The first color sound cartoon, called Fiddlesticks, is made by Ub Iwerks
1942 - World War II: - The two-person crew of the U.S. naval blimp L-8 disappear without a trace on a routine anti-submarine patrol over the Pacific Ocean. The blimp drifts without her crew and crashlands in Daly City, California.
1946 - The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, is established, and Ichirō Ishikawa is appointed its representative.
1954 - Sports Illustrated magazine is first published.
1960 - Cyprus gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
1960 - Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,330 m), setting three records that still stand today: high-altitude jump, free-fall, and fastest speed by a human without an aircraft.
1962 - The Beatles fire drummer Pete Best and replace him with Ringo Starr.
1964 - Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Duong Van Minh with General Nguyen Khanh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy.
1966 - Vietnam War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested.
1972 - The Royal Moroccan Air Force mistakenly fires upon, but fails to bring down, Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
1974 - The Ramones play their first ever show at the CBGB's.
1984 - Carmaker John De Lorean is acquitted of all eight counts of possessing and distributing cocaine.
1987 - A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 carrying Northwest Airlines flight 255 crashes on takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport killing 155 people onboard, with the sole survivor four-year old Cecelia Cichan).
1993 - The Debian GNU/Linux distribution is founded by Ian Murdock.
1996 - Sigma Beta Rho is founded at the University of Pennsylvania.
2003 - U.S. Representative from South Dakota Bill Janklow hits and kills a motorcyclist with his car at a rural intersection near Trent, South Dakota; he will eventually be convicted of manslaughter and will resign from Congress.
2005 - West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashes near Machiques, Venezuela, killing the 160 aboard.
[edit]
Births
1355 - Philippa Plantagenet, Countess of Ulster
1378 - Hongxi Emperor of China (d. 1425)
1557 - Agostino Carracci, Italian artist (d. 1602)
1596 - Frederick V, Elector Palatine (d. 1632)
1645 - Jean de La Bruyère, French writer (d. 1696)
1650 - Vincenzo Coronelli, Italian cartographer and encylopedist (d. 1718)
1682 - Louis, Duke of Burgundy, heir to the throne of France (d. 1712)
1832 - Wilhelm Wundt, German psychologist (d. 1920)
1845 - Gabriel Lippmann, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1921)
1860 - Jules Laforgue, French poet (d. 1887)
1862 - Amos Alonzo Stagg, American coach (d. 1965)
1868 - Bernarr McFadden, American publisher (d. 1955)
1884 - Hugo Gernsback, Luxembourg-born editor and publisher (d. 1967)
1888 - T. E. Lawrence, English writer and soldier (d. 1935)
1888 - Armand J. Piron, American musician (d. 1943)
1892 - Otto Messmer, American cartoonist (d. 1983)
1894 - George Meany, American labor union leader (d. 1980)
1895 - Albert Cohen, Swiss novelist (d. 1981)
1895 - Liane Haid, Austrian actress (d. 2000)
1902 - Georgette Heyer, English novelist (d. 1974)
1904 - Wendell Meredith Stanley, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
1911 - E. F. Schumacher, German economist and statistician (d. 1977)
1912 - Ted Drake English footballer (d. 1995)
1913 - Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1992)
1920 - Charles Bukowski, American poet (d. 1994)
1923 - Millôr Fernandes, Brazilian cartoonist and playwright
1924 - Fess Parker, American actor
1925 - Willie Jones, baseball player (d. 1983)
1928 - Ann Blyth, American actress
1929 - Helmut Rahn, German footballer (d. 2003)
1930 - Robert Culp, American actor
1930 - Frank Gifford, American football player and announcer
1931 - Eydie Gorme, American singer
1933 - Julie Newmar, American actress
1937 - David Anderson, Canadian politician
1939 - Trevor Mcdonald OBE, Television Newsreader
1940 - Bruce Beresford, Australian film director
1946 - Massoud Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician
1946 - Lesley Ann Warren, American actress
1950 - Hasely Crawford, Trinidad and Tobago athlete
1952 - Reginald VelJohnson, American actor
1953 - Kathie Lee Gifford, French-born singer and actress
1954 - James Cameron, Canadian film director
1958 - Angela Bassett, American actress
1958 - Madonna, American singer and actress
1960 - Timothy Hutton, American actor
1964 - Jimmy Arias, American tennis player
1967 - Ulrika Jonsson, Swedish-born television personality
1968 - Mateja Svet, Slovenian alpine skier
1972 - Stan Lazaridis, Australian footballer
1974 - Robin Hull, Finnish snooker player
1974 - Krisztina Egerszegi, Hungarian swimmer
1976 - Jonatan Johansson, Finnish footballer
1978 - Eddie Gill, Professional basketballer
1980 - Vanessa Carlton, American singer, songwriter, and pianist
1980 - Robert Hardy, English bassist (Franz Ferdinand)
1981 - Taylor Rain, American actress
1987 - Kyal Marsh, Australian actor
[edit]
Deaths
1027 - Giorgi I, King of Georgia (b. 998)
1327 - Roch, French saint
1358 - Duke Albert II of Austria (b. 1298)
1419 - Wenceslaus, King of the Romans, King of Bohemia (b. 1361)
1443 - Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Japanese shogun (b. 1434)
1445 - Margaret of Scotland (Dauphine of France), wife of Louis XI. (b. 1424.
