PopIN is really just an information network for young Malaysians to share (primarily) local content that is creative, critical, innovative, embraces diversity and is under-the-radar (fooyoh!).
-Grey Yeoh, PopIN
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Last Saturday, for Tali Tenang, Hardesh Singh from PopIN approached RandomAlphabets to offer help. They came in with video support, camera crew and post-production work.
This week I am PopIN’s PopMuda(PM). By that I am committed to write five blog posts for them. I’ve done three so far and you can view them by clicking here.
PM’s also do one twitterview (twitter-interview). Mine 9.30pm tonight. If you have a question, email popin.my@gmail.com or follow @myPopIN on twitter. If you don’t have one
Recently I read this remarkable article entitled, Ten Ways Social Media Changed Our Thinking in 2009. It’s brilliant to me, as someone who is not as intelligent as you (of course), because it’s somewhat of an analysis of what’s beyoud a few milestons that took place in 2009. The concept behind it and not the incident.
Since I can’t decide which song from her I’d like to put up here, I’ll insert a clip to illustrates better her significance.
About ten months ago, I distinctively remember hearing the news online. As her passing was inevitable, the sadness were proportionate, enough that I remember all day singing Mama Africa (Chico Cesar’s version) to my then eleven day old nephew.
So I finally decide to break my silence on the issue. In some ways, I am disappointed in myself for what little I’ve done regarding this. I apologise for dismissing you, those who have been seeking, sometimes provoking a comment (perhaps more) from me. Besides being busy, what happened was too unacceptable to me. Thus I choose to become selfish in an attempt to be in denial.
On Thursday last week, I received the following e-mail from a Malay friend.
“…Please join us this Friday,the 4th of September, 8:30 pm in front of the De Palma Inn Hotel in Shah Alam where we will be picked up by someone from the temple to take us there”.
Take us where?
To the temple in section 19, Shah Alam. The temple that was proposed to be re-located to section 23. The temple that sits in the eye of the controversy.
I apologise, sincerely, for this extremely distasteful image, behaviour and insult.
Not too long ago, there was a group of disrespectful ignorants (not radicals or extremists) who embarrassed themselves and many others by their choice of conduct in protesting towards the relocation of a Hindu Malaysian temple to a Muslim majority populated neighbourhood.
Last week, (family friend, now) friend Juana Jaafar and a group of other Muslims went to visit that place of worship and interacted with the people there in ways of respect and understanding, among other things. As I was tied up handling post-production work for two projects that took place in one day only a few days prior, which Juana came to help, I can’t remember if she had just mentioned this to me or did actually ask me to come with.
Juana, Ineza, Julia & Hafidz (I think) at the visit.
This is right up her street as she did Religion for her Bachelors and Civilizational Studies for her MA. On my end, I suppose I could call her a political analyst, activist, researcher and journalist. For her blog, click here.
Activist & lawyer Haris Ibrahim wrote about the visit on his blog, The People’s Parliament. Juana, among many (many) others, commented on that post entitled The beautiful Malay (somewhat in reference to Marina Mahathir’s The Ugly Malay). Her comment was also in Facebook Notes where I was tagged. Below is an excerpt of the comment, which struck me for a number of reasons I don’t feel the need to elaborate.
we don’t always have to move in big groups to make our point. and we certainly cannot afford to wait for another incident to happen before we make our move.
April 2008. Pravin Pillai, Zain HD, Juana Jaafar, right after one of the events we organised together ended. Pic by Sarah Kamarudin.
I actually only had just met Pravin for the first time, two months prior to this pic, and Juana at the same meeting after many years of not seeing her. This is by far, for me, the most depressing post I’ve written here. Now, a little after midnight, I actually need that shower.
Team 3 sang, danced while holding back to our hunger and thirst till iftar.
‘Liberation of the mind is nurtured through constant practice of its ideal. One would not appreciate the value of freedom without embracing its moral sanctity. Our journey in life takes a sudden turn every now and then and least inviting is the hump which slows down the course of natural flow. Marking our sign of liberation by chanting Merdeka has been easier said than done as I witnessed the development of a National Day celebration prank into a social testament of the Rakyat.
The Merdeka Train Party organized by Random Alphabets was one of its few projects in engaging the masses to stand for the causes they identified with themselves and ideally share their conviction with the crowd. Marking as a sign of liberation the participants mostly represent the seed of our nation i.e. younger generation unites together in expressing their belief for ‘One Malaysia’. The method itself may strike as jovial yet what truly embodies them is the profound message of faith they share as an entity.
Working hand in hand to decorate the monorail as explained by the mastermind Zain HD, “we are decorating for a birthday party and it is Malaysia who is celebrating its birthday” in itself shows an understanding of our Independence Day where the experience of singing aloud to the patriotic songs and waving the flag may seem trivial except the fact one appreciates the message once it is embed in their soul throughout journey. This was how the Merdeka Train Party stood as a metaphor.
Malaysia is a cultural potpourri where its diversity should not be reasoned but instead lived by harmoniously. It is not hard to tackle the differences when the approach is by preaching tolerance. At heart it is easier to love than to hate when the ship of self righteousness is abandoned.’
In my line of work, ‘work’, what I do, seem to be doing, the one other thing besides cynics that might rip you apart from hope and change, is being nostalgic about it. And that is when you need the world by your side to go limp and surrender to. Because all that comes out from your mouth, is,
The new FINCA documentary features Golden Globe Award winner Natalie Portman—FINCA’s Ambassador of Hope—visiting clients of the FINCA program in Mexico to learn of their struggles, triumphs, and determination to craft a better future for their families. The film was directed by Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary director Juan Carlos Rulfo.
It is common, for contacts to comment on a, serious or non-serious, provoking ’status update’, link, video etc, on Facebook.
I am disappointed at the lack of response that I received from the video I had just posted, followed by my commentary of it. The silence is, ironically, almost in direct relation to what the video was about.
That said, giving the benefit of doubt, I hope that their omission is not a reflection of their interest, care and concern regarding a matter and issue (I feel) so significant to all of us.
Below is the video, followed by my commentary.
The title I think is inaccurate. It relates a little more on the Brain Drain, among other things.
For some years now, I’ve had the same sentiment regarding Malaysia, Singapore, Indo, Mid East, and just the East really.
This is why it is important to have a healthy democracy. A judiciary that the people are confident in. Because everytime a fellow citizen is not enjoying his country, not trusting the system, he will want to leave.
And more often than not, the talented ones, who have the opportunity to leave, will leave. Human resource are more valuable than other resources (like oil). When you don’t have or run out of natural resources, you will need human resource. That need is imperative, continuous, perpetual. Never out of demand, never limited from growth.
If you don’t fight, make effort for a better place, wherever you are, capable and competent people, citizens, strangers around you leave.
That is a loss. Your loss. Those around you. Those after you.
