Friday, December 28, 2007

*8 random things about me*

nad just tagged me for this 8 random thingy…hmm..about me??nothing fancy, nothing new, and the list goes:

1. I’m a sleep-a-holic-I sleep a lot..a lot as in A LOT!!…I can go on sleeping for one whole day without eating anything…I still remember when I was in my secondary school, on every Monday we were forced to assemble and listen to our principal’s endless yap, and the torturous part was, we had to remain standing, sometimes for hours…and that never stopped me from sleeping while I was standing…

2. My resistant force is quite illuminating, (at least for me)..for instance, I’ve banned carbonated drinks and starbucks for almost 2 years..(like what Kak Lat said “yah..starbucks??it’s politically wrong..)..I have my reasons to impose such restrictions on myself..people can guess I figure!

3. I’m one hard case for my family to deal with…hardheadedness has gone beyond repair, particularly when it comes to principle…I don’t ask permission from my parents whenever I wanted to do something. More of notifying them, giving notice kinda thing..all that they can do is pray for me and my safety..:)

4. I’m such a cry baby…all the so called “macho konon” thingy seems to fail the moment I see someone’s crying, war victims, my mom getting her finger cut, 12 year old boys celebrating 8As in UPSR exam..weird!

5. Sensitive. Particularly to people that I’m close to…I still remember when I was in boarding school, for God knows what reason triggered me not to call home just because my mom said something about being tough and not to be carried away by homesick syndrome, I decided not to make calls home at all..and after a week I got a letter from my brother—“ke hadapan adindaku yang disayangi…telefonlah kami di rumah dan usahlah merajuk hati lagi”…God, how funny that was!

6. Independent. Yeke? Let’s see. I’m so used to doing things all by myself…It’s just not me to be too dependant on others because I don’t like the feeling of putting people in a position of having to do something because I ask them to…a BIG NO!…ill find my way…

7. I am an old school kinda person- hence the IT illiteracy, doing things old school, conservative sentiment!

8. Passionate.passion keeps me alive..passion gets me going, passion makes me happy! passion is my drive! Passion teahes me to have some faith…:)

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

NEW YEAR

how time flies...2008 is approaching and i still remember Toni saying "next year we'll be 25, and another 5 years we'll be 30"..it strikes me in the head, God, how time is ticking fast and I'm so afraid that i couldn't keep up...there are so many things on my "achievement list" that i have to work on..and i keep telling myself that everything is gonna be just fine because dreams keep oneself alive and they are capable of being materialized..it's just a matter of determination..for me, what really matters is to have people who are supportive and willing to be with you no matter how hard things get...

I'm blessed:)

happy new year every one! [having too much lamb at edmund's christmas party makes me all pumped up today, hence this early new year greetings]



Monday, December 24, 2007

traffic jam = mental torment

Wednesday, 19/12/2007

9.00pm -everyone hoped in the car, everyone was so thrilled to be going home to celebrate aidil adha...and I said earlier "we take off a lil late, as in around 8 pm, just to escape heavy traffic in kl"..i was right, the traffic was ok around bangsar, and the moment we were in Sg Buloh, there was a long stretch of cars..."accident kot, jap lagi ok la ni (in denial)...

10.00pm -still in rawang...30km/hour, "God, why am I not living in Uganda??"(wishful thinking)...everyone in the car stopped talking...non-stop laughing session stopped for a while and suddenly kenny rogers radio ad was played..for the first time in my life, the song is in played in Malay- "ayam panggang kurang lemak"...the moment the song ended everyone's laughter broke the silence...we were wondering, who on earth translated the song and came up with "ayam panggang kurang lemak"..it was darn funny and I bet the translator applied literal rule of translation and he/she must be proud every time the ad is aired..

1.00 am - I just couldn’t stand driving 60km per hour that I decided to stop at Tapah RNR and sleep...Toni, Faj, Far and my cousin wanted to grab something to eat and suddenly everyone was like “it smells like KFC, and we were jumping like little kids…and we kept on singing “ayam panggang kurang lemak” over and over again, eating the fried chicken….