1518 - Loyset Compère, French composer
1532 - John, Elector of Saxony (b. 1468)
1661 - Thomas Fuller, English churchman and historian (b. 1608)
1678 - Andrew Marvell, English poet (b. 1621)
1705 - Jakob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and scientist (b. 1654)
1733 - Matthew Tindal, English deist (b. 1657)
1791 - Charles-François de Broglie, marquis de Ruffec, French soldier and diplomat (b. 1719)
1886 - Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Indian guru (b. 1836)
1893 - Jean-Martin Charcot, French neurologist (b. 1825)
1899 - Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, German chemist (b. 1811)
1907 - James Hector, Scottish geologist (b. 1834)
1921 - King Peter I of Serbia (b. 1844)
1938 - Robert Johnson, American singer and guitarist (b. 1911)
1938 - Andrej Hlinka, Slovak politician and priest (b. 1864)
1948 - Babe Ruth, baseball player (b. 1895)
1949 - Margaret Mitchell, American novelist (b. 1900)
1956 - Bela Lugosi, Hungarian actor (b. 1882)
1957 - Irving Langmuir, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
1959 - Wanda Landowska, Polish harpsichordist (b. 1879)
1973 - Selman Waksman, Ukrainian-born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1888)
1975 - Vladimir Kuts, Ukrainian-born runner (b. 1927)
1977 - Elvis Presley, American singer and actor (b. 1935)
1979 - John Diefenbaker, thirteenth Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
1988 - Keema, Almost Famous
1983 - Earl Averill, baseball player (b. 1902)
1989 - Amanda Blake, American actress (b. 1929)
1997 - Gerard McLarnon, Irish playwright and actor (b. 1915)
2002 - Abu Nidal, Palestinian political leader (b. 1937)
2002 - Jeff Corey, American actor (b. 1914)
2003 - Idi Amin, Ugandan dictator (b. 1928)
2004 - Ivan Hlinka, Czech hockey coach (b. 1950)
2004 - Robert Quiroga, American boxer (b. 1969)
2005 - Frère Roger of Taizé, Swiss monk and mystic (b. 1915)
The Jacqueline Gillespie case. Hero or Villain?
The recent Jacqueline Gillespie case has interested me a lot. For those who have not heard of it, Jacqueline Gillespie is an Australian mother that had her 2 children taken from her, illegally from the perspective of Australian law, and legal from the perspective of Malaysian law. This is because her husband, the cousin of the current Terengganu Sultan, remarried and she immediatly took her kids to Australia and divorced him. Readers, what say you all?
Side 1 - Jacqueline Gillespie is a villain
She is of course talking about Raja Bahrin, cousin to the present Sultan of Terengganu. What happened was, Raja Bahrin married a second wife and Jacqueline Gillespie ran off to Australia taking the children with her. At first Raja Bahrin would not allow her to take the children with her but she bluffed him that her mother was very sick and dying so, out of compassion, Raja Bahrin agreed.
I, in fact, met her at Subang Airport the day she left for Australia and she was sobbing as she told me the story. She also said she had no money so I gave her what little I had on me. Little did I realise she had cleaned out her bank account and was quite loaded.
Once she reached Australia she filed for a divorce and brought the children to church to be baptised. Jacqueline told the court that she badly treated, beaten every day, and was practically a slave back in Malaysia; so she dared not return to Malaysia to file for a divorce, as she should have done since she was married in Malaysia under Malaysian law and according to Islamic rites. This was definitely not true. Tengku Ampuan Bariah, the late Sultan’s consort, loved Jacqueline like her own daughter (because she had no children of her own) and Jacqueline went about the palace like she was born a princess.
Raja Bahrin then filed for custody of the children but lost. Raja Bahrin’s Australian lawyer did not think they were going to win as, what he said, “Two of the three judges are Jews so, as a Muslim, you have very little chance in this courtroom.” By the way, the lawyer who said this is not Muslim but Christian.
The court then gave Raja Bahrin visiting rights a couple of times a year. However, every time he wanted to visit the children, his passport and air ticket would be impounded. He would also be searched and all his cash plus watch and other valuable would be confiscated. Further to that, there would be two guards who would stand watch the entire hour or so he spent with the children and Raja Bahrin was not allowed to touch the children or have any physical contact with them whatsoever. He was also not allowed to talk about Islam to the children.
After a few years, the rules were relaxed as the authorities felt that Raja Bahrin had been behaving himself all those years. Nevertheless, the no cash or valuables and impounded passport and air ticket ruling remained. But he was allowed to spend some time alone with the children as long as they were sent back at the end of the day in exchange for his passport and air ticket.
Raja Bahrin could take it no longer. One day, leaving his passport and air ticket behind, he took the children for a long drive to the coast and jumped onto a boat that had been prior-arranged for the ‘great escape’. In the middle of the high seas, the boat developed engine trouble and it drifted for many days until it was rescued by the Indonesian Navy and towed to safety. It was sheer luck Raja Bahrin and the kids did not bump into any pirates or got swept under in a storm. The Indonesian Navy personnel told Raja Bahrin that, one day late, and they would have been history because his boat was drifting towards cannibal-infested territory (it is surprising that such things still exist in this day and age).
Raja Bahrin’s and Jacqueline Gillespie’s story is certainly a tragedy but the way Farah related it paints him as a villain. I know both husband and wife very well and it pains me to see this happen. After they divorced, I met Jacqueline in one of my trips to Australia and we do still communicate via e-mail from time to time. But to say it serves Raja Bahrin right for marrying two wives would be as fair as saying it serves Anwar Ibrahim right for getting beaten up and jailed on sodomy charges because he refused to bail out Dr Mahathir’s son’s shipping company with Petronas’ money.
