Stirrings of Democracy

Something is happening in the Subang Jaya state constituency where I live. Middle and upper class Subang Jayans have traditionally peacefully voted for stability in previous general and state elections. They generally stayed out of public debate and on polling day quietly voted in the Barisan Nasional (BN), the leading coalition that has ruled the country for the past 50 years.

But a fresh-faced, pretty, pint-sized, just-married woman seems to be changing all that. Content Subang Jayans are spilling out of their comfortable homes by the thousands -- in the drenching rain -- to hear what the 29-year-old Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan has to say.

She is the Democratic Action Party's (DAP -- the leading opposition party) new candidate for the Subang Jaya state seat. She is young, inexperienced and a newcomer to politics. She joined the DAP three months ago because she felt that it was the only political party that could help serve her desire to impact society.

Then the General Election was announced and she was asked by the DAP to stand in Subang Jaya. A political novice, this former headgirl and lawyer now turned event management professional is now pulling in the crowds and setting history in motion.

Yeoh herself can't believe the response she has been getting. "I didn't expect all this (the support)," she said, her hair still wet from the rain, after a huge rally in the rain soaked football field in USJ 12 on Monday night at which party supremo, Lim Kit Siang, spoke as well.

"This is history in the making. Party people say that this has never happened before," she added. By "this" she meant the crowds and the support that the people of Subang Jaya were showing her.

The DAP's political gatherings -- ceramah in Bahasa Malaysia -- are known to be crowd-pullers. People come to hear what they do not read or hear in the news. But, the crowds have always gone to the big names at the ceramah, like Lim, his son, Guan Eng, and Karpal Singh. No one -- least of all, Yeoh herself -- expected an unknown like herself to get the public's attention in Subang Jaya like she has been getting.

Her rally on Saturday night - also at the USJ 12 football field -- attracted about 6,000 people. The Monday night ceramah was bigger. A possible reason for the surge in numbers could be that more people came to hear the elder Lim. But if the Saturday night figure was anything to go by, it meant that she was as much a draw or a sign of change of something new and better.

One of my students who lives in Subang Jaya said that her father bought numbers based on Yeoh's first name, Hannah. He matched the letters of the name in the same order to the number on his touch-dial telephone. The number won and he shared the prize money with friends and relatives!

Yeoh might be a rallying point of something bigger than herself and of something new.

Subang Jayans want to give her a chance. At her rallies they listen. There is no heckling and she offers no gimmicks, antics nor entertainment, just her simple promise: "I will speak up for you. I will stand up for you."

They listen.

"People say I am young. Yes, I am young, but I am clean!" her strident voice rang out as she declared her commitment to stay corruption-free. She has vowed to search for all the "Zakarias" (the Klang councillor who built a mansion for him and his family in a poor neighbourhood) and expose them.

"People say I am inexperienced. Yes, but my hands are untied!" And she raised both hands in the air to show she was unshackled by political patronage. "My hands are tied!" is the never-ending lament of BN politicians who, caught up by the system, don't deliver.

"People say that I may not be able to work as well because I just got married (in January). But, I know of someone who is much bigger than me who also got married recently! Why don't they say the same about him?" she answered her detractors by alluding to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who remarried last year! Yeoh is married to IT engineer, Ramachandran Muniandy.

Not only did Subang Jayans listen, they also gave generously. In another historical first, Yeoh's campaign officials collected RM31,000 from the Saturday night ceramah on March 1. It was the largest amount collected at any ceramah in DAP's history!

It is hard to say what is peaking the Subang Jaya electorate's interest in Yeoh. Perhaps, they are drawn to her out of curiosity because she is new and she is in the opposition. She is standing for election in a state constituency that was ably held by the Malaysian Chinese Party's (MCA -- a component party of the BN) three-term councillor Dato Lee Hwa Beng, who is now standing for election in the Kelana Jaya parliamentary constituency.

Now that Lee has moved on, Subang Jaya residents may be signalling a change. A change in the political equation. They may be ready to vote for a stronger opposition in the state assembly and they may be sizing up the new face the DAP has fielded in the Subang Jaya state constituency. And, maybe, they like what they see.

Against a lacklustre BN government tainted by the antics of its members and their relatives, Yeoh represents a breath of fresh air in a jaded administration that has gone scot-free for its excesses.

Like Subang Jaya, segments of the voting electorate have woken up and are looking for candidates in whom they can trust their votes and know that trust will be honoured. They may be willing to take the risk to deposit their trust in fresh new faces in the opposition and give them a chance at public service to provide the check and balances to the ruling party and deliver a just and fair government.

