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[sudutkiri]

Malaysian NGO set up new 'Brutality Unit' to inspire cops

Malaysian NGO set up new 'Brutality Unit' to inspire cops

by Aiman Caezar

Kuala Lumpur, 16 September: In time for today’s ‘red shirt’ rally, prominent Malay Rights NGO Persatuan Demi Rakyat Malaysia (PDRM) today officially launched a special unit to boost levels of brutality among its volunteer officers to bring Malaysia on par with highly-developed nations like the United States.

The brand-new unit will be known as Bahagian ELit: Aku Sumpah Aku Halal or BELASAH for short.

Headline KPIs for the unit will include at least 500 cases of brutality against minorities a year, with about 15% of those ending in the death or incapacity of the apprehended subject.

A PDRM official said that BELASAH had been under consideration for at least a year, following high-profile cases of police brutality against citizens in the US and elsewhere.

He was quoted as saying, "For our pilot project, we are proud to say that we have already identified 34-year old Murali Balakrishnan in Rawang as a prime candidate for our very own Michael Brown."

Mr Balakrishnan could not be reached for comment.

When asked how brutality could be justified in a modern democracy, the officer claimed that, "(a unit such as this) must form the cornerstone of every civilized society," and that, "Vision 2020 relies on Malaysia becoming as much like developed nations as possible."

"I hope the Royal Malaysia Police (God bless their souls) might be inspired by our work. If democratic action and public rallies are something we want to import from the West in to our beloved, stable, multi-ethnic and blessed nation, then it makes sense the same brutal, targeted and racist approach to policing be brought in as well."

The officer then added that he, "... wanted to get a chance to shoot those damn Africans too..*." (Editor: PDRM management later confirmed this was a purely personal comment from the individual, who apparently forgot that the microphone was active, and does not represent the views of ‘most’ members)

Training for the unit will include the use of high-powered stun guns modified to increase chances of fatal cardiac arrest, as well as "MMA-inspired" chokeholds designed to result in at least 10% (but no more than 30%) loss of brain function.

To illustrate this, PDRM insisted on screening a 30-minute Youtube video to journalists entitled (sic) "UFC/MMA Compilation - 45 Deadly BANNED CHokes!!1"

In defending these techniques, PDRM claimed that much work needed to be done by Malaysian police to catch up to America's record of almost 1000 deaths in custody in the last two years alone.

When asked about existing limitations placed on serving officers with regards to dealing excessive force, PDRM claimed that current fitness levels of Malaysian cops constitute sufficient protection for the average citizen.

"Most cops here are too fat or sleepy to chase after you guys anyway, so good cardio or a treadmill at home effectively cancels out the need for any police brutality laws in this country."

The PDRM spokesman wrapped up the announcement with a rousing rendition of 'Negaraku' and pointed the press towards a small table to the left for cold teh tarik and curry puffs.

[sudutkiri]

Solidariti Bersama Rumah Api

Kami, individu serta kolektif komuniti, bersetiakawan bersama teman-teman Rumah Api yang ditahan pada Jumaat 28 Ogos yang lalu.

Komuniti Rumah Api dimaknakan dengan perkongsian nilai dan kepercayaan bersama, baik masyarakat di peringkat tempatan mahupun antarabangsa.

Jelas, Rumah Api merupakan satu komuniti yang konsisten dalam mengangkat nilai keadilan sosial, kesetaraan, anti-autoritorianisme, aksi autonomi, proses kolektif dalam mengembangkan struktur dan institusi yang bergerak melalui prinsip-prinsip alternatif.

Komuniti Rumah Api merangkumi seniman dan aktivis dengan karya-karya yang mengenengahkan analisis kritikal terhadap situasi kehidupan serta memperluas sudut pandang dalam kehidupan bermasyarakat meliputi kejiranan, komuniti serta bandar. Ianya turut melibatkan komuniti punk yang menjalankan etos Do-It-Yourself untuk menyalurkan kemarahan dengan positif dalam menolak pengkomersialan syarikat korporat. Rumah Api turut bersetiakawan bersama-sama komuniti “nomad”, “squatters” serta masyarakat di pinggiran justeru menjadikan Rumah Api sebagai ruang untuk didengar dan dihargai.

Rumah Api sentiasa membuka pintu untuk kelompok sub-budaya, aktivis-aktivis dan organisasi-organisasi lain untuk perjumpaan, kerja bengkel, forum, “benefit” dan sebagainya. Rumah Api turut terlibat menyediakan ruang dan sumber-sumber lain untuk Food Not Bombs. (alih bahasa dari http://rumahapi.weebly.com/about.html).

Berikut merupakan rentetan serbuan Rumah Api :-

1. Pada 28-8-2015, Jumaat, sekitar jam 11 malam, satu serbuan oleh pihak polis telah dilakukan ketika gig sedang berlangsung di Rumah Api.

2. Dalam serbuan tersebut, seramai 120 (±) orang yang telah ditahan.

3. Tanpa memaklumkan sebab, penahanan telah dilakukan.

4. Mereka telah dibawa ke Ibu Pejabat Daerah (IPD) Ampang Jaya untuk siasatan.

5. Setelah semalaman penahanan mereka, akhirnya pihak polis mendedahkan bahawa mereka ditahan untuk siasatan di bawah Seksyen 6 Akta Hiburan, Seksyen 4(1) (b) Akta Hasutan dan Seksyen 143 Kanun Keseksaan.

6. Permohonan mereka untuk mendapatkan khidmat guaman tidak dipedulikan oleh pihak polis sedangkan setiap individu yang ditahan mempunyai hak terhadap akses khidmat guaman.

7. Mereka telah dibawa ke hadapan majistret untuk permohonan reman. Majistret telah membenarkan tempoh reman selama 4 hari terhadap dua tahanan lain dan 3 hari kepada teman-teman yang lain bermula dari 28-8-2015.

8. Antara 120 (±) orang tersebut, terdapat beberapa teman luar negara termasuklah dari Indonesia, Filipina, Amerika Syarikat, Jerman dan Sepanyol.

9. 19 orang tersebut dibawa ke Balai Polis Hulu Kelang manakala teman-teman wanita Rumah Api pula dibawa ke Balai Polis Pandan Indah.

10. Seorang teman telah dibebaskan pada 29-8-2015 atas sebab kesihatan.

11. Teman-teman selebihnya dibebaskan pada tengah hari 31-8-2015. Mon, teman dari Filipina dibebaskan pada 1-9-2015. Bubu, teman dari Indonesia baru sahaja dibebaskan pada 2-9-2015 setelah tahanan remannya dipanjangkan selama 3 hari atas alasan masalah imigresen.

12. Kami dimaklumkan, sewaktu dalam tahanan, ada teman-teman wanita telah dilayan dengan tidak wajar. Mereka hanya dibenarkan menukar tuala wanita di hadapan pegawai polis sebanyak 3 kali sehari sahaja.

13. Bagi teman-teman dari Filipina dan Indonesia pula, mereka tidak dibenarkan untuk berjumpa dengan pelawat. Hanya wakil dari kedutaan masing-masing sahaja yang dibenarkan.

Di dalam melihat rentetan peristiwa yang berlaku sejak 28-8-2015, terdapat beberapa kepincangan dalam Tatacara Pengendalian Piawai (‘SOP’) pihak polis menggunakan kuasa secara sembarangan.

Penggunaan kuasa secara semberono ini cukup jelas apabila pihak polis tidak mendedahkan sebab serbuan dan penahanan. Selain itu, proses untuk mendapatkan akses khidmat guaman juga telah dilambatkan serta layanan yang tidak adil kepada beberapa teman-teman yang ditahan.

Masalah visa dan rekod imigresen yang digunakan pihak polis sebagai alasan untuk memanjangkan tempoh tahanan reman teman-teman dari Filipina dan Indonesia juga sangat meragukan.

Penambahan 3 hari untuk tempoh reman terhadap teman dari Indonesia menambahkan lagi keraguan. Tidakkah 3 hari terlalu lama untuk menyelesaikan masalah-masalah tersebut?