Anyway, the point to all this, Farah’s piece on royals and polygamy plus references to Raja Bahrin has not been presented in the right perspective. In any story, there is always the other side of the coin and all may not be what it seems. And as much as you may want to think poorly of the late Sultan of Selangor for marrying a young wife after the Tengku Ampuan died, there were hidden hands paying the role of matchmaker with the objective of controlling the institution of the palace.
Excerpt from malaysiakini.com
Jacqueline Gillespie - Hero
"Once I was a Princess" is a book about how a woman's determination to continue to fight for her two kidnapped children's basic human rights saw her redefine her identity and role in society from distraught mother to a humanitarian activist on the world stage.
Jacqueline Pascarl Gillespie who joined us on Saturday's show was racially and sexually abused as a child. Her dysfunctional childhood left her vulnerable to the heady proposition of being swept of her feet by a seemingly gentle and urbane foreign student, Prince Raja Bahrin. They moved to Malaysia where they married and Jacqueline was re-educated and moulded in the disciplines of a princess and an obedient Muslim wife.
Back in his own country it bore no resemblance to the quiet student of their whirlwind courtship and she was treated by her husband as little more than a brood mare and decorative appendage. Forced to suppress her intellect and endure physical brutality, Princess Yasmin, as she was now known, maintained a carefully constructed facade of aristocratic solidarity. In just four years, a fairytale romance begun in the soft Melbourne spring of 1980 had turned into a nightmare of Islamic superstition, isolation, rejection, betrayal and abuse.
The birth of her two children steeled her resolve and determination to raise them far from the rotten atmosphere where she was living. Following the disintegration of her marriage (her husband had bigamously married a night club singer) she returned to Australia with the children and built up a career for herself in TV and radio.
After seven years of freedom her life took another turn in 1992. Her vengeful husband abducted both children in a cloak and dagger operation and managed to flee the country by sailing from Queensland to Indonesia in a tiny motor cruiser. Since then and despite diplomatic lobbying, legal challenges and humble pleas, Jacqueline has been allowed no contact with her kidnapped children, Iddin who is 16 and Shahirah, 14.
Succumbing to grief was never an option for Jacqueline. Instead she focused on providing support for other parents in similar circumstances and is now an acknowledged international expert on parental child abduction. She has emerged from her ordeal a stronger and more independent woman, forging a place for herself with humanitarian aid work in Bosnia and Africa.
The publication of her book "Once I was a Princess" coincides with this month's European conference on parental child abduction organized by the London based charity Reunite.
excerpt number 2:
9.39 In 1992, Mrs Jacqueline Gillespie's two children were abducted from Australia in defiance of an Australian Family Court custody order. The children's father smuggled the children out of Australia on a small boat back to Malaysia.
9.40 Malaysia is not a party to The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Therefore, the Convention could not be used to return the children to Australia on the grounds of their habitual residence in Australia.
9.41 Both children have dual nationality. They obtained Malaysian nationality by birth and acquired Australian nationality by descent from their Australian mother on registration at the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
9.42 The children's father had obtained custody orders from the Islamic religious court in his home state in Malaysia before coming to Australia to abduct the children. Under the Malaysian law, the father had legal custody of the children. It was open to Mrs Gillespie to challenge the custody orders in the Malaysian courts, but she decided not to proceed. Lawyers for the Australian High Commission advised that such a challenge would have been a test case for Malaysian law on the question of whether the civil or the religious courts have jurisdiction in custody cases involving religiously mixed marriages. The Australian Government, through the Attorney-General's Department, offered Mrs Gillespie financial assistance so that she could obtain legal advice in Malaysia on the prospects of legal action in the Malaysian courts to obtain the return of the children.
9.43 Because the children are Malaysian citizens and living with their father, the Australian High Commission had no legal grounds to request access to the children to determine their welfare. However information about the children gained by the High Commission has been relayed to Mrs Gillespie through DFAT.
9.44 The Australian Government requested the extradition of the children's father to face charges in Australia relating to his breach of the Family Court orders. The Malaysian Government refused that request, on the grounds that his action did not constitute a crime in Malaysian law. As noted in paragraph 6.129, 'the 'dual criminality test' is standard procedure in extradition cases.
9.45 DFAT submitted that this case illustrated how different legal systems can give different verdicts in custody cases and the importance of The Hague Convention to enable return of children to their normal place of residence. It further illustrates the Government's inability to intervene in private legal disputes and where dual nationality is involved.[20]
from the australian government website
This case has had many films and books written about it. What do you think?
Side 1 - Jacqueline Gillespie is a villain
She is of course talking about Raja Bahrin, cousin to the present Sultan of Terengganu. What happened was, Raja Bahrin married a second wife and Jacqueline Gillespie ran off to Australia taking the children with her. At first Raja Bahrin would not allow her to take the children with her but she bluffed him that her mother was very sick and dying so, out of compassion, Raja Bahrin agreed.
I, in fact, met her at Subang Airport the day she left for Australia and she was sobbing as she told me the story. She also said she had no money so I gave her what little I had on me. Little did I realise she had cleaned out her bank account and was quite loaded.