The opposition is realistic. They are aware that they do not have the support to form the next government. They just want to have more of themselves in Parliament and the state assemblies. After so many disappointments in previous elections, they dare not hope. But, seeing the groundswell in Subang Jaya, and, perhaps in other places as well, they are beginning to hope.

Subang Jaya is a state constituency, and the hope is that a vote for Hannah Yeoh will extend to a vote for the opposition in the parliamentary seats of Subang and Kelana Jaya as well.

It is in Parliament that a strong opposition is needed. In the words of the elder Lim at Yeoh's Monday night rally: "We don't want to smash UMNO (the leading political party in the BN coalition). But we want to smash UMNO's political hegemony!"

That is the clarion call of the opposition. To smash UMNO's unbridled supremacy by denying it its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The concern is whether such a great turnout and generosity on the ground for opposition candidates like Yeoh will translate to real votes for the opposition on polling day this Saturday, March 8.

Historically, although people have flocked by the thousands to hear opposition leaders, the actual elected opposition Members of Parliament have always been less than one-third, which means the ruling government can -- and have -- steamroll any law through Parliament as they like it because they are assured of a two-thirds majority.

The question is, this time, at the 12the General Election of Malaysia, will the people hand the BN such unparalled and uncontrolled power or will they serve notice to the BN that their time is up? That their wings will be clipped? That they have to work hard to get the opposition's support to pass laws in Parliament? That they had better buck up or be voted out?!

What will we say at the polling station this Saturday? Will we maintain the status quo or will we make history and change the political quotient?

My own feelings? Let's make history!

Time to ACT!

Now that the long festive season is over, I will get down to some serious business!

There are two positive things that we, Malaysians, are enjoying under the Prime Ministership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi. Firstly, we are relieved of the frenetic pace at which we moved under his very accomplished predecessor, Tun Dr Mathathir Mohamad, who, goal-driven, drove everyone to move ahead at a galloping speed! I think, maybe, we had had enough of that and was quite glad for Abdullah's laid-back pace.

Secondly, we are seeing -- perhaps, for the first time here in Malaysia -- that with or without leadership, the country will run by itself. Now, I don't know whether that is a sign of leadership or the lack of it. But, one thing is certain: Thanks to the previous leadership who laid the foundation for a stable government, the country has developed to a point that it is no longer dependent on one leader to keep it going.

I think that is a very good sign. There will be no more room for megalomanical leaders. But, unfortunately, for the same reason, a puppet could be running the country and nobody will know the difference. And, that is why, I believe, the March 8 general elections next weekend must be a turning point in our history.

If the government can run by itself, then, that is every reason why the citizen must now be more vigilant because otherwise he or she can be easily duped by a leadership, skilled in the art of corporate public relations, who may spin webs of wool over your eyes and blind you to seeing that his or her leadership really doesn't have much to show.

Since the last general elections, what has Malaysia to show? Plans on paper unveiled with blazing media fanfare. Yet, ordinary people like me still have to dig deep into our pockets to pay our bills, send our children to school and find alternatives all the time to survive because Plan A is always squeezed out by national policies of affirmative action.

We are no longer sure if the future holds prospects that will be better. Or, are things going to get worse and we will have to look for greener options beyond our borders?

If we want change for the better, then it is time to act. I think now is the time for the people to show that we want leaders to serve our needs so that we actually see the benefits in our hands. If they don't, now is the time to throw them out of office! The nation will still run and we will get a better crop of public servants!

Happy voting!

Yee Sang pictures!

I just have to include these two pictures of Yee Sang -- the Chinese raw fish specialty that appears around Chinese New Year. Raw fish, cleaned and salted would be mixed with crackers and a variety of pickled vegetables. Well-wishers stand around it and using chopsticks toss them around in a show of unity. It is also symbolic of helping one another in the sharing of prosperity.

It is a tradition, particularly, among the Cantonese-speaking community of the Chinese. According to a Cantonese friend, whatever you wish when you toss around Yee Sang will come true.

Well, I hope all the wishes we wished when tossing Yee Sang during our department's Chinese New Year lunch will come true for all of us!

A Meaningful Chinese New Year

My Chinese New Year began when I dropped by at work when on leave on Feb 4. I was pleasantly surprised by a packet of mandarin oranges on my desk. "Wow! I got something for Chinese New Year!"

My former collegue, Pei Soo, who now lectures at Universiti Malaya, remembered me! The oranges were duly delivered at my table by her husband, Yeo. After the holidays, I was again pleasantly surprised by another package of mandarin oranges on my table -- this time, from See who sits in the cubicle next to mine! And it came with a packet of egg roles. How lovely! I now have a long supply of mandarins in my fridge!