1.30am -it was Toni’s turn to drive…the traffic was still the same…I tried to sleep and every time toni applied the brake, I’d be awake and “ayam panggang kurang lemak” was sung from the top of my lungs…and I kept on telling everyone that once I got home, the first thing that id do before going to bed was to hang a parang on my door knob (an implied sign that ill run amok if anyone tries to wake me up).

5.00 am - Penang Bridge seemed deserted, we dropped far and faj off and headed to alor star.

6.00 am -finally we got home safely (zombi mode)…it took 9 hours instead of 5 hours to reach home…I figure we could have reached zimbabwe by that time (over exaggerating)..over exaggerating is forgiven, given the mental state of everyone that was involved or rather stuck in this madness!

11.30am -I got up from sleep, (parang on the door knob thing??-just a metaphor)..took a shower, put on baju raya, and balik kampung… I had a great time with family and friends. Home sweet home:)

23/12/2007, Sunday

7.00pm-took off from alor star

3.00am-got home…again..the traffic was such a nightmare…slept at 4am, woke up at 8am, went to work..

11.07am-Monday blues mode…God, I need a miracle today!




Friday, December 14, 2007

BEING TYPICAL?

“Dying for Freedom is nobler than living in The shadow of weak submission, for He who embraces death with the sword Of Truth in his hand will eternalize With the Eternity of Truth, for Life Is weaker than Death and Death is Weaker than Truth”.-Kahlil Gibran.

Life is not always fine and dandy…I know that my recent activities and postings have been classified as “serious” by certain individuals. I have not changed. It has always been me all along. My housemates (and not forgetting nad) can confirm on this.

Last week crackdown on peaceful march to celebrate international human rights day has a real big impact on me and my comprehension on what I believe in. it’s a sad fact that justification is longer based on justified reasons (talking about doing something for the right, justified, and legal (the legality of law is important as we are capable of having unjust law too) reasons). Superficiality and arrogance have transcended sacred values of justice.

When we speak so much of justice, it’s as if we speak of bombing the whole world. When we speak so much of justice, it’s as if we are going against the government. When we speak so much of justice, it’s as if it is so alien to us that it is never revealed by God in the Holy Quran and other Divine Scriptures.

Again, perception is the real issue here. To be more precise, understanding which is resulted from the process of proper deliberation, through a process called education or in brief, the antipode of ignorance. Education is not only confined to going to schools, colleges or universities, it’s more of a process of liberating your inner self from ignorance by searching for the truth, and the closest source that you can access to in the history of humankind is religion.

“Be practical, idealism won’t work!change won’t happen overnight”-only God knows how often these words are uttered these days…I respect the concern and it’s a true contention that change can never take place overnight…so does human perception! The struggle to educate the people is never and has never been a walk in the park…

As day passes by, being fooled by our own definition of a civilized country, we will be surprised that a lot of people still do not comprehend the basic principle of justice hence these typical statements:

1) “ why do lawyers represent these criminals, it’s for sure they are bad people”- the misunderstood principle : one is presumed innocent until proven guilty (concept of justice under criminal law)

2) “when we say/criticize/against something that is inconsistent with the current ruling system, we are deemed to go against the government – the misunderstood principle : there is no superior authority over any individual except God (by Syed Qutb on social justice in Islam)- (the core principle of a democratic system)-we ARE against the system, NOT the government!

3) “illegal assembly”- the misunderstood principle: Article 10 of Federal Constitution affirms the right to PEACEFULLY assemble, therefore the requirement for permit under Police Act is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Period!(you can make reference to the statement issued by SUHAKAM on this issue—when the PM said no one is above the law, it must also mean that the Government must not also be above the law. The second misunderstood principle: “Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty. Observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is informed of what ye do”. (Sourat al Ma'eda, 8).3

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

FREEDOM by Kahlil Gibran

And an orator said, 'Speak to us of Freedom.'

And he answered:

At the city gate and by your fireside I have seen you prostrate yourself and worship your own freedom,

Even as slaves humble themselves before a tyrant and praise him though he slays them.

Ay, in the grove of the temple and in the shadow of the citadel I have seen the freest among you wear their freedom as a yoke and a handcuff.