Once she reached Australia she filed for a divorce and brought the children to church to be baptised. Jacqueline told the court that she badly treated, beaten every day, and was practically a slave back in Malaysia; so she dared not return to Malaysia to file for a divorce, as she should have done since she was married in Malaysia under Malaysian law and according to Islamic rites. This was definitely not true. Tengku Ampuan Bariah, the late Sultan’s consort, loved Jacqueline like her own daughter (because she had no children of her own) and Jacqueline went about the palace like she was born a princess.
Raja Bahrin then filed for custody of the children but lost. Raja Bahrin’s Australian lawyer did not think they were going to win as, what he said, “Two of the three judges are Jews so, as a Muslim, you have very little chance in this courtroom.” By the way, the lawyer who said this is not Muslim but Christian.
The court then gave Raja Bahrin visiting rights a couple of times a year. However, every time he wanted to visit the children, his passport and air ticket would be impounded. He would also be searched and all his cash plus watch and other valuable would be confiscated. Further to that, there would be two guards who would stand watch the entire hour or so he spent with the children and Raja Bahrin was not allowed to touch the children or have any physical contact with them whatsoever. He was also not allowed to talk about Islam to the children.
After a few years, the rules were relaxed as the authorities felt that Raja Bahrin had been behaving himself all those years. Nevertheless, the no cash or valuables and impounded passport and air ticket ruling remained. But he was allowed to spend some time alone with the children as long as they were sent back at the end of the day in exchange for his passport and air ticket.
Raja Bahrin could take it no longer. One day, leaving his passport and air ticket behind, he took the children for a long drive to the coast and jumped onto a boat that had been prior-arranged for the ‘great escape’. In the middle of the high seas, the boat developed engine trouble and it drifted for many days until it was rescued by the Indonesian Navy and towed to safety. It was sheer luck Raja Bahrin and the kids did not bump into any pirates or got swept under in a storm. The Indonesian Navy personnel told Raja Bahrin that, one day late, and they would have been history because his boat was drifting towards cannibal-infested territory (it is surprising that such things still exist in this day and age).
Raja Bahrin’s and Jacqueline Gillespie’s story is certainly a tragedy but the way Farah related it paints him as a villain. I know both husband and wife very well and it pains me to see this happen. After they divorced, I met Jacqueline in one of my trips to Australia and we do still communicate via e-mail from time to time. But to say it serves Raja Bahrin right for marrying two wives would be as fair as saying it serves Anwar Ibrahim right for getting beaten up and jailed on sodomy charges because he refused to bail out Dr Mahathir’s son’s shipping company with Petronas’ money.
Anyway, the point to all this, Farah’s piece on royals and polygamy plus references to Raja Bahrin has not been presented in the right perspective. In any story, there is always the other side of the coin and all may not be what it seems. And as much as you may want to think poorly of the late Sultan of Selangor for marrying a young wife after the Tengku Ampuan died, there were hidden hands paying the role of matchmaker with the objective of controlling the institution of the palace.
Excerpt from malaysiakini.com
Jacqueline Gillespie - Hero
"Once I was a Princess" is a book about how a woman's determination to continue to fight for her two kidnapped children's basic human rights saw her redefine her identity and role in society from distraught mother to a humanitarian activist on the world stage.
Jacqueline Pascarl Gillespie who joined us on Saturday's show was racially and sexually abused as a child. Her dysfunctional childhood left her vulnerable to the heady proposition of being swept of her feet by a seemingly gentle and urbane foreign student, Prince Raja Bahrin. They moved to Malaysia where they married and Jacqueline was re-educated and moulded in the disciplines of a princess and an obedient Muslim wife.
Back in his own country it bore no resemblance to the quiet student of their whirlwind courtship and she was treated by her husband as little more than a brood mare and decorative appendage. Forced to suppress her intellect and endure physical brutality, Princess Yasmin, as she was now known, maintained a carefully constructed facade of aristocratic solidarity. In just four years, a fairytale romance begun in the soft Melbourne spring of 1980 had turned into a nightmare of Islamic superstition, isolation, rejection, betrayal and abuse.
The birth of her two children steeled her resolve and determination to raise them far from the rotten atmosphere where she was living. Following the disintegration of her marriage (her husband had bigamously married a night club singer) she returned to Australia with the children and built up a career for herself in TV and radio.
After seven years of freedom her life took another turn in 1992. Her vengeful husband abducted both children in a cloak and dagger operation and managed to flee the country by sailing from Queensland to Indonesia in a tiny motor cruiser. Since then and despite diplomatic lobbying, legal challenges and humble pleas, Jacqueline has been allowed no contact with her kidnapped children, Iddin who is 16 and Shahirah, 14.
Succumbing to grief was never an option for Jacqueline. Instead she focused on providing support for other parents in similar circumstances and is now an acknowledged international expert on parental child abduction. She has emerged from her ordeal a stronger and more independent woman, forging a place for herself with humanitarian aid work in Bosnia and Africa.
The publication of her book "Once I was a Princess" coincides with this month's European conference on parental child abduction organized by the London based charity Reunite.
excerpt number 2:
9.39 In 1992, Mrs Jacqueline Gillespie's two children were abducted from Australia in defiance of an Australian Family Court custody order. The children's father smuggled the children out of Australia on a small boat back to Malaysia.
9.40 Malaysia is not a party to The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Therefore, the Convention could not be used to return the children to Australia on the grounds of their habitual residence in Australia.