Penggunaan Seksyen 4(1) (b) Akta Hasutan terhadap teman-teman juga merupakan penyalahgunaan undang-undang yang drakonian terhadap rakyat, sekaligus ianya membuka risiko kepada penyalahgunaan undang-undang oleh pihak polis terhadap individu mahupun mana-mana pergerakan untuk didakwa dengan akta lapuk.

Tindakan pihak polis dalam serbuan dan penahanan ini sekaligus bertentangan dengan Perisytiharan Hak Asasi Manusia Sejagat (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

Ini adalah prejudis pihak polis terhadap imej ruang komuniti termasuk sub-budaya dan muzik.

Akhir sekali, solidariti teman-teman Rumah Api ini turut disampaikan buat mereka yang berterusan dalam menggerakkan ruang-ruang autonomi dalam proses pemberdayaan masyarakat menolak ketidakadilan serta kekejaman aparat penguasa.

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[sudutkiri]

Mahasiswa Terpimpin Itu Gila

‘PR tidak bawa isu kos sara hidup anak muda, isu perumahan belia... tetapi mereka rempuh pagar pertahankan seorang individu, kumpul di mahkamah pertahankan (Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) tetapi dalam BN kita tidak pertahan individu yang kita pertahankan adalah hak genarasi muda, inilah yang membezakan politik mereka dan politik kita.

’ ‘Politik kita berteraskan kepada nilai dan generasi muda.’ ‘BN akan sentiasa bergerak dalam satu bumbung Pemuda bagi memperjuangkan hak anak muda.

’ ‘Kita akan bergerak dalam satu hati dalam memperjuangkan nasib anak-anak muda Malaysia. 

Kita akan bantu mereka, kita akan jadi jurucakap kepada generasi muda,’

- Khairy Jamaluddin via Sinar Harian

___

Baru baru ini, Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin telah menyentuh isu generasi muda dalam ucapannya di Perhimpunan Agung Pemuda PPP. Sedikit sebanyak, aku ingin membalas apa yang diungkapkan oleh beliau seperti politik rempuh pagar dan penglibatan beliau sebagai ‘jurucakap’ generasi muda.

Bagi aku, aksi merempuh pagar Universiti Malaya baru-baru ini sangat penting dan datang pada masa yang paling tepat. Pertama sekali, kepada sesiapa yang memikirkan kos pembaikan pagar itu sebagai perkara mustahak sangat luar biasa bebalnya. Politik ‘rempuh pagar’ ini tidak kena mengena dengan cara Pemuda Barisan Nasional mahupun Pakatan Rakyat mengendalikan sesuatu gerakan. Pagar itu simbol perpisahan antara kelas kuasa yang memerintah dan kelas diperintah seperti pelajar, ahli akademik dan individu biasa. Politik ‘rempuh pagar’, jika itu nama yang diberi, menunjukkan perbezaan layanan di antara puak yang setuju dan tidak setuju; puak penyokong dan pembantah. Ini kerana jika pihak setuju dan penyokong yang mengendalikan acara itu, percayalah tidak ada apa-apa tindakan akan yang dikenakan kepada sesiapa sama sekali.

Lebih-lebih lagi, para pelajar di luar negara yang setuju ibarat diberi susu dan keju manakala pelajar yang tidak setuju samada di luar atau dalam negara diberi layanan seperti kayu dan batu. Saudara Khairy bukan sahaja menjamin perjuangan hak anak muda yang menyokong tetapi melindungi pelaburan pelajar-pelajar Malaysia di luar negara. Itulah perbezaan yang sangat ketara politik pelajar dalam negara dan luar negara. Sangat musykil pelajar Malaysia lebih bebas di luar negara daripada di dalam negara. Kebebasan yang total diberikan di luar negara jika dalam gerakan setuju. Akibatnya, gerakan pelajar luar negara yang 'setuju' dan 'menyokong' ini masih melancap dalam tidur kerana terlalu selesa. Tidak ada sebarang surat bantahan untuk menyatakan sokongan tentang hak bebas bersuara untuk pelajar dalam negara. Hak-hak paling asas seperti menyokong pelajar dan ahli akademik untuk bebas berkarya dan bersuara langsung tidak dihirau oleh gerakan pelajar luar negara. Mungkin ada pelajar sendiri yang mengatakan, mahasiswa-mahasiswa yang merempuh pagar Universiti Malaya itu ‘terlalu kasar’ dan ‘tak sivil’ dalam tindakan mereka. Aku hanya membalas, ‘alasan kau tidak mahu mengotori baju kau dan berpeluh tidak masuk akal!’

Akhir sekali, perlu diingatkan, tidak ada bukti pelajar yang tidak menyokong kerajaan itu menyokong pembangkang. Beginilah, tak semua suka Anwar, tak semua suka Khairy, tapi kenapa tak boleh tak suka Khairy dan tak boleh suka Anwar?

***

Kedua, isu gerakan pelajar terpimpin ini merupakan masalah besar yang berlaku di kalangan pelajar Malaysia di luar dan dalam negara. Setiap gerakan pelajar dilihat kurang berupaya untuk berorganisasi dan parti-parti politik dengan sikap paternalisme mereka, rancak mengajak dan mengajar pelajar berkiblatkan kerajaan atau pembangkang. Aspek ini sangat membimbangkan. Ini kerana pelajar-pelajar dipandang rendah dan dilihat memerlukan sokongan dari pihak atasan terutamanya golongan kelas kuasa. Tona saudara Khairy meletakkan dirinya sebagai jurucakap generasi muda ini seolah-olah menandakan diri beliau sebagai tongkat untuk para pelajar untuk ke hadapan.

Tanpa tongkat - kau pelajar akan jatuh. 

Di sini, kita perlu awas dan terima tongkat ini sebagai simbol yang melambatkan gerakan dan juga sebagai ramuan rahsia untuk ke hadapan. Dua-dua simbol ini wajib ditolak. Bagaimana pelajar tidak kecil hati apabila seorang individu yang tidak terbabit dalam mana-mana pergerakan progresif yang berlaku sekarang secara tiba-tiba sewenang-wenangnya mengiisytiharkan sebagai jurucakap kepada generasi muda? Gila.

Jalan Penyelesaian Kalau benar-benar saudara Khairy mahu menjadi jurucakap generasi muda, perlu ketetapan dalam hujahan beliau kepada golongan muda. Lebih-lebih lagi, jangan sesekali terlalu angkuh dengan menamakan diri sendiri sebagai jurucakap kepada generasi muda. Jangan sesekali ingin memperjuangkan nasib anak-anak muda Malaysia jika hanya Kelab UMNO Luar Negara dibiar membiak walaupun dalam surat perjanjian biasiswa sentiasa diselitkan bahawa pelajar tidak boleh sesekali menjadi ahli sebarang parti politik samada kerajaan atau pembangkang. Ini persoalan yang aku rasa bertanggungjawab untuk membuka mata si buta. Bagaimana dikatakan adil untuk semua pelajar untuk memperjuangkan sesuatu apabila hanya pelajar yang menyokong kerajaan sahaja yang selamat daripada lucutan biasiswa mereka? Jurucakap kami, saudara Khairy! Berikan autonomi kepada SEMUA pelajar untuk menyokong dan tidak menyokong sesiapa! Yang paling penting, tuntutan autonomi itu wajib dimajukan ke hadapan tanpa pimpinan tongkat atau pertolongan selain pelajar-pelajar sendiri samada diberi 'surat kebenaran' oleh jurucakap generasi muda atau tidak.

