Being Children Again

I did not set out early morning on Merdeka Day to capture this picture. My Merdeka Day shots would have been the typical scene of Merdeka Day parade colours and gleaming faces of people from all walks of life at the parade.

Instead, a beautiful scene was there in front of me as if it had been set up and choreographed for a photo shoot. It was such an illustrative scene and so telling of what every Merdeka Day means to me – living under the strong foundation that our forefathers have built, carefree life in a pristine environment; prospering in freedom to pursue our dreams in a safe and peaceful country. What looms in the far horizon is for us to invent today.

Beyond displaying our Jalur Gemilang, every Merdeka Day is our moment to invent the future, building on the foundation created by those who fought for Merdeka, sacrificed for our freedom and prosperity. Inventing the future today is perhaps a great way of honouring those who fought and sacrificed for us.

How do we invent the future today? My answer is: pay more taxes and go beyond the superficial show of patriotism. Instead of just for nationalistic displays, let the flying Jalur Gemilang be the beacon of our commitment to our nation’s future. For our nation’s future is the future of our children and their children’s children.

What our nation’s future will be, depends to a large extent, on our capacity and capability to pay more tax and on the capacity and capability of our children.

So, Merdeka Day means independence from our own self-imposed limitations to develop our competencies, to gain new insights and to broaden our horizons. Merdeka Day means independence from indulgence in trivia (of which are plenty on the internet). Merdeka Day means independence from tendencies to celebrate mediocrity. Merdeka Day means independence from our selfishness to share knowledge and to contribute as responsible citizens.

Merdeka Day means being children again – being without inhibitions to explore, being free from mental constraints to pursue new dreams, being brave to invent the future.

SIRIM Sells Pau, Sex Maybe

Think Rio - think Brazilian babes in birthday suits.

Think Terengganu Carnival - what comes to mind? Beautiful islands, kites, turtles, kerepok lekor, sun, sand sea, surf and cool coconut water. A carnival in Terengganu would not be complete without hot girls in sexy batik silk blowing in the wind. Somehow, the carnival is incomplete. So, sorry guys - no shots to take, so no pictures to show.

Next time, think Terengganu Carnival, think SIRIM selling pau. If you check out the gloomy, poorly lit SIRIM stall at the carnival, you'll probably discover something more fulfilling than pau. Something like what you may find in those glitzy hair salon. Given the twisted, wickedly convoluted politics in our country, anything can happen.

But SIRIM selling pau in a gloomy stall begs taxpayers to get answers to one big question. What are we getting from the well-paid scientists in SIRIM? Literally Permanent Head Damage?

Love, Lust, Sex, and Orgasm in Malaysia

Here's the real deal!!! 73,000 Malaysians have it. In 2006, 5,400 Malaysians got it. Based on current trends, by 2015, 300,000 Malaysians will have it. 36% of them are amongst people aged between 13 to 29 years old. It is likely that people who found out that they got it before the age of 30, actually got it in their twenties and sometimes even during their teens. What's this "it"? Nah, too dirty a word to mention.

If you care, find out more here.

Sexual Prudence in Terengganu

This is one AWESOME video!!! Full length of the infamous "Girls Gone Wild" videos which ruthlessly exploit the sexual imprudence of American college girls. The age of the non-procreative union is here and discerns the signs of a new counter-culture.

In our sex-saturated culture, we pay homage to the Terengganu man who, after siring 25 children with 3 wives, has taken a 4th wife with whom he intends to produce another 15 children. The archetype of modernity is no more the young women who take on opportunities to flaunt their attributes and prove that they are "sex positive", but the "bertudung" ones who'll be 2nd, 3rd, or 4th wife. In this new culture, we liberate young women from the constructs of patriarchal society (where fathers guard their daughters) to a, perhaps, more incestuous alternative. Watch this video and say bye-bye to MTV sexual exhibitionism.

Ashley Dupre Girls Gone Wild Vid