9.41 Both children have dual nationality. They obtained Malaysian nationality by birth and acquired Australian nationality by descent from their Australian mother on registration at the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
9.42 The children's father had obtained custody orders from the Islamic religious court in his home state in Malaysia before coming to Australia to abduct the children. Under the Malaysian law, the father had legal custody of the children. It was open to Mrs Gillespie to challenge the custody orders in the Malaysian courts, but she decided not to proceed. Lawyers for the Australian High Commission advised that such a challenge would have been a test case for Malaysian law on the question of whether the civil or the religious courts have jurisdiction in custody cases involving religiously mixed marriages. The Australian Government, through the Attorney-General's Department, offered Mrs Gillespie financial assistance so that she could obtain legal advice in Malaysia on the prospects of legal action in the Malaysian courts to obtain the return of the children.
9.43 Because the children are Malaysian citizens and living with their father, the Australian High Commission had no legal grounds to request access to the children to determine their welfare. However information about the children gained by the High Commission has been relayed to Mrs Gillespie through DFAT.
9.44 The Australian Government requested the extradition of the children's father to face charges in Australia relating to his breach of the Family Court orders. The Malaysian Government refused that request, on the grounds that his action did not constitute a crime in Malaysian law. As noted in paragraph 6.129, 'the 'dual criminality test' is standard procedure in extradition cases.
9.45 DFAT submitted that this case illustrated how different legal systems can give different verdicts in custody cases and the importance of The Hague Convention to enable return of children to their normal place of residence. It further illustrates the Government's inability to intervene in private legal disputes and where dual nationality is involved.[20]
from the australian government website
This case has had many films and books written about it. What do you think?
Friday, March 24, 2006
My Scrabble Goals for 2006
This may be a bit late... but...
Current rating: 807 (wtf? I hate this... gotta improve)
Rating increase goal for Malaysian Open: +100 (boleh ke?)
Goal rating by WYSC: around 1200 (it seems impossible but...)
Keeping my hopes high...
Current rating: 807 (wtf? I hate this... gotta improve)
Rating increase goal for Malaysian Open: +100 (boleh ke?)
Goal rating by WYSC: around 1200 (it seems impossible but...)
Keeping my hopes high...
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Malaysia vs Australia??
While I was cheering on the Malaysian Commonwealth team today (much to the disapproval to my Australian friends, as I would give up a cheer everytime the top contendor who isn't a malaysian commits an error (which is frequently australian)), one of my friends, aware of my frequent scrabble pursuits, posed me with a rather interesting question:
Who would win if the top three from Malaysia faced off with the top three in Australia.
This is quite an interesting question, as Ganesh would certainly trample the field, and the question in whether the other 2 malaysians would prevail. One other win would give them the match, but does malaysia have the ability to do so.
What do you think readers? I would like to have everyone's opinion on this.
On a diffrent note, Malaysia isnt doing that bad. VIVA AL MALAYSIA.
Victor
Who would win if the top three from Malaysia faced off with the top three in Australia.
This is quite an interesting question, as Ganesh would certainly trample the field, and the question in whether the other 2 malaysians would prevail. One other win would give them the match, but does malaysia have the ability to do so.
What do you think readers? I would like to have everyone's opinion on this.
On a diffrent note, Malaysia isnt doing that bad. VIVA AL MALAYSIA.
Victor
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Le MALAYSIAN OPEN!!!
Malaysian open during the 22-23 April. Yay. ITS WHEN I AM BACK!!! Finally able to prove myself (or not as kuhan will happily testify).
Hope that the organizers don't change the dates or more inportantly, not to screw up. Apparently its gonna be a new format. There will be a common division, and then by the end of the day the divisions will be split. Hmm... interesting. Shame that Henry wont be going though
Have a lot of assignments. Want to die already...
DIE
Hope that the organizers don't change the dates or more inportantly, not to screw up. Apparently its gonna be a new format. There will be a common division, and then by the end of the day the divisions will be split. Hmm... interesting. Shame that Henry wont be going though
Have a lot of assignments. Want to die already...
DIE
Friday, March 10, 2006
SMARTS + Debating
HELLO EVERYONE!!! Sorry for the long break I took... I had many assignments (the most at one time was 9). Will try to keep more active.
SMARTS. This is a program where schools in WA send their ambassador to University of Western Australia to participate in a project. As luck would have it, I was selected by one of my favourite teachers, Ms Dempster, my teacher last year. However, I could not make it to the first introoductory meeting. Its a long story. So here it goes. I called the taxi to fetch me to UWA at 3:00pm. I waited for about 1/2 hours and called again... They said they were COMING... So i waited... at 4:30 I rang again and started making a big fuss and complaining. Part of the conversation:
Victor: Stop passing me around. I am getting sick and tired of this
operator: Sorry, but this is not in my department. I am transfering you to the complaints department
Victor: ... (Before I could tell him that I HAVE ALREADY BEEN TRANSFERED TO THE COMPLAiNS DEPARTMENT...)
