The assignment (a drama competition organised by Digi) was supposed to be at 1pm, but I decided to reach at 1.30pm- to avoid all the protocol etc. Now, I dunno why this happened, but upon reaching Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (DBP) and seeing all their back entrances blocked, I thought I would go in via the front entrance but there was where I lost my way...thanks to all the construction work surrounding that place.
So. After driving around for nearly an hour and my dad frantically trying to direct me on the phone (but the roads he was talking about were blocked too), I decided to park my car at Muzium and take a taxi to DBP.
The taxi guy, Joseph, was quiet at first and then I started talking to him in Malay thinking he was Malay, (that was before I saw his name on his license) and he replied in articulate English. Then I found out he was some construction consultant, lost everything and now driving a taxi "in the meanwhile to survive". We went on talking about KL roads, contruction industry, karma, astrology and God. At times the conversation became weird when he said maybe one day I'll write his book la, asked if I'm married la because I "don't have a married woman's body."
He lost his way about once or twice, so yeah. When I reached the place, it was about...3pm or so.
My head was throbbing, I sat in the packed hall full of screaming primary school kids. To make it worse, the emcee was yelling into the mic to get the kids up and pumping and making them shout FUIYOH and watever else.
I left early, because I wanted to catch a ride from the photographer...but ended up waiting on the kerb because his friend was holding his car keys, and his friend wasn't anywhere nearby. Zzzz.
Now I'm back at the office waiting to go for a night assignment. Save me.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Have you seen death in the face?
I saw it yesterday.
When I found my uncle in my grandma's house, he was sitting on the toilet bowl struggling to clean himself. His head was hanging to the side, struggling to breathe and he was drooling, not a good sight...we were guessing it was stroke or heart attack, I'm not sure. The maid and I helped to carry him out to the living room.
I propped him on my knees and prayed and prayed without stopping. I tried to call an ambulance and 911 was no help at all. When my dad finally managed to get an ambulance and arrived at the house, it was 1/2 hour later. The ambulance took another 1/2 hour to come.
I wasn't afraid, just begging God to give my uncle one more chance. Not so much that we can have him around longer, although that would have been really great, but more so that he can make peace with God.
But it was too late.
At one point, the maid kept telling me 'he's gone, he's gone, he's not breathing' and I refused to believe it. I kept saying, no he's ok, he's breathing, like I could will him to live.
The paramedics came and started CPR, and I kept thinking...maybe I could have taken him straight to the hospital, if only I knew how to do CPR properly, if this, if that. But I somehow deep down knew it may not have made a difference. Only God knows when is a person's appointed time, my uncle has cheated death before in a drunk driving accident.
People don't like to be told that heaven and hell is real, that God and Jesus is real. But when you look death in the face, I know it's true. And I may never see him again. Forever.
When I found my uncle in my grandma's house, he was sitting on the toilet bowl struggling to clean himself. His head was hanging to the side, struggling to breathe and he was drooling, not a good sight...we were guessing it was stroke or heart attack, I'm not sure. The maid and I helped to carry him out to the living room.
I propped him on my knees and prayed and prayed without stopping. I tried to call an ambulance and 911 was no help at all. When my dad finally managed to get an ambulance and arrived at the house, it was 1/2 hour later. The ambulance took another 1/2 hour to come.
I wasn't afraid, just begging God to give my uncle one more chance. Not so much that we can have him around longer, although that would have been really great, but more so that he can make peace with God.
But it was too late.
At one point, the maid kept telling me 'he's gone, he's gone, he's not breathing' and I refused to believe it. I kept saying, no he's ok, he's breathing, like I could will him to live.
The paramedics came and started CPR, and I kept thinking...maybe I could have taken him straight to the hospital, if only I knew how to do CPR properly, if this, if that. But I somehow deep down knew it may not have made a difference. Only God knows when is a person's appointed time, my uncle has cheated death before in a drunk driving accident.
People don't like to be told that heaven and hell is real, that God and Jesus is real. But when you look death in the face, I know it's true. And I may never see him again. Forever.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Khairy Jamaluddin: fact or fiction
I'm been keeping alot of things to myself, and one of them is my 'conversations' with Khairy- the son-in-law of Badawi and Rembau MP.
I dunno how he can single-handedly dominate the incredible amount of rumours here and there, and everyone seems to know what he's up to even though they never met him or heard from him talking on the TV etc. So, my curiosity piqued, I decided to post some questions to the man himself.
And here are excerpts of answers to some of my questions:
Me: I have one pressing question on my mind: Can you tell me what really happened in Rembau on the voting day (with the recount and postal votes)?
KJ: I can categorically state that there was NEVER a recount for any of the seats (parliament or DUN). In fact, the recount rumour was a deliberate attempt to spread disinformation that would discredit the final result.
I was at main polling centre the whole night and as the results came in from the different polling centres (peti undi), there was never at any point a need for a recount at the main centre where the results from all the streams (saluran) were collated. Whether or not there were recounts at the individual peti undi or saluran I am not sure but at no point was the main election result disputed since I won with a majority in excess of 5,000 votes on first (and only) count.
I know there is an urban legend now making its rounds saying that I lost by a couple of hundred votes then suddenly won by 5,000 plus in the recount (during which the lights may or may not have gone off), but none of that happened.
My challenger, Badrul, was not even present at the main polling centre where the results were announced. Were it true that he won and I lost or that there was a recount, you would think that he would be there for the announcement. But at no time did he show up.