***

 Rencana ini seharusnya ditujukan kepada pelajar-pelajar Malaysia luar dan dalam negara. Gerakan pelajar harus diberi erti, harus dipercayai dan harus disokong oleh pelajar-pelajar sendiri. Kalau pelajar-pelajar lebih mengutamakan jurucakap generasi muda, ini memundurkan lagi gerakan mahasiswa yang tidak mahu dipimpin mana-mana pihak. Aku kenang jasa-jasa yang merempuh pagar di waktu malam dan aku tidak sesekali kenang individu-individu yang tidak simpati, tidak menyokong, tidak memberi erti gerakan pelajar di Malaysia. Tekak-tekak pelajar di Malaysia dicekik setengah mati dari pelbagai pihak sementara pelajar Malaysia luar negara tepuk tangan sokong jurucakap generasi muda. Gila. Shazni Haram

[sudutkiri]

The Kajang Morality

It is baffling when moral agents are asked to decide between two outcomes, the answer would sometime resemble to that of amoral agents. The answer will more often or not, if the moral agents have decided and act upon it, be in a utilitarian fashion. It is baffling because when agents are pounced and tested with real-life decisions, they could not reason and there appears to be a trade off between the future and the present i.e. which situation is more ideal, the protection of civil liberties or the potential threat of instant destruction to take place. This is always referred to the ticking time bomb situation where most authors would ask whether state should warrant for example torture in order to save millions of citizens’ lives from the bomb they believe to be implanted by the accused. Baffling because when morality is questioned at the most critical time, we cannot morally reason. What is the point of believing and breathing morality if one could not use it when it is called for?

Fair treatment A lot of people are confused. They want to see a new government in power or at least for the optimists, the current government, Barisan Nasional to practice good governance and accountability but when their favourite opposition team, Pakatan Rakyat is playing their cards, it appears to the many that this is unnecessary, unruly and uncalled for. Some quarters even believe that ‘Anwar must have a very good reason for doing so’. In mentioning this, it seems like Ambiga accepts that there must be or there is in fact, an exception for him to get away with this. The person does not say ‘Anwar cannot do this’ in the press but claims ‘Anwar must have a good reason for doing this’. It appears that the situation is conditional waiting upon Anwar’s press statement. If the person really believes in the fair and transparency in exchange of power between government and opposition be it in federal or state level, then surely, she would oppose the move based on her belief on equal treatment applicable to both sides of political parties. Her explanation does not really answer the question as to whether it is right or wrong because it rests on the matter of approval. If the person believes treating Anwar’s case differently, she might be accused of being unfair which is quite rightly so. The problem here with these people in this scenario is they give leeway to the need and at the same time, presume it is wrong in the first place. Optimistic legitimacy If the opposition party in Selangor, Barisan Nasional decide to contest, they would certainly either shame Anwar for being power crazy or going with the usual tactic of attacking his personal life. They cannot really talk too much about the legitimacy of vacating the seat because by relishing on the legitimacy issue, surely the voters in Kajang will be reminded of the Perak crisis and the constituents will look at what Barisan did to get the state of Perak back. At the same time, Pakatan cannot bring the issue of legitimacy by saying “look at what happened in Perak, it is about to happen in Selangor right now”. It would be stupid on their part because even if it is really needed, it does not guarantee that it is the right move. Putting the blame on Barisan’s ingenious tactics to get Selangor back will not ensure confidence in voters.

As we can see here, the issue of legitimacy hangs on to the ticking time bomb scenario with the exception that here, the bomb will explode if both sides try to touch it. The current Selangor government seems to be more desperate in terms of committing the act because they believe if they do not do this, the results would be catastrophic as race relations would deteriorate and their failure in securing their place as the head of state of Selangor. Moreover, it is a time bomb for Pakatan because the strategy is to increase their credibility lest in the next general election, the mood for change will lessen. Right What would be the right thing to do here? Hayek for instance, would object to Pakatan’s move. He claims utilitarians, be it act (one who calculates utility based on action) or rule (one who adheres rules to obtain utility) utilitarians, forget one aspect of human defects that is ignorance of the future. He asserts that utilitarianism assumes everybody is omniscient to what is going to happen in the future but ignores our very own limitation to the future. Thus, even if Pakatan does some reshuffling in Selangor, it does not guarantee that Anwar would be a better Menteri Besar than Khalid Ibrahim. On the other hand, if we take Rawls for example, he correctly states that the weakness in utilitarianism lies as we mentioned before, when morality is traded with utility. Kajang by-election showcases Pakatan’s diminishing profile of always doing the right, not disobey to do the right even when it is needed. However, they cannot follow the rules any longer because the momentum for change that we saw post 2008 might just run out. Pakatan Rakyat might have just realised that they have to rethink their tactics in capturing Putrajaya. This is the first time we’ve seen Pakatan considering seriously doing whatever it takes to improve their image and performance to win in the next General Election. It is true that no one can expect Pakatan to follow the rule when Barisan is not adhering to the rule. That is why at least, act utilitarianism seems to be more reliable and rule-utililtarian calculation will not stand in Kajang for Pakatan. However, Rawls continues by offering the fundamental mistake with utiltarianism as he claims that even when one produces maximum utility, it is unsettling in terms of the distribution of utility. Hence, even if Pakatan wins the by-election, foregoing their previous morality, it does not result in quantifiable distribution of utility. Any government, in this case, Pakatan, can vacate the seat for Anwar Ibrahim but there is no guarantee of voters and Selangor citizens to get any form of benefit. For example, they might just improve race relation in terms of the law or in the media but they will still not touch the inequalities between race and the preference for religion. The bulk of the advantages or utility still goes to securing a better future for Pakatan Rakyat’s performance in the next Election. The ultimate issue here is just Pakatan dismissing the right.

Need Is it needed? A lot of people see this as a distasteful act by Pakatan. It is just that many people are bewildered by the timing and the move. The ticking time bomb is basically the act of choosing the lesser of two evils. In usual circumstances, it is between letting the bomb explode which is detrimental to the state or torturing the accused, which is condemned. The big difference here is Pakatan has to choose stability or loss of power. Both examples are despicable but differ in degree. Pakatan is choosing the right political move. They wouldn’t want to lose power. I don’t think it is an issue of stability for citizens but perhaps an issue of stability in their part of securing Selangor for a greater deal. We have to realise that Pakatan is not unlike Barisan. You can’t expect them to have clean white clothes to the length of their arms, they too plunge their hands in the dirt. Questions such as why didn’t they do it last year after the General Election or is Anwar asking for too much are irrelevant because Pakatan, just like Barisan can get away with issues like this. There is no such thing as fair between them. For example, IDEAS who commemorates their idol, Tunku in the press statement calls for Barisan to be more accountable is just miserable rhetoric. Getting fed up with the current government and expecting Pakatan to play fair is too demanding and unrealistic. Pakatan might explain the Kajang move as needed but surely, if we say Perak crisis is not right, Kajang would not certainly feel right. Dirty In his article, Walzer puts this issue of choosing the lesser of two evils at the right angle when he says ‘in most cases of civil disobedience the laws of the state are broken for moral reasons, and the state provides the punishment. In most cases of dirty hands moral rules are broken for reasons of state, and no one provides the punishment’. By this, the right thing to do is punish the ones who break rules for reasons of state and this Kajang example should not be an exception. We have to recall the justification made by Parti Keadilan Rakyat(PKR) of the need to ‘enhance’ or improve something that is already acquired i.e. the state of Selangor to limit race/religion tensions and see that these two issues have two different aims. They could always do the latter even without the by-election. Unfortunately, with the former, they cannot. They just started to make plans for the next general election and Kajang seat was one step towards making Selangor a model example for Malaysia if they win in the next Election. The conflicting aims will always be between the need and the right. A lot of people would have conflicting aims which cancel out a clear dividing outcome as most believe it is not right but there may be a possibility of urgency. Whatever it is in the case of Kajang, Walzer’s call for punishment in either situation must be followed. Breaking moral rules for reasons of state should be punished when they commit the act. This move made by Pakatan cannot be seen to be innocent and without fault. From now on, it is a slippery slope for Pakatan. Malaysians suddenly realise the moral absolutists exist but cease to exist when the need and the right come pressing. In the case of Kajang, it appears to be so. "I have dirty hands right up to the elbows. I've plunged them in filth and blood. Do you think you can govern innocently?" – Sartre

- Shazni Hamim

References: 1. F.A. Hayek, The Mirage of Social Justice Vol 2 2. John Rawls, A Theory of Justice 3. Michael Walzer, The Politics of Dirty Hands 4. Jean Paul Sartre, No Exit and Three Other Plays: ‘Dirty Hands’ 5. http://ideas.org.my/?p=7786 6. http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/ambiga-anwar-must-explain-move-1.473593

[sudutkiri]

SudutBaca #5

(David Chang, Rene Redzepi, Alex Atala, Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Miliken)

This entry holds a special place in my small timid heart because it involves the thing I love most, food. Previously, I had a conversation with a good friend of mine over late lunch. He was telling me that if you've ever eaten great food, the person behind the claustrophobic kitchen door will be a man. So, what James Brown has been telling us is true after all, huh? Is it really a man’s man’s man’s world? I replied by saying ‘yeah probably, but most of them developed or at least observed the chops and skills from their mothers’.