operator from complains department: hello, how may I help you
Victor: I just want to say I will never use swan taxis again. What customer service is this? (puts down (more like SLAM!!!) phone)
Mine you... I have already been transfered about 5 times... So i called the Black and white taxis. 5 o clock also never turn up. So i got fed up and decided not to go to the meeting (started at 4 :P)
Oh... and by the way the debating season is about to start. First debate, this tuesday. Topic: That guatamano bay's detainees should be realeased. I am taking the negative side. No chance... Plus, we are new to this senior debating field and we are against veterens from Hale College... Die
Our second topic is the humourous one. That australia should allow gay marriages. We are taking affirmative LOL
Anyway, got to go now... BYE
Victor
SMARTS. This is a program where schools in WA send their ambassador to University of Western Australia to participate in a project. As luck would have it, I was selected by one of my favourite teachers, Ms Dempster, my teacher last year. However, I could not make it to the first introoductory meeting. Its a long story. So here it goes. I called the taxi to fetch me to UWA at 3:00pm. I waited for about 1/2 hours and called again... They said they were COMING... So i waited... at 4:30 I rang again and started making a big fuss and complaining. Part of the conversation:
Victor: Stop passing me around. I am getting sick and tired of this
operator: Sorry, but this is not in my department. I am transfering you to the complaints department
Victor: ... (Before I could tell him that I HAVE ALREADY BEEN TRANSFERED TO THE COMPLAiNS DEPARTMENT...)
operator from complains department: hello, how may I help you
Victor: I just want to say I will never use swan taxis again. What customer service is this? (puts down (more like SLAM!!!) phone)
Mine you... I have already been transfered about 5 times... So i called the Black and white taxis. 5 o clock also never turn up. So i got fed up and decided not to go to the meeting (started at 4 :P)
Oh... and by the way the debating season is about to start. First debate, this tuesday. Topic: That guatamano bay's detainees should be realeased. I am taking the negative side. No chance... Plus, we are new to this senior debating field and we are against veterens from Hale College... Die
Our second topic is the humourous one. That australia should allow gay marriages. We are taking affirmative LOL
Anyway, got to go now... BYE
Victor
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Bobos' perception of Victor
This will be Victor in 2 years time when he removes his braces
Blogged by Bobos, an indonesian (WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THEM???)
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Finally Finished my EPW
I have FINALLY FINISHED MY EPW ( Extended piece of work)
That explains the partial inactivity:
Some questions:
6. Functions which are linear, quadratics and cubic are all known as polynomials.
Complete the following sentence:
A polynomial is a function of order n where n =............................................
'Linear', 'quadratic', 'cubic' are special names. Are there any other special names for specific polynomials and if so, what are they?
A polynomial is a function of order n where n = any digit except 0.
Linear and quadratic are all low level polynomials; therefore they have special names like linear and parabolas. However, cubic and other functions that have a power MORE than or 3 are HIGH LEVEL polynomials. Therefore, they don’t have ‘special names’.
not enough? look at this;
5. The general form of a cubic equation is y = ax3 + bx2 + ex + d and all of the
above equations can be simplified to be expressed in the general form. Simplify each of
the following where a = -2, b =1, c = -1, d = 2, e = 3, p = 1
(i) y = p(x- a)3 + e
(ii) y=p(x-a)2(x-b) +e
(iii) y = p(x2 + bx + c)(x-d) + e
(iv) y = p(x-d)(x-b)(x-c) + e
y = p(x- a)3 + e
y =1(x+2)3 + 3
y=x3+6x2+12x+8+3
y=x3+6x2+12x+11
y=p(x-a)2(x-b) +e
y =1(x+2)2(x-1)+3
y=x2+4x+4 (x-1)+3
y=x3-3x2-4+3
y=x3-3x2+1
y = p(x2 + bx + c)(x-d) + e
y=1(x2+x-1)(x-2)+3
y=x3-x2-3x+2+3
y=x3-x2-3x+5
y = p(x-d)(x-b)(x-c) + e
y=1(x-2)(x-1)(x+1)+3
y=x2-2x-2+2(x+1)+3
y=x3-2x2-x+2+3
y=x3-2x2-x+5
HAPPY???
That explains the partial inactivity:
Some questions:
6. Functions which are linear, quadratics and cubic are all known as polynomials.
Complete the following sentence:
A polynomial is a function of order n where n =............................................
'Linear', 'quadratic', 'cubic' are special names. Are there any other special names for specific polynomials and if so, what are they?
A polynomial is a function of order n where n = any digit except 0.
Linear and quadratic are all low level polynomials; therefore they have special names like linear and parabolas. However, cubic and other functions that have a power MORE than or 3 are HIGH LEVEL polynomials. Therefore, they don’t have ‘special names’.
not enough? look at this;
5. The general form of a cubic equation is y = ax3 + bx2 + ex + d and all of the
above equations can be simplified to be expressed in the general form. Simplify each of
the following where a = -2, b =1, c = -1, d = 2, e = 3, p = 1
(i) y = p(x- a)3 + e
(ii) y=p(x-a)2(x-b) +e
(iii) y = p(x2 + bx + c)(x-d) + e
(iv) y = p(x-d)(x-b)(x-c) + e
y = p(x- a)3 + e
y =1(x+2)3 + 3
y=x3+6x2+12x+8+3
y=x3+6x2+12x+11
y=p(x-a)2(x-b) +e
y =1(x+2)2(x-1)+3
y=x2+4x+4 (x-1)+3
y=x3-3x2-4+3
y=x3-3x2+1
y = p(x2 + bx + c)(x-d) + e
y=1(x2+x-1)(x-2)+3
y=x3-x2-3x+2+3
y=x3-x2-3x+5
y = p(x-d)(x-b)(x-c) + e
y=1(x-2)(x-1)(x+1)+3
y=x2-2x-2+2(x+1)+3
y=x3-2x2-x+2+3
y=x3-2x2-x+5
HAPPY???