Mandarin oranges, red lanterns, and lion dances announce that Chinese New Year is here.

I am not Chinese, but Malaysian. So, I enjoy all the festive seasons each race of Malaysians celebrate! Infact, all of us celebrate each other's festivals in one way or another. If we don't actually celebrate it, we use the holidays they offer to go on holiday somewhere or spend it with family and friends.

This Chinese New Year I spent it with family. The first day of Chinese New Year happened to fall on my eldest brother's birthday on Feb 7. He was estranged from the rest of us but in his later years when he began to lose his memory we rallied around to help him and put him in a good home.

To say the least, he is a challenge to the caregivers at Calvaryland (the social arm of my church) where he is a resident of the old folks home. But they have resolutely taken on the challenge and take very good care of him. Thank God for people who help those who can't help themselves!

Well, it being his birthday, some of us who didn't have to visit Chinese friends at lunch, trooped into my car to visit my eldest brother. We arrived at lunch time and had a simple Indian meal of nasi briyani (some kind of rice casserole) and mutton curry for the benefit of the birthday boy who also cut his birthday cake and everyone had a share.

This was probably the first time in more than 50 years when my eldest brother cut a birthday cake! I think he was moved but, typically, didn't show it! Neither did his younger brother (younger by a year) who is very close to him. Those two were always close to each other and no matter what my eldest brother did, my second eldest brother was always partial to him.

After the food came the highlight -- the tour of the farm. In a corner of Calvaryland, chicks, chicken and ducks are reared and pineapple and dragon fruit plants are grown. My very urban grand-niece and grand-nephew were so excited seeing these things for the very first time!

"I have never seen a duck before!" exclaimed Aishyra, walking behind her older brother who had taken over my camera to take pictures of the chicken and ducks he was following and which were running away from him!

As we finished the tour, he saw the chicken heading towards the stairs of the building, and Joshua excitdely shouted: "They are heading for the stairs!" He ran ahead, camera in hand, to take pictures of that!

The farm pictures above were taken by 10-year-old Joshua.

Getting back to my second eldest brother's home where everyone generally meets, a visitor noted how quiet he was. My second eldest brother isn't exactly a quiet man. I told her that he had a meaningful afternoon.

I think nobody was more moved than my second eldest brother that his family had finally accepted his erstwhile difficult older brother and that they showed it by visiting him.

Ties that bind. They give hope that things will get better.

Loss is not Lost

Loss is something I am very familiar with. In the last two decades, I have lost everyone close to me in one way or another. You have no choice but to cope with it. But, I think I lost something human along the way of coping with death and separation. Somehow, in the coping, without realising it -- perhaps, it's an involuntary defence mechanism -- at the back of your head somewhere, you relate as if you won't get hurt if the other party leaves. You always leave that option open -- that person may opt out for one reason or another. And, I learnt never to close that door. So, if someone wants to leave, he or she is free .... .

It is a good way to cope but not a great way to live! If you lose someone here, it does not mean that you will lose another there. It is something I am consciously learning to believe. Some things I have to let go. With other things, I am learning to open and close the door of my options. With people who enter my life, I now close the door after them -- to let them know that the door is not open for them to leave anytime! If I leave the door open, they may think that I want them to leave!

But, if -- despite closing the door -- they want to leave, I will open the door for them. Now, at least, they are leaving because they want to, not because they think I want them to.

It is a strange psychology of social relations. But social deprivation can do strange things to you.

Why am I writing about this? Because I see loss all around me. And, I see people becoming lost from all the loss. And I think it is not right for the living to be so lost. We won't be living any more. I think we need to keep on opening the door and closing after those who enter -- and take the risk that they may want out sometime. We live when we take the risk. And, I think that's all that matters: That we live, and live to the fullest.

The Season Ends!

Thanks, Abel. For us at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman's (UTAR) Foundation Programme, the season finally come to an end with a staff bash in the middle of January! The Christian staff hosted a simple Christmas party which was attended by about 50 lecturers and other staff.

As you can tell from the pictures that for us, Malaysians, food is central to any party! We ate -- and ate -- sang carols, heard a short description of the First Christmas and went home with a gift each. Gift exchange was part of the programme.

Paul Davidson (pic: guitarist, left) helped us with the singing by providing the musical accompaniment. His team was made of two other lecturers who took guitar lessons from him. And this was their first public performance!

What made the party better was that Malaysians of other religions also joined in the fun. In many workplaces, this is a common practice in Malaysia. At each other's festive occasions, we join in and enjoy the diversity!