So how do we deal with this? He stated that men are physically stronger and have fewer issues when it comes to commitments. He added, ‘if you know that you’re going to get countless overtime, if you're pregnant and have a family, why would you want to be a chef anyway?’ In my opinion, female chefs are great but most of the time, they're not being highlighted enough anywhere, be it in food magazines or a Time magazine cover! Moreover, I believe that society thinks too much of how women handle the ‘heat’ in the kitchen. We need to move on from the ragged argument that the clothes only ‘fit’ a man’s body and therefore, we should only cater the uniforms for men and men only. Thus, I am proud to publish these short intros for these articles which is rooted from culture and gender expectations that began from a humble kitchen. 1. Eddie Huang on Marcus Samuelsson’s restaurant in Harlem. Eddie, who owns Baohaus in New York bitchslaps Marcus for not appreciating the takeaway culture in Harlem. Read. http://observer.com/2012/06/marcus-samuelssons-overcooked-memoir-prompts-a-new-look-at-his-pricey-harlem-discomfort-food/  2. Secondly, we have Frank Bruni telling Bourdain to basically, fuck off. I think Paula Deen-Anthony Bourdain beef earlier this year was important because the issue was basically saying the majority could never even dream of dining at Le Bernardin or Alain Ducasse’s restaurant at Dorchester. How do we justify making proletariat food? Remember what Langston Hughes wrote in his Advertisement for the Waldorf-Astoria where he shot down the opening of a luxury hotel that didn’t cater anyone else except for the rich? This is basically the issue at stake. Food on television do not in any way represent food cooked at home. Fine living . . . a la carte?

    Come to the Waldorf-Astoria!

     LISTEN HUNGRY ONES!

Look! See what Vanity Fair says about the

    new Waldorf-Astoria:

     "All the luxuries of private home. . . ."

Now, won't that be charming when the last flop-house

    has turned you down this winter?

    Furthermore:

"It is far beyond anything hitherto attempted in the hotel

    world. . . ." It cost twenty-eight million dollars. The fa-

    mous Oscar Tschirky is in charge of banqueting.

    Alexandre Gastaud is chef. It will be a distinguished

    background for society.

So when you've no place else to go, homeless and hungry

    ones, choose the Waldorf as a background for your rags—

(Or do you still consider the subway after midnight good

    enough?) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/opinion/bruni-unsavory-culinary-elitism.html?_r=0 3. Lastly, of course, sex sex sex. Why women were exclusively excluded from the Time’s cover.

http://ideas.time.com/2013/11/13/women-chefs-talk-about-that-time-gods-of-food-list/ 

Food Culture Food Elitism Food Sex Now, who dares say cooking is just cooking? Shout-outs to all the guerilla carts, push carts selling food without license! Keep the fire burning! Shazni Hamim

[sudutkiri]

Kid.

Source: http://pictify.com/41500/women-labour 

The road ahead, as the car moved, appears to have moved on its own. Deadly curves as the steering wheel of the car is turned, it envelops the red vehicle as if a wave is swallowing the surfer bold enough to test its water. When the road is straight, the grip of her long fingers relaxed into an auto-pilot mode but the roads, like calm water, waits for the precise moment to strike. The smell of leather, the weight of her body on the seat, the neat strap across her chest and the buckled safety; one sees how driving is indeed a trick of the eye, the road moves and you stay in your seat.

“Why is the sky blue?” a small, high-pitched voice asked. This being, who has skinny, lanky legs and thick dark locks looks at her, waiting for her to turn her head to him and not to focus on the road. He’s waiting. He is always waiting. For her to pick him up from school, for her to wake him up every morning, for her to tell him “I love you,” every second. Weak, dependent, skinny child who inquires about everything that is blue.

“To be honest, I have no idea.” But she knew – air molecules; tiny omnipresent particles around you scatters more blue light from the sun’s rays than the red light. Because it was not doing the other that it is doing this instead, it was because at that instant, Y is not done that you did X. Period. It was because she could not not have a child that this weird, skinny being is now sitting next to her.

Long fingers around the steering wheel, tricked once, “Your pianist-like fingers are wonderful.” Deceit. Lying lover loved more than her fingers; he loved the swell of her breast and her fine auburn hair. He loved how she laughed and he willed his shoulders when she cried. He planted a child in her and he loved that child as an extension of himself and as an extension of what he thought was her. “He definitely has your nose.” An unattractive nose, a flat nose that is always slightly red. 

“Can I use your phone to Google the answer?” this child suggested. “Sure, but later at home,” she nodded in reply.

Imprisonment, sugar-coated words built the walls of this place we call home. When she first held this child-being of weight precisely 3 kilos when born, she cried and sighed, “What do I do with you?” She carefully kissed his forehead and said a prayer, “Life has to be kind to you. It has to.” But he’s inherited her awkward poise and he was the shy, quiet one who took notice of all-things blue and stayed indoors. The Home is a fabrication of safety-net, her suitor promised to make sure life will be kind to this being; this precious, fragile kid. This child has traces of the manly man she has made love to – definitely the child’s prominent forehead and his long legs must have been her lover’s genes; not hers.

But big boys in school are not threatened by foreheads or long legs. Big boys picked on his peculiar habit of wanting to be left alone and his inability to fight back. He didn’t say anything, “Papa would have been so disappointed, if he knew,” his little head tells him. But not to her, he couldn’t lie to her. The ridiculously large appetite he has for dinner - his lunch was taken away from him that day. Ugly nails bitten - scared to death he was of those damn good-for-nothing bigger kids. He hides behind her all the time, “Save me, mama,” he whispers quietly, softly and almost unheard.

“Wear the red dress, tonight,” that liar kissed her right cheek and left her at Home, the very one he built to imprison her into serving dinners and cleaning blankets and other domesticated happiness. The red dress in which she was to wow people who’ve no interest in understanding the shades of her anger, but only on the diamond necklace against the red canvas covering her body. She was a painting on the wall. Her eyes move along with those who view, she is nonetheless trapped and an observer laughs at this, “I am free, you are not.” She’s a painting that smiles, but has dark-circles under her eyes and slouching shoulders – she’s given up.

This man has fucked us both, kid. He wore a blue tie this morning, your father. As blue as the sky. What should we do? There’s a deadly curve ahead, there’s a very deadly curve ahead of us. Should I weaken the grip of my long, pianist-like fingers? She turned to the right to look into the mirrored reflection of herself in this boy.  

Siti Tumin.

[sudutkiri]

Malays of the World, Disunite!

photo AFP

This week saw the start of the UMNO national assembly, an annual party affair where racists and bigots alike converge and discuss the best way to keep our country safe from [insert threat here]. While I’m writing this I’m hoping someone has figured out a way to lock up the doors of PWTC and throw the keys away, ending in a Hunger Games free for all inside the hall.

Just like every year, people are predicting what kind of ignorant racist bile would come out of our leader’s mouth (at the time of writing, this gem was just reported).  Our lovable DPM Muhyiddin Yassin has already opened the assembly with a rousing speech warning the Malays of the threats they face, like human rights and the deviant teachings of the Shiites. Unsurprising, to say the least.