Saturday, February 11, 2006
10 Most Adored Classical Pieces
1. Carmen Suite 1, Habanera - Bizet, Georges
2. Carmen Suite 2 - Bizet, Georges
3. Beethoven's 9th symphony movement 1 - Beethoven, Ludwig van
4. La Campanella - Lizst, Franz
5. Moonlight Sonata, Movement 3 - Beethoven, Ludwig van
6. Revolutionary Study - Chopin, Fryderyck
7. Requim - Mozart, Wolfgang Amaedus
8. Fantasie Impromptu - Chopin, Fryderyck
9. Ungarich Tanze - Brahms, Johannes
10. Spring - Vivaldi, Antonio
2. Carmen Suite 2 - Bizet, Georges
3. Beethoven's 9th symphony movement 1 - Beethoven, Ludwig van
4. La Campanella - Lizst, Franz
5. Moonlight Sonata, Movement 3 - Beethoven, Ludwig van
6. Revolutionary Study - Chopin, Fryderyck
7. Requim - Mozart, Wolfgang Amaedus
8. Fantasie Impromptu - Chopin, Fryderyck
9. Ungarich Tanze - Brahms, Johannes
10. Spring - Vivaldi, Antonio
Friday, February 10, 2006
Late Night Scrabble
Played scrabble with my roomate, Royce yesterday.
Final Score
546-178 to my favour
PS: Royce wants me to say that its his first time at scrabble but I think its his 3rd time :P
Nads
This is nads. A play doh figuirine that PJ, my friend made in memory of Lachlan Morris aka nads.
~Blogged by Victor's roomate, Royce Smith~
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Join the CNY Open!!!
Champion of the New Year
Money Back tournament (Entry Fee - Cost = Prize Pool)
Date: 18th to 19th February 2006 (Saturday & Sunday)
Venue: Berjaya Times Square
Time: Starts at 9am on both days (Registration opens at 8.30 am)
Rounds:
Division A: 16 rounds (9 rounds on Saturday, 7 rounds on Sunday)
Division B: 15 rounds (8 rounds on Saturday, 7 rounds on Sunday)
Division C: 12 rounds (7 rounds on Saturday, 5 rounds on Sunday)
Format:
Division A: If 16 players or less, 1 full round robin and KOTH for the rest. If 17 players or more, KOTH 12 no-repeat + 4 repeat.
Division B: If 16 players or less, 1 full round robin and KOTH for the rest. If 17 players or more, KOTH 12 no-repeat + 3 repeat.
Division C: If 12 players or less, 1 full round robin + KOTH for the rest. If 13 or more, KOTH 9 no-repeat + 3 repeat.
Eligibility: Have been posted BELOW.
If you are playing in your first tournament, you will be placed initially in Div C. If you want to play in Div A or B, please consult the tournament organizers before the tournament begins.
Dictionary: SOWPODS
Challenge:
Division A: WSC 5-point challenge (5 points per WORD)
Division B: 5-point penalty (5 points per TURN)
Division C: Free challenge (NO penalties whatsoever)
Entry Fee:
Division A: RM60 for adults
Division A: RM30 for students
Division B: RM55 for adults
Division B: RM25 for students
Division C: RM50 for adults
Division C: RM20 for students
RM10 discount for those who register with Yeo Kien Hung before 10th February 2006
Walk-ins are welcomed on a first come first serve basis
Remarks: Please bring your own equipment (boards, racks, tiles & clock) if possible The organizers are not able to provide equipment for all present due to limited resources.
Interested participants please email your entry to Yeo Kien Hung at rhyen518@yahoo.co.uk or sms your name and age to 012-688 123
Everyone come join it!!!
Henry is lacking people!!!
Money Back tournament (Entry Fee - Cost = Prize Pool)
Date: 18th to 19th February 2006 (Saturday & Sunday)
Venue: Berjaya Times Square
Time: Starts at 9am on both days (Registration opens at 8.30 am)
Rounds:
Division A: 16 rounds (9 rounds on Saturday, 7 rounds on Sunday)
Division B: 15 rounds (8 rounds on Saturday, 7 rounds on Sunday)
Division C: 12 rounds (7 rounds on Saturday, 5 rounds on Sunday)
Format:
Division A: If 16 players or less, 1 full round robin and KOTH for the rest. If 17 players or more, KOTH 12 no-repeat + 4 repeat.
Division B: If 16 players or less, 1 full round robin and KOTH for the rest. If 17 players or more, KOTH 12 no-repeat + 3 repeat.
Division C: If 12 players or less, 1 full round robin + KOTH for the rest. If 13 or more, KOTH 9 no-repeat + 3 repeat.
Eligibility: Have been posted BELOW.
If you are playing in your first tournament, you will be placed initially in Div C. If you want to play in Div A or B, please consult the tournament organizers before the tournament begins.
Dictionary: SOWPODS
Challenge:
Division A: WSC 5-point challenge (5 points per WORD)
Division B: 5-point penalty (5 points per TURN)
Division C: Free challenge (NO penalties whatsoever)
Entry Fee:
Division A: RM60 for adults
Division A: RM30 for students
Division B: RM55 for adults
Division B: RM25 for students
Division C: RM50 for adults
Division C: RM20 for students
RM10 discount for those who register with Yeo Kien Hung before 10th February 2006
Walk-ins are welcomed on a first come first serve basis
Remarks: Please bring your own equipment (boards, racks, tiles & clock) if possible The organizers are not able to provide equipment for all present due to limited resources.
