Live Life With No Regrets!

Today, the Singapore women's team will be competing against China for the team table tennis gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

The only question on my mind is will Singapore be beaten 3-0 or 3-1? (To stretch the event to 5 matches is unthinkable).

Punditry aside, it's actually more dangerous for Singapore to beat China.

Why? Because Singapore is like (as others have said) China's B team. All the team members were recruited from China. 1999, 2007 and 2008 being the years they became Singapore citizens.

If Singapore do win, Singapore will have lost the talent pool on which to draw from more talent. China will surely shut the door on Singapore. "We made a mistake. We shouldn't have let them poach any of our table tennis players. We won't make the same mistake again."

It's just my opinion.

Posted by Nico at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tired of having maids that need rest?
Originally uploaded by mr brown.

I find it appalling that this basic human right is denied to a member of your own household (or are they even considered a machine rather than a human being?)

The following links from the BBC, and International Herald Tribune. highlight the foreign reaction to such a practice in Singapore (not given much press coverage in Singapore of course.)

The excuse given is that if you give them a day off, they may go off on their own and fool around and get pregnant.

If that's the case, how about we lock up our children at homes, since if they go off on their own, they may fool around get injured, mix around with the wrong crowd, become gangsters, or get banged themselves.

What about employees? We shouldn't give our office workers 5 day work week. My what could they be doing on their day offs? Actually enjoying themselves?

The bullshit answer that the government gives is that of using a convenient example of some families having someone needing constant care and attention, like an invalid parent. I think that that is wrong. (What about making it mandatory for a day off in households without invalid members of the household then?)

It implies that out of 7 days a week, the family members can't take a single day off to take care of their invalid parent/child etc. How convenient, to wipe their hands of responsibility and pass it to someone else. Maids are domestic help, to help a household, not to take over what is a persons rightful responsibility. I find this a reflection of the ugly Singaporean attitude, everything must be done for my convenience, everything must be done to my liking, my needs, whims and desires come first. The ugly Singaporean is like a pampered brat who wants someone to do everything for him or her.

I was reading Deuteronomy 5:7-12, (the 10 commandments) and the verse that stood out was verse 14 which said that the sabbath also applies to your servants "that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do."

Posted by Nico at 6:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What I really hate about politics is that politicians have this habit of mixing up religion, race and nationality accidentally (or perhaps conveniently?)

When a terrorist leader like Osama wants to criticize Christianity, he mixes it up with government policies. He will criticize Danish protection of free speech as a Christian institution, when free speech has nothing to do with Christianity.

Or when Malay politicians use Islam and the Malay race to protect their interests. Aren't all people born in Malaysia, Malaysians?

Posted by Nico at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Victory for the opposition, but what now?

Malaysia is set for change, but can the opposition deliver? We just hope so. And perhaps in the next election, can the opposition win the majority and create the government? Can Article 153 and 160 be amended?

Posted by Nico at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The oft reason not to raise issues related to race, like Article 153 in the Malaysian constitution which is a racist policy, is that it is a "sensitive issue" and will stir up conflict.

But if we consider that a group of people is also akin to an organism, i.e. a body, with some people functioning as the brain (the government), some the hands (the uniformed forces), some the legs (the economic workforce), then these "sensitive issues" is akin to that nagging conscience.

When a government orders its people not to stir up "sensitive issues", it is like a person refusing to listen to the voice of reason and conscience in his mind. Like a drug addict or alcoholic who refuses to acknowledge that what he is doing is wrong, or perhaps in milder cases, a debtor refusing to look at his state of accounts.

Malaysia is unique as a country which has a racist and straightforwardly unfair laws. Imagine the United States decreeing all Irish to be Catholics, or Britain defining all English to be Protestants or Thailand that all Thais be Buddhists. Yet Malaysia is a country that actually defines Malays to be Muslims in the constitution.

Unless Malaysia realizes the moral morass that racist and bigoted policies create, it will continue to have racial and religious tension in the country. It will be tough, because like the alcoholic going through the 12-step program, the first thing he has to do is to admit that he has a problem. Until the ruling government acknowledges it, it will never be cured.

If only there were such things for countries as there are for alcoholics, I can only imagine the following to happen...

RACIST COUNTRIES ANONYMOUS
Gathered in the room are South Africa, United States, Germany, England.

South Africa: ...and I've been sober since 1994 when I abolished apartheid.

Enter Malaysia

Malaysia: Hi, my name is Malaysia, and I'm a racist country.
All: Hi Malaysia!

....

Posted by Nico at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)