Ever since the boom of an alternative online media and the growth of social media users, many of the things and actions carried out by the members of our current regime end up in scorn and ridicule. The “liberal” alternative media will often publish columns bashing these individuals, criticising their narrow mindedness, while the readers will send in daily open letters to express their disgust. Really though, has there ever been a successful open letter in the history of open letters?

With progressive faces like Khairy Jamaluddin, Saifuddin Abdullah and the introduction of the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) and PEMANDU, most people would like to think we are entering a sort of post - racial Malaysia if it weren’t for folks like Muhyiddin or Zahid Hamidi in their ranks pulling them down.  Most people seem to think what’s holding UMNO behind isn’t that racism and prejudice is their central ideology, but it’s just a few old guards who seem to be preventing change within it.

What we’ve seen ever since the elections seem to say otherwise. Ever since winning the elections with a majority of 47%, we’ve seen some of the dumbest headlines to date such as the infamous “Apa Lagi Cina Mahu” to thelady getting arrested for posting a Hari Raya greeting video with her dogs. This isn’t a regime in transformation, this is a regime knee deep in crisis mode.

One thing we’re bound to see in the UMNO national assembly is the question of unity – Malay unity specifically. For the Malays the usual bogeymen we’d have to unite against are the threats of liberalism, pluralism, communism, people other than ourselves who want to call their God? Allah, people who are in the opposition, the flaming homosexuals, the Jews, Singaporeans and probably a whole bunch of other ridiculous made up things. Once the UMNO mask is removed, they harp on uniting under the 1Malaysia banner, using similar bogeymen mentioned above. The calls for unity while dismissing the Other as threats is textbook modern nation state politics.The fact that the laundry list of threats to unity is only getting longer tells us how deep UMNO is in crisis.

While many people might dismiss the arrest that the police made on the lady who posted a video with her dogs during Ramadhan as just stupid people in power doing stupid things, I believe it’s much more than that. My theory is that the lady, Maznah is doing what most Malay Muslims consider unconventional, and in this country, what is conventional to the Malay Muslim is often dictated by UMNO and their various state apparatuses like the media, the religious institutions, education and so on.

If one were to look into the list of people who were arrested for sedition before the elections (the charge Maznah was arrested for), almost every single one of them were clearly subversive activists. It suddenly made sense why Maznah was arrested. After suffering their worst win in the elections, UMNO was clearly in crisis. It seemed that every act that went against their narrative of what a Malay Muslim should be like is a threat to their position. This also explains the police arresting famed “sex bloggers” Alvin and Vivian, and artist J Anu that particular Ramadhan.

I found that once I’ve embraced this particular theory everything else seems to make sense. It explains why it was so necessary to brand Anwar as gay and a sodomite, it explains why Seksualiti Merdeka was banned, it also explains why Chin Peng’s ashes weren’t allowed to be brought back. So much so the police had to set up road blocks near the Thai border to prevent the ashes getting smuggled into the country.. The idea that communist leaders were instrumental in bringing us independence wasn’t part of UMNO’s narrative of history. We’re taught that the communists were responsible for the rape and pillage of the people and played little or no role in the run up to Merdeka. Bringing back the ashes would acknowledge these communists and challenge the ruling narrative. Any challenge to the ruling narrative is a challenge to UMNO’s very existence.

With a ruling power that refuses to accept other narratives but their own, this only enables and rewards people who buy into their narratives. A recent example would be Ibrahim Ali being appointed as a member of UiTM’s board of directors. And if that’s not enough, our parliament and cabinet positions are filled with hardliners like Zahid Hamidi, Hishamuddin Hussein and Bung Mokhtar. This creates a vicious cycle, as these people are in charge of our public institutions, the UMNO narrative is further shoved down our throats, poisoning our public institutions along with it. This is particularly dangerous to our education system as it actively endorses anti-intellectualism. For example, Fahmi Reza is banned in most public universities from giving a public lecture regarding the history of the Malaysian student movement. Recently Khalid Jaafar’s planned public lecture faced several problems and had to be relocated at the last minute, with heavy security presence. I’ve even heard Special Branch officers are often spotted monitoring student activities on campus. 

We have reached a point where the hegemony UMNO has on the truth is coming to an end.  More and more people are questioning authority and their brand of truth it enforces on us. It is time to recognise that much of UMNO’s intolerance is not due to several insufferable individuals but rather that the entire party runs on a logic of prejudice and intolerance. As shown above, it’s a system that perpetuates itself.

The responsible thing to do as citizens would be breaking this logic. This means we’d all have to disunite ourselves against the unity that UMNO preaches. Only under this disunity can we truly embrace the multitude of narratives that makes our nation diverse. Not in a cliché 1Malaysia or Malaysia Truly Asia way, but in a “Don’t harm my migrant/gay/indigenous/Hindu brothers and sisters” way.

Eijas Ariffin

[sudutkiri]

What I Talk About When I Talk About Politics

Picture by Saw Siow Feng via The Malaysian Insider

  Last year, I read a book called Snow by Orhan Pamuk. It's not a new book, but it's a great story about Turkish politics, which is something none of us tend to look at unless angry people are running through the streets of Istanbul. It's a morbid tale: a recurring theme is a group of suicidal young girls, who become increasingly politicised as the novel progresses, and their fight for the right to wear headscarves in a fiercely secular Turkey. It's a captivating combination of Turkish politics, political commentary, women's rights and the seductive allure of Islamic fundamentalism. I highly recommend taking the time to read it.

  At times throughout the book, I found myself rooting for characters who held beliefs that I would, as a secularist and as a socialist, find anathema. It was, frankly, uncomfortable at first.

  In Turkey, the traditional ideological anchors that we all unconsciously grope for are missing. The assumptions are all flipped: 'conservatives' in this story, the political mainstream, are liberals, Marxists, republicans and secularists. The radicals and the opposition are Islamic fundamentalists and social conservatives. To my surprise, I found myself identifying, sometimes very closely, with the people who made up these latter opposition groups and their efforts to resist a state I would consider a good idea on my own terms.

  I am no Islamist. I am no social conservative and I have no interest in establishing an Islamic state. Replacing a liberal-democratic order with an Islamic-theocratic one is, frankly, a distinct step in the wrong direction for me. So why was it so easy, at least in the book, to empathise with groups I could never agree with ideologically?

Pamuk's writing style and very sympathetic treatment of the subject surely had a hand. But, right about halfway through the book, I realised what it was. It's one of the book's key themes that, despite the significant chance that what you do might be doomed from the start, one must press on. It's the tenacity in hanging on when you know the machine against which you want to rage is simply too large and diffuse. It's the almost masochistic compulsion to try anything you can despite insurmountable odds and an entire state mobilising against you and all you believe in. Indeed, what really locked me in was how much Pamuk's Islamists believed in their struggle.

  'Struggle' is a dirty word today. Political struggles are totally 80's and for irredeemable unionists. Struggles are irrelevant in a hyper-pluralist, hyper-consumerist capitalist society. They're also doubly bad because they're bad for the economy: they mean uncertainty for the market and we must all make sure the market doesn't get spooked, because we all know the first rule of economics is that the market is really a scared turtle. So arguments become depoliticised, cautious technocrats are made heads of state and central banks and 'everything is always under control'. Smooth, smooth sailing to single-digit GDP growth. Super.

  However, there's something wrong, I think, with slick politics. Smooth politics is an oxymoron: politics is fundamentally about power and disputes over it. Disputes are never the most well-oiled of things. One is well-advised to be suspicious of the technocrat, of the 'expert', for whom argument is inefficient and superfluous, a footnote in a maze of mathematical modelling and statistical significance. What matters to them is their logic and 'optimum' solutions. Dissent is dismissed as unscientific and irrational.

  The truth is: politics isn't smooth. Politics is not pretty. It's not black-tie balls, not networking conferences, no parliamentary theatre. Politics is not a handshake for the press, electoral billboards or a bumper sticker. It's not a PR team, it's not focus groups. Politics is not, as they say, a day job.