Interested participants please email your entry to Yeo Kien Hung at rhyen518@yahoo.co.uk or sms your name and age to 012-688 123
Everyone come join it!!!
Henry is lacking people!!!
Monday, February 06, 2006
My bid for the WYSC 2006
OK if malaysia gets to host the World Youth Scrabble Competition 2006, it will get about 5 spots (more if there are gaps)
The top ten players that are under 18 are( according to my stats)
Suanne 1633
William 1288
Sarah Sim 1229
Peng Sang 1137
Brian Lim 1131
My absymal rating: 807 (damn... I hate this)
OK. I have to improve about 400 rating points to get anywhere near (assuming that they don't do a William Kang and go up by 500 rating points.
How the hell am I going to go up by 400 rating points!!!??
Wo de tian ya!!!
Wo yao si liao la!!!
Die
The top ten players that are under 18 are( according to my stats)
Suanne 1633
William 1288
Sarah Sim 1229
Peng Sang 1137
Brian Lim 1131
My absymal rating: 807 (damn... I hate this)
OK. I have to improve about 400 rating points to get anywhere near (assuming that they don't do a William Kang and go up by 500 rating points.
How the hell am I going to go up by 400 rating points!!!??
Wo de tian ya!!!
Wo yao si liao la!!!
Die
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Got Kicked to Divi B
I don't believe it!!! I am that bad until Henry puts me in Division B after my imaginary application to Division A got kicked out. Gotta work harder from now... may even start my mugging routine...
First 4 days of school has been a stressfull one, mainly because I misplaced my passport in the airport in perth!! I have e mailed them and the reception says its with them and I am arranging for them to send it to me. So its all good now.
The teachers are giving too much homework!!! 2.5 hours at night isn't even enough to complete them!!! I have to do 2.5 hours at night + 1 hour in the morning to be able to complete all my homework!!! And thats without assignments yet!!!
The commonwealth games are going to be in Melbourne. Everyone's excited about it, and I may be the sole Malaysian supporter here. Lol... Nevermind, my support for Malaysia will never dissapear. Malaysia Boleh!!!
My trip back to Malaysia was quite unevenful, apart from the berjaya times square tournament which I miserably faired, coming out a gruelsome 21st. My visit to VI last week was good too. I meet kuhan and fang hai. Was suppose to meet the whole scrabble club but they canceled the meeting 'in my honour'... That makes me think whether scrabble in Vi will continue...
I beat kuhan for the second time this year, with a spread of more than a 100 again!!!
Current score:
Kuhan 1
Victor 3
Mwahahaha
Visited the RC room for the first time, and say my ex classmates taking in charge of the VI red cresent society. I can't believe how everyone is calling them Lance corporal now!!! That also marks my first ever entry (and an illegal one too) to the RC room (though all the RC-ers welcomed me). Its pretty bare except for a table, a bed and a few chairs.
Have blogged enough now, have to do some homework before it piles up too much. Chiao!!
Victor
First 4 days of school has been a stressfull one, mainly because I misplaced my passport in the airport in perth!! I have e mailed them and the reception says its with them and I am arranging for them to send it to me. So its all good now.
The teachers are giving too much homework!!! 2.5 hours at night isn't even enough to complete them!!! I have to do 2.5 hours at night + 1 hour in the morning to be able to complete all my homework!!! And thats without assignments yet!!!
The commonwealth games are going to be in Melbourne. Everyone's excited about it, and I may be the sole Malaysian supporter here. Lol... Nevermind, my support for Malaysia will never dissapear. Malaysia Boleh!!!
My trip back to Malaysia was quite unevenful, apart from the berjaya times square tournament which I miserably faired, coming out a gruelsome 21st. My visit to VI last week was good too. I meet kuhan and fang hai. Was suppose to meet the whole scrabble club but they canceled the meeting 'in my honour'... That makes me think whether scrabble in Vi will continue...
I beat kuhan for the second time this year, with a spread of more than a 100 again!!!
Current score:
Kuhan 1
Victor 3
Mwahahaha
Visited the RC room for the first time, and say my ex classmates taking in charge of the VI red cresent society. I can't believe how everyone is calling them Lance corporal now!!! That also marks my first ever entry (and an illegal one too) to the RC room (though all the RC-ers welcomed me). Its pretty bare except for a table, a bed and a few chairs.
Have blogged enough now, have to do some homework before it piles up too much. Chiao!!
Victor
I'M BACK!!!!!
The title says it all. I will continue blogging at this blog until the distant future, where maybe blogger shuts down or something like that happens.
Nothing much to blog now....
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!
Nothing much to blog now....
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!
Friday, January 06, 2006
Monday, January 02, 2006
I BEAT KUHAN!!!
I am about to do some bragging. Hehe… hope Kuhan likes it… he gave me specific instructions NOT to blog it… Anyway, here it goes… I beat Kuhan last week at BTS Scrabble Corner 2 games to 1 game. I only got the picture of the last board, because he hastily cleared the first board. Don’t really remember the scores but the spreads were +125, -134, +89. Oh yeah, and this blog will be quite inactive till February while I am Malaysia. The Internet connection at my house is down. Back to the picture, I placed ANTISERA through the R and PREDATE while he had SENSORS.
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