As for the postal votes, there was nothing strange there either. I can't remember off hand but I think my majority from the postal votes was only about 500 so even without that I would have won. Plus, the postal vote results were among the first things the EC announced that night so there is no truth the allegation that postal votes suddenly showed up at the last minute to swing it for me.
Me: But are literally all the rumours surrounding you a complete farce then? I'm asking this on a personal basis cuz I'm curious (sometimes too curious). So like, you don't broker contracts at all...you have no influence with politicians etc? People don't try to get to your father-in-law through you? I thought it was a given with quite alot of politicians (getting contracts through, etc).
KJ: I think its safe to say that 99% of the rumours you hear about me are false or inaccurate. People hear things from people who have heard something from someone else. After a while the information gets distorted.
Many people see me for many different things. Some ask if I can help get their kids a scholarship. Some ask if they get a contract to build a university. My job is not to turn them away. Instead I listen but I don't promise anything. At best, I would just forward their requests to the relevant ministry/agency.
People expect me to bring things up to the PM. They think I can help them broker deals. They go to ministries and drop my name. Ministry officials who want to pass the buck tell businessmen that I am the only person who can help with government projects. So a myth is created. But the truth is, I don't do such things.
I am an opponent of this feudal game of patronage that has been created over the last two decades by you-know-whom. But now, I find myself as the poster boy for sleaze because of all the disinformation that's been circulating.I wish somebody would come forward with a concrete allegation so that matters can be clarified. Unfortunately its all innuendos, half-truths and spurious allegations. But once a myth is created, every little bit of falsehood feeds the legend which grows, grows and grows!
Well, that was in the words of the guy himself. Maybe your first reaction is 'yeah right, what bulls***' but think about it. If you're a Malaysian, you should know; aren't we all so good at spreading rumours? How many sms-es you received about some fuel prices rising tomorrow la, some fwd email about stuff happening la, and Mahathir saying on YouTube he admitted to throwing Anwar in jail when it was a speech taken out of context. And you believed them? So what makes stories about Khairy any different, when there isn't evidence? Think about it. I'm not for or against him, I just want people to think.
I dunno how he can single-handedly dominate the incredible amount of rumours here and there, and everyone seems to know what he's up to even though they never met him or heard from him talking on the TV etc. So, my curiosity piqued, I decided to post some questions to the man himself.
And here are excerpts of answers to some of my questions:
Me: I have one pressing question on my mind: Can you tell me what really happened in Rembau on the voting day (with the recount and postal votes)?
KJ: I can categorically state that there was NEVER a recount for any of the seats (parliament or DUN). In fact, the recount rumour was a deliberate attempt to spread disinformation that would discredit the final result.
I was at main polling centre the whole night and as the results came in from the different polling centres (peti undi), there was never at any point a need for a recount at the main centre where the results from all the streams (saluran) were collated. Whether or not there were recounts at the individual peti undi or saluran I am not sure but at no point was the main election result disputed since I won with a majority in excess of 5,000 votes on first (and only) count.
I know there is an urban legend now making its rounds saying that I lost by a couple of hundred votes then suddenly won by 5,000 plus in the recount (during which the lights may or may not have gone off), but none of that happened.
My challenger, Badrul, was not even present at the main polling centre where the results were announced. Were it true that he won and I lost or that there was a recount, you would think that he would be there for the announcement. But at no time did he show up.
As for the postal votes, there was nothing strange there either. I can't remember off hand but I think my majority from the postal votes was only about 500 so even without that I would have won. Plus, the postal vote results were among the first things the EC announced that night so there is no truth the allegation that postal votes suddenly showed up at the last minute to swing it for me.
Me: But are literally all the rumours surrounding you a complete farce then? I'm asking this on a personal basis cuz I'm curious (sometimes too curious). So like, you don't broker contracts at all...you have no influence with politicians etc? People don't try to get to your father-in-law through you? I thought it was a given with quite alot of politicians (getting contracts through, etc).
KJ: I think its safe to say that 99% of the rumours you hear about me are false or inaccurate. People hear things from people who have heard something from someone else. After a while the information gets distorted.
Many people see me for many different things. Some ask if I can help get their kids a scholarship. Some ask if they get a contract to build a university. My job is not to turn them away. Instead I listen but I don't promise anything. At best, I would just forward their requests to the relevant ministry/agency.
People expect me to bring things up to the PM. They think I can help them broker deals. They go to ministries and drop my name. Ministry officials who want to pass the buck tell businessmen that I am the only person who can help with government projects. So a myth is created. But the truth is, I don't do such things.
I am an opponent of this feudal game of patronage that has been created over the last two decades by you-know-whom. But now, I find myself as the poster boy for sleaze because of all the disinformation that's been circulating.I wish somebody would come forward with a concrete allegation so that matters can be clarified. Unfortunately its all innuendos, half-truths and spurious allegations. But once a myth is created, every little bit of falsehood feeds the legend which grows, grows and grows!
Well, that was in the words of the guy himself. Maybe your first reaction is 'yeah right, what bulls***' but think about it. If you're a Malaysian, you should know; aren't we all so good at spreading rumours? How many sms-es you received about some fuel prices rising tomorrow la, some fwd email about stuff happening la, and Mahathir saying on YouTube he admitted to throwing Anwar in jail when it was a speech taken out of context. And you believed them? So what makes stories about Khairy any different, when there isn't evidence? Think about it. I'm not for or against him, I just want people to think.
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