  Politics is rough and ready. It's held together with bits of duct tape and string. Politics is built from the ground up from all-night negotiations, stalemates and the breakthrough moments afterwards. Politics is about the bad days and the worse days. Politics is about friendships, alliances and rivalries. Politics is dreaming, wishing and wanting. It's about watching your ideas and theirs grow and change, sometimes becoming stronger and yet, sometimes not. Politics and political struggle, like music, art, movies and literature, are an essential part of the human experience. Why must there be such a rush to take the human element out of it?

  At work, I had a task that involved looking at the recent PAS elections. What one gets is a sense of the struggle between ideological fundamentalists and the electoral professionals within the party. I don't count myself among PAS' party faithful but I confess I find their struggle to deal with the party's identity in the context of Pakatan moving in its own way. A party feeling lost, adrift and increasingly irrelevant seeks to rediscover its meaning and identity: it is no a simple task. Labour themselves still reeling from its ideological reorientation in the 90's. With PAS' current struggle I can indeed empathise very much.

  There is a character in that same book about a former radical, a Marxist. His life was all about the struggle for a secular, modern and European Turkey. He spent his youth fighting for a cause and in his last heady days as an activist he saw his country become something like what he saw in his dreams. Happy, his struggle was over. All he had left then were his memories, his friends and his daughters. Maybe one day I'll be able to relate. 

1st Dec 2013 Aiman Caezar 

[sudutkiri]

SudutBaca #4 : Student Solidarity Edition

SudutBaca is a section dedicated to interesting reads that we’ve found on the internet for the past week

For this week’s SudutBaca, the links I’ve provided revolve around some of the many student struggles I've come across online. Although the struggles are continents apart and carry different aims and goals, I think it shows how important students are in confronting society’s ideological forces.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304011304579217944154839458

http://cusos.org/

Students at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art have been carrying out actions and protest ever since their Board of Trustees suggested that the school introduce tuition fees for the first time in 150 years. They recently launched the #twoweeksofleaks campaign which includes leaking transcripts of the board of directors meeting. They even carried out a performative reading of one of the leaked transcripts.

http://sussexagainstprivatization.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/full-statement-and-demands-from-the-bramber-house-occupiers-27-nov-2013/

http://sussexagainstprivatization.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/response-to-university-of-sussex-management-press-release-27th-november-2013/

Students at the University of Sussex have occupied the Bramber House Conference Centre in protest against the privatisation of services on campus and the marketisation of higher education.

http://gamusofficial.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/pilihanraya-kampus-uitm-demiuitm.html

http://gamusofficial.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/boikot-bukan-kerana-benci-tapi-atas.html

http://uitminsider.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/menang-tanpa-bertanding.html

 Many public universities are currently in the midst of their campus elections. Most recently, UiTM  had theirs and  predictably Pro Aspirasi (the pro establishment party) retained the majority (most likely won all seats, but I can’t really confirm this). According to many (probably unsurprising to many too), Pro Aspirasi partakes in tactics many of us are already so familiar with in the country, like fear mongering, reminding people to be “grateful” and some outright cheating too, with apparently Pro Aspirasi winning more than half of their seats uncontested. These links also tell us the close relationship the MPP’s have with the HEP (hal ehwal pelajar). They  show how unfair the elections are (sound familiar?)  and the need to boycott them. According to the GAMUS (Gabungan Mahasiswa UiTM SeMalaysia), the boycott went well and the voter turnout was low.

***

These links I’ve provided show how instrumental students are in countering hegemonic forces from invading our university, be it neoliberal or just UMNO hegemony. It’s not surprising to see how deep UMNO politics has seeped into our public universities or how the neoliberal agenda has rooted itself in universities. Being large institutions, often funded by the state, these institutions serve an important role in normalising ideology. These actions carried out by the students, despite small scale act as direct threats to mainstream ideology, which explains the often  disproportionate heavy handed response to quell these actions.

Eijas

[sudutkiri]

SudutBaca #3

SudutBaca is a section dedicated to interesting reads that we’ve found on the internet for the past week. Siti's choices  What’s Wrong with the modern World

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/13/jonathan-franzen-wrong-modern-world

Jonathan Franzen, in his Kraus-esque satirical style lamented on the ills of modern technoconsumption, I felt like how my own father would; but with less eloquence and wit – my dad is a serious man with a weird sense of humor, a character I proudly inherited.  A man from the generation where people wrote letters (not too long ago, actually) and watch TV only on prime time, he talks about the apocalypse of Amazon taking over the writing business, our overwhelming obsessions with smartphones and social media; in a style so much mirroring the Austrian writer known as the ‘Great Hater.’ From now on, I am using a Franzen-inspired explanation every time someone tells me I should change to Apple-things, in fact, to anyone who gives me the weird look when I take my very-practical-no-nonsense Nokia phone (the one you used when you were 12 and need to call Mum after tuition): my uncool and unhip phone has so much character that is it in fact, cool and hip.

How has Twitter Changed the Role of Literary Critics?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/books/review/how-has-twitter-changed-the-role-of-the-literary-critic.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&smid=tw-share

In a lot of ways, especially when it comes to women critics who have not had as much exposure/platform as men do; Anna Holmes argued. Adam Kirsch also pointed out that Twitter is not the replacement of criticism, because like literature, “is not information but experience.” Now, let us reflect on the practice of criticizing not literature, but everything else on Twitter. I have my fair share of liking and hating the criticism, and most of the time, bemoaning ranty complaints about the government or bus schedules on my feed and sometimes, I do it myself – but the point is, I am still fascinated by how much we talk about what we can do with the platform that gives us only 140-characters.

  What’s It Like

http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/What-Its-Like

I’ve never known anyone who’s afraid of flying and I wouldn’t consider myself as someone who loves flying. The first time I was on a plane, which was when I was twelve eight years ago, I said exactly the same thing as this old woman in Anya Yurchyshyn’s story, ‘I want to stay up here.’ I couldn’t imagine being afraid of floating in air, flying like the birds, although I do know how dreadful it is to be floating in water – maybe the fear is of the same kind? No fear was discussed here, this story is about a bus trip to meet a father to send him to a home, and for me, I’m still trying to make sense how this is in any way related to one’s fear of flying and trying to describe the experience to an old woman, probably the same age as said father. Siti Aiysyah Tumin

[sudutkiri]

Peleraian (Deconstruction) Kaki x Tangan

Kaki dan tangan, kakitangan kerajaan, kerja kerajaan, kakitangan kerajaan. 1. Kaki dan tangan merupakan satu sumber tenaga buat kaum buruh. Tenaga ini neutral. Maksud aku, tugas utama anggota kaki dan tangan adalah untuk bekerja. Pelakuan mereka tidak menentukan samada baik atau jahat, dosa atau pahala. Kaki dan tangan ini akan mengikut perintah tuan empunya badan.

2. Lebih menarik, di Sarawak, jika seseorang itu bekerja untuk kerajaan Negeri, mereka akan menggunakan istillah ‘kerja perintah’ untuk menggambarkan pekerjaan mereka yang bermaksud kerja untuk kerajaan. Agak pelik kerana gambaran yang diberi terhadap pekerjaan mereka seumpama penjara. ‘Kau kerja kat mana?’, ‘Oh, aku kerja perintah.’ Kerja aku kena perintah. 3. Makna perkataan ‘kerajaan’ dalam konteks ini adalah untuk menggambarkan satu pusat pentadbiran/pertubuhan. Konotasi berbau feudal dalam perkataan kerajaan sangat jelas. Mungkin juga, perkataan kerajaan ini bermaksud pusat pentadbiran/pertubuhan yang paling tinggi di mana apa-apa perkara yang diputuskan adalah muktamad. Khalas. Mungkin. Apabila kita mendengar perkataan raja atau the Queen, terus kita kaitkan dengan imej tengkolok, pedang dan istana. Tiga imej yang menunjukan gah, keberanian dan paling penting iaitu tengkolok/mahkota yang dililit di kepala yang paling dekat dengan akal. 4. Sebaliknya, kaki dan tangan kaum pekerja inilah menolong sesebuah pertubuhan. Jatuhnya satu pertubuhan akibat kekurangan (sokongan) kaki-kaki dan tangan-tangan para ahli sendiri. Kaki dan tangan ini mengangkat dan memacu sumber tenaga sebuah pertubuhan. Persoalan Jika kaki dan tangan tidak bergerak sama ‘bersekongkol’ dengan akal, apa yang akan terjadi? Mereka akan kekal bebal dan dilihat sebagai tenaga sahaja. Selagi kaki-kaki dan tangan-tangan ini dikekalkan bebal, maka, akan kekal keballah pertubuhan itu. Kekal bebal, Kekal kebal. Shazni Hamim

[sudutkiri]

SudutBaca #2

SudutBaca is a section dedicated to interesting reads that we’ve found on the internet for the past week.  Eijas’ Choices:

What Revolution?