Now, why can't some communities and the nations of the world behave the same?

CHRISTMAS: CHRIST's MAgic in uS

Hiya, all! I am back! Fully charged by a very rushed but satisfying season!

The season started when my little relatives came to visit! They charged into the house and paused only to let me hug them. After a tea of cookies and cakes, they helped me put up my quick-fix Christmas trees. I have two. In my home, I don't put up one Christmas tree as the focal point of the Christmas decorations. I use smaller Christmas trees as decor. In hot, sweaty, equatorial Malaysia, we don't have nice pine trees to use as Christmas trees. We make up for the lack with synthetic quick-fix trees. I got two such types.

One is a red collapsible three-feet high tree made with a long streamer made from tin foil that can be pulled up from the top in seconds! Then you fix the base for the legs and o-la-la, you have a tree up in less than a minute! I set it on a table by the bay windows of my living room framed by off-white curtains. During the day, it catches the light and you can see a shimmering effect through the window. No need for lights!

The other tree is also plastic but in traditional green. But it comes with fibre-optics lighting. You pull the tree out from its long box, spread out its branches, fix the trunk into a square base and plug it in, and the fibre-optics ends light up instantly. The trees were up in a jiffy! What with the busy season and the busy part of the semester (I lecture at a private university), it was the fastest way to create the mood for Christmas!

The little ones loved them and the process of putting them up. They helped to put all the tree decorations I got as presents last year on the tree. When that was done, I played the first carols of the season on the CD deck and we -- the kids and me, while their mothers sat decorously by the side -- started dancing to "Jolly ole' St Nicholas ..... !"

It was a laugh how quickly I got the kids and their mothers into the Christmas spirit -- thanks to two quick-fix Christmas trees!

But, Christmas isn't Christmas without Christ. Sure, Christmas trees, carols and lights help to make the season merry. But, the core spirit of the season wells from that one singular virgin birth of the Man whose name billions of Christians have been carrying over 2000 years. If not for Jesus Christ whose birth Christians celebrate as Christmas, the season would be as any other festive season. It is because of Christ that Christians look every year in Christmas the real reasons for their faith -- the reasons that make us want to put aside all other cares and toils in this season and bring some cheer to others.

That spirit begins with Christ and that is what we, Christians, celebrate at every Christmas. And, no where do we see and enjoy that celebration best than at a Christmas service.

My church (Calvary Church, Kuala Lumpur) held our Christmas service on the Sunday of Dec 23 since Christmas day fell on a Tuesday. We held it in a stadium to accommodate our large numbers -- over 3,000 people. I took my colleague and friend, Swagata, to the service and we both enjoyed it immensely.

It was the most beautiful Christmas service I have experienced in my entire life. Everywhere else Christmas was just trees, tinsel and lights. But, at my church's service the mood was simply what Christmas means -- Christ in our midst, Immanuel!

The backdrop was angels heralding His Name: Jesus! As the worship leaders led, we sang in sincere worship. Children performed a simple play about Christmas. Our Senior Pastor gave a short but pertinent message. The choir sang with the congregation. In my heart, there was a refreshing uplift. Swagata, who was with me, caught it, too.

It is something I will remember for a while: A church in true worship, undistracted by pretentious building and stifling form, free to worship quietly in simplicity, without distracting fanfare. That is a beautiful thing.

Swagata and I then went for a pleasant buffet lunch and had a wonderful time chatting over a good meal.

For three days before Christmas, our church also had night services. I took my neighbours and my brother to the one on Christmas eve. They enjoyed it!

Christmas day was spent with other family members. This Christmas will especially be remembered as the one when one estranged family member was reconciled with the rest.

That is the magic of Christmas. Christ's prompting example that compels us to bring some good to others, and, so, to ourselves, too, in this season. His neverending influence that was birthed in the First Christmas is what makes us do what we do to make Christmas a happy time. Of course, it is something we must do all year round, every day. But, at Christmastime, we have an opportunity to celebrate it without reservation. It's His magic working on through us!

And, it need not be an expensive affair -- as my Christmas wasn't. On Christmas night, I had a neighbour and her son over to join us for dinner. After dinner, we just talked on till midnight. A few days later, I had some other friends whom I hadn't met up with for a while to come over for high tea. We ate, sat around and ate and talked till way past dinner! It didn't cost me much, and I had a wonderful time with family and friends.

That was how I spent Christmas 2007. Looking back, I see a new meaning for what Christmas stands for: Christ's Magic In Us. That's Christmas!

Pictures are of Malaysian-style Christmas trees, Christmas service and relatives and friends at my home. That's me in green sweater with Swagata!