Part 1: http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=10229

Part 2: http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=10362

This is the best and most comprehensive analysis I’ve come across regarding Syria. The piece totally tears apart the myth of the “revolution” in Syria by clearly laying out the motives of western imperialism while also giving a clear picture on the local “revolutionaries” involved.

On Kanye West and White America’s Contempt for Him http://pushinghoopswithsticks.com/post/63649563548/10-1-radio-dispatch-on-kanye-west-and-white-americas#notes-container

Yes, this is a link to an article about Kanye West. In this interview Ayesha A. Siddiqi gives a very clear, articulate defense of Kanye’s outspokenness and supposed “douchebaggery”. She perfectly explains how Kanye has always questioned whiteness and racial inequality in the U.S. (Note: I’m a huge Kanye stan)

Book of Lamentations http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/book-of-lamentations/ This is probably the best book review/piece of satire I’ve ever read. Anything else I say is probably going to ruin it.

Aiman’s Choices

Brand : Russell http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/10/russell-brand-on-revolution

Russell Brand’s piece introducing an issue of the New Statesmen that he guest-edits. Gets rambly, but great fun to read and with some good bits on how to reconcile being a both inclined to the left and a little well-off. Left, Right and Centre http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115325/center-american-progress-heritage-and-liberalisms-future

More for the centre-lefts rather than the revolutionaries among us, but this piece offers a minor argument on the importance of an intellectual centre at the heart of a party or organisation, and how that intellectual kernel must do more than theorise. Censor  http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/27/4545388/curses-the-birth-of-the-bleep-and-modern-american-censorship

Great long read on the Verge about the roots of American censorship and the insidiousness kind of self-censorship it encourages. Follows on with an excellent review of how censor regulations can be subverted by showrunners, and explores the current phenomenon of something called ‘meta-censorship’.

[sudutkiri]

Privatising God: Deregulating Deities and Incentivising Faith Provision.

With the word 'Allah' now privatised, some of the biggest firms in Malaysia have been scrambling to buy out other established brands in a bid to secure their share of this new and exciting market. Well-known deities such as Yahweh, God, Elohim and Jehovah have all been snapped up for record amounts, while a consortium is currently in the final stages of negotiations for the rights to Amalgamated Prophets, whose most prominent member is of course Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon faith. Analysts are predicting that it is Marvel Inc. (NYSE: DIS) who stands to gain the most in the next few weeks, chiefly due to the fact that they already own exclusive and worldwide rights to the Norse God of Thunder, Thor. Less fortunate, however, are the Greco-Roman deities Athena, Aphrodite, Mars and Zeus, who are still without serious buyers and will be holding a joint press conference later today to in a bid to ease shareholder fears.

This brand new market, created through pioneering Government efforts aimed at 'breaking up old monopolies on gods and faith' and 'creating new believers' promises fresh opportunities for anyone looking to book their seat into heaven. Government sources are reportedly 'delighted' with the speed and smoothness of this transition, adding that more competitive conditions between religions or “faith providers” as a Government press release calls them, 'will lead to more choices for believers and a greater standard of worship for all. Less regulation and free markets have a proven track record of improving the efficiency and quality of services the world over. Why should faith provision be any different?' The official concluded by saying that standard copyright laws apply and any unauthorized use of deities without prior consent of the owner will be punishable by law.

  However, reactions from groups have been mixed. One lifelong Hindu tells us she is 'nervous' about her future prospects, and is considering a switch over to the Rastafari movement as it seemed a 'safer bet' overall with regards to her chances of making it 'on the other side'. When asked about this, a Government spokesman invited her to do so, pointing out that thanks to deregulation, switching religions has never been easier: “Product differentiation and believer choice are the cornerstones of a well-functioning religious market. If a believer has made the decision to switch religions because of its potential spiritual benefits, that is not only rational, that is absolutely natural. So, to this aim, the Government has made discarding your old faith and picking up a shiny new one as easy as switching your broadband provider!”

Furthermore, another consumer group, who counts among its membership a number of so-called 'marginal' faiths, voiced its concern that the privatisation of faith provision may lead, as it tends to do, to a market skewed towards only the very large, sparking fears of an effective monopoly in the industry and the creation of a 'Big Three' of religions. The consumer group stressed that the Government should guarantee or provide incentives for smaller, more dynamic religions to prosper in this new market, in line with its aim for more 'believer choice'. However, the same Government spokesman ruled this out, saying that only approved faith providers will be issued licences to perform rites. “Think of it this way,” the spokesman was reported as saying, “Just like in the broadband industry, it is the job of the state to ensure that your provider is competent and qualified to supply you with your internet, otherwise you may not have an internet signal that is very clear. Similarly, we in the Government must work very hard to ensure that only the right religions are issued licences, to ensure that the 'signal' that you get from your chosen deity is as clear as possible!” When questioned about the aptness of such an analogy or whether the Internet actually runs on signals, the spokesman politely ended the Q&A session.

Of course, with all the furore over these exciting developments, some sections of the community remain conspicuously silent. Our field correspondents spent some time reaching out to them to hear their voices. When contacted, representatives of the agnostic community outlined a 37-page philosophical treatise during a 6-hour phone interview, explaining (with detailed proofs) their opinion that while there may be no material basis for faith in God, it remains a powerful tool for social cohesion nonetheless. The marathon interview wrapped up with the agnostics telling our senior correspondent that their absolute, final and immovable position on the whole affair is that they are 'distinctly 50-50 on this'. Our correspondent, understandably already irritated due to a  malfunctioning coffee machine in the journalist's break room, retorted, ‘You guys are so goddamn indecisive, you deserve to be called agnostics!’ On the other hand, The Malaysian Atheist Alliance provided our team with no other comment than to say, “We honestly really, really don't give a shit.” Aiman Caezar

[sudutkiri]

Malang bukan sial (Akulah manusia paling malang)

Akulah manusia paling malang! Manusia paling malang! Paling malang! Dibesarkan sebagai manusia hormat, Diberi makan dan minum, Disekolahkan di sekolah biasa, tapi akibat sendiri, lahir susuk celaka, tubuh badan penuh dosa, merekah bumi dengan sumpah saranah! Celaka pun celakalah! Malang pun malanglah! Janji aku bukan engkau. Ya, bukan engkau, yang makan tersipu-sipu menutup mulut, yang membuka kata dengan ‘ampunkan patik mencemar duli’, yang menerima semua perkara, tapi tidak mahu menukarnya, Mahu sama dan sentiasa sama, mahu kaya dan sentiasa kaya, mahu kahwin dan sentiasa kahwin. Hanya kerana aku tidak punyai cukup sifat untuk mencintaimu, maka, maafkan aku kerana akulah manusia paling malang. Saksikan aku jatuh, Tuhan! Shazni H.

[sudutkiri]

I think what appals me the most about UKEC is how they think that NOTHING is wrong with the way they run things. It's a show of arrogance and superiority. 'TO EACH HIS OWN'? They should take Sudut Kiri's criticism positively and objectively and do some self-reflection, and not just dismiss comments just like that. They sound just like their UMNO Baruputra benefactors. Are you waiting for us students at the bottom to be irate enough to REVOLT against you, UKEC?

[sudutkiri]

Yi Wen Lim's essay was brilliant, there's no contact info on the post, but I hope you guys could send her my love!

Hi, check out her entry now. We updated her details. Sending your love to her...right...about...now...done! :D

[sudutkiri]

I AM NOT THICKE'S BITCH

image from Jade Beall's A Beautiful Body Project

  Hey, hey, hey.

You’ve probably heard Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’. You’ve probably watched the video.

You would’ve caught on to the tune. You would’ve cringed.

Whatever you thought, I know I cringed.

Everyone has been lambasting Thicke and Co. for the ‘rapey’ lyrics (and a pretty good job there too), there’s been enough ink spilt and words written on it. 

I’m writing on the objectification of women. 

Hey, hey, hey. Big words, lady.

Before you dismiss me as an anti-male feminist, just read the words of a 21-year-old girl who thinks that something is wrong – maybe with the world or maybe with my body.

…

If you haven’t watched the video, basically, it’s three women, prancing in the nude (except for nude thongs) around three men in suits. You could say they are seductive, but I’d like to think that I can dance better than the brunette.

To describe the video to you, I had to subject myself to four minutes of pure torture watching a video I couldn’t even finish previously. If there’s nothing wrong with three naked prancing women with three clothed men to you, well, the men were behaving like dogs on heat while trying to look cool in suits.

Lyrics aside and full focus on the video, this is what Mr. Thicke had to say,

“We tried to do everything that was taboo. Bestiality, drug injections, and everything that is completely derogatory towards women. Because all three of us are happily married with children, we were like, ‘We’re the perfect guys to make fun of this.’”

He also goes on to say: “People say, ‘Hey, do you think this is degrading to women?’ I’m like, ‘Of course it is. What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman. I’ve never gotten to do that before. I’ve always respected women.’”

So, what Mr. Thicke means is that if you respect women, it’s okay to degrade them. You can degrade women; you just need to be the right person to do it. And degrading women is fun!

 Degrading is degrading, Mr. Thicke. Period.

 …

They say women don’t have a sense of humour. They also said that the video was satirical, but I didn’t find anything funny.

So maybe they are right. 

Or maybe there wasn’t anything funny.

 …

The said brunette, model Emily Ratajkowski, realises that her body could be a source of pride and says, “It’s very important for young women today to have that confidence.”

No doubt about that.

She then adds, “[The video] is actually celebrating women and their bodies.”

Right.

If that it is such a case, why do I not feel empowered? Looking at their perfect unblemished writhing bodies, I can’t help but feel a dramatic drop in self-esteem. As a regular girl, I would expect the same for girls like me or girls who have no confidence in their looks.

But I like giving people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she’s right; it’s empowering.

Rewind video.

There’s Emily prancing about again. And the blond girl and black girl.

They’ve got no qualms dancing in the nude around three men, a whole crew and the whole world. If this is meant to be empowerment, heck, I could do it too!

The symmetrical round breasts above a taut stomach which suggests gym time five days a week and a fried food-free diet.

Long eye-lashes and plump pouting red lips that are pulled in a seductive curve.

No thunder thighs or cellulite.

Sexy out-of-bed hair for Emily and the blond girl, but not looking like they just got out of bed.

Tight voluminous buttocks suggesting plenty of squats.

Pronounced facial features and large eyes but with the feminine softness that would make a man go crazy.

Legs. Legs. Legs.

In front of the mirror, it’s a different story. A flat Asian face with a crooked mouth and a jaw with a cleft. A chest as flat as an airstrip, or that of a skinny school boy. A complete lack of profile. Bottom? What bottom? Pale unevenly toned yellow skin stretched over awkward ribs and knobby knees with a very visible blood circulatory system of a network of green veins.

Right now, I’m hardly feeling empowered. I don’t think I can pull off a ‘Single Ladies’ naked anymore.

No, Emily. The video is celebrating sexy women and their sexy bodies. 

If the only thing about a woman is her body, this is a sad pathetic world. You might as well call a woman a vase or a useless but aesthetically fine art piece. The pursuit of outer beauty is revolting as it seeks to ignore all aspects of a woman that makes a woman. What happened to intelligence, wit, creativity, skills and ability?

The physical beauty that the world heralds is possessed by few. And if media only depicts beautiful people and uses what they call “ugly people” as butt of all cruel jokes, 99% of the world is a joke.

As a young woman just out of her teens, this portrayal of beauty has affected me, admittedly. Growing up, I was quite a tomboy. With loose T-shirts and a boy-cut, I was constantly mistaken as a boy. Unlike my friends, I never developed a cleavage and never got on the make-up bandwagon. I got my first tube of lipstick and compact powder at 21 much to the astonishment of the sales girls. On the invitation of a friend, I subjected myself to the painful traditional Indian method of threading, which is essentially, using two taut strands of thread to pull out facial hair. I did my eyebrows and because some guy friends laughed at me, I had my upper lip threaded as well. I assure you, it hurt. It really hurt.

I recall a rather embarrassing moment that happened recently. I was at Coogee Beach in Sydney where I went to a women’s rock pool. As the name implies, only women swam there. Travelling for the first time to the west, I thought these Australians were crazy to go swimming in winter, but they did.

Being totally adverse to the idea of swimming in the frigid waters, I stayed on dry ground to spot migrating whales. I saw something else – women who were completely confident with their bodies. They stripped down right in front of me and had no problem skinny-dipping. I blushed.

Mind you, these were women who weren’t your Emilys. Rather, they were women qualified to be my mom and my grandma. Hence, stretch marks, wrinkles, saggy bottoms and all.

I read recently of photographer Jade Beall who published semi-nude post-partum pictures of herself. It caught attention and soon, mothers were writing to her asking to be photographed “just as they were”. This led to her publishing A Beautiful Body, a photo book of the women she photographed.

The black and white images were powerful and not photo-shopped. I gasped at first. Then, I realized it was all because of social-conditioning. We are presented with beautiful images of women who bounce back to their slim figures post-pregnancy, but we have never been presented with the beautiful images of women who don’t. And those who don’t make up most women. There is so little access to these images in our culture.

Here’s what Beall has to say, “As a teenager I suffered from feelings of deep unworthiness. I had acne and I was unable to look in a mirror for nearly thirty years, unless it was by candlelight… I gained 50 pounds with my pregnancy and that added to my personal history of oppressive self-loathing in a culture that praises mostly photo-shopped images of women in media.”

There is a lot of focus on the mother’s body but not what she has done, which is what the husband of one photographed woman came to realize, “Man, I’m kind of an ass for not recognizing what the real important things are when it comes to her physical appearance… It’s what she’s done, and why she has those scars. I don’t have to bear any of that – and she does.”

If the women at Coogee and the women in the photo book were comfortable in their skin unclothed, why should I be uncomfortable clothed?

...

Contrary to my perception of myself and the world’s definition of beautiful, my boyfriend thinks I’m physically attractive and chides me when I compare myself to pretty girls. And he respects me as a woman, not just physically, but for my character, strengths and weaknesses, likewise, with other women, regardless of their age and physique. I’m pretty sure he values me more than my body, because a man who values women only for their bodies wouldn’t be able to sustain a long-distance relationship.

Like the women at the rock pool, this is empowering.

Thicke called his video a feminist movement. But, Mr. Thicke, why the backlash by feminists over the world?

Feminism empowers women. It focuses not on our bodies, but on us.

Ask the woman with stretch marks and swollen breasts because she’s just given birth to her third child if she’s empowered watching the video. Ask the woman who struggles with weight issues but has sharp wit, the girl suffering from acne but is excellent in school, the woman with sun spots because she works under the sun in the fields or the woman with rough hands because she cleans toilets to raise her kids.

Ask the real woman.

- Yi Wen Lim

Yi Wen tweets at @theipohyiwen

Yi Wen also writes at andbobisyouruncle.wordpress.com