And my heart bled within me; for you can only be free when even the desire of seeking freedom becomes a harness to you, and when you cease to speak of freedom as a goal and a fulfillment.

You shall be free indeed when your days are not without a care nor your nights without a want and a grief,

But rather when these things girdle your life and yet you rise above them naked and unbound.

And how shall you rise beyond your days and nights unless you break the chains which you at the dawn of your understanding have fastened around your noon hour?

In truth that which you call freedom is the strongest of these chains, though its links glitter in the sun and dazzle the eyes.

And what is it but fragments of your own self you would discard that you may become free?

If it is an unjust law you would abolish, that law was written with your own hand upon your own forehead.

You cannot erase it by burning your law books nor by washing the foreheads of your judges, though you pour the sea upon them.

And if it is a despot you would dethrone, see first that his throne erected within you is destroyed.

For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud, but for a tyranny in their own freedom and a shame in their own pride?

And if it is a care you would cast off, that care has been chosen by you rather than imposed upon you.

And if it is a fear you would dispel, the seat of that fear is in your heart and not in the hand of the feared.

Verily all things move within your being in constant half embrace, the desired and the dreaded, the repugnant and the cherished, the pursued and that which you would escape.

These things move within you as lights and shadows in pairs that cling.

And when the shadow fades and is no more, the light that lingers becomes a shadow to another light.

And thus your freedom when it loses its fetter becomes itself the fetter of a greater freedom.

Kahlil Gibran

Monday, December 10, 2007

Comment: “Stop. You’re under arrest for taking a walk!” (re-posted:from the Bar Council website) Print E-mail
Contributed by Shanmuga Kanesalingam
Monday, 10 December 2007, 01:27am

Malaysian Lawyers have been arrested, and are being held in a police lock up without bail, just because they dared to hold a walk to celebrate International Human Rights Day. PS Malaysia sits on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

It’s Sunday night, 9 December 2007. It’s not yet Human Rights Day as I now wait in Perth airport for my flight home to Kuala Lumpur.

I have been receiving a flurry of text messages all day about my lawyer friends, who have been arrested at the Human Rights Day Freedom Walk in Kuala Lumpur held earlier today. Amer Hamzah Arshad, Latheefa Koya, N Surendran and Sivarasa Rasiah were walking to get to the Bar Council auditorium, where the Festival of Rights was held in conjunction with International Human Rights Day. Together with them was Eric Paulsen, a non practising advocate and solicitor and several others.

I received these messages as I witnessed Falun Gong practitioners hold a peaceful march in Perth, where the police accompanied them with a police escort to ensure they were not disturbed. I saw Burmese refugees peacefully demonstrating in the middle of Perth’s busiest shopping district with not a policeman in sight.

On 10 December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Malaysia celebrated the 50th year of its endorsement of this noble charter for human dignity when we had our Merdeka celebrations earlier this year having joined the United Nations as an independent nation in 1957. The Bar was celebrating International Human Rights Day, together with the entire community of civilized nations.

Malaysia, who now incongruously sits on the United Nation’s Human Rights Council despite not having ratified most of the defining international covenants on human rights, will on International Human Rights Day charge these advocates and solicitors of the High Court in Malaya for the grave crime of walking without the permission of the government.

Edmund Bon, another friend of mine and Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Malaysian Bar who recently won the thirs highest number of votes in elections to the Bar Council, was arrested as he tried to reason with DBKL enforcement officials who were attempting to trespass onto the Bar Council’s premises to remove banners.

As I write, these lawyers are spending the night in a police lock up because they have been denied bail. After all, the Constitution allows the police to detain suspects for investigations for up to 24 hours so the police obviously feel they should use the full time period to make their guests feel the full might of their brute force.

Never mind that all those arrested are well established lawyers. Who cares that all have close links to the community? Does it really matter that all would no doubt have willingly offered themselves to the police at everyone’s convenience for further questioning and investigations, if necessary? Of what consequence is the certainty that all would have obeyed a summons to Court to face charges against them?

What is important to the police is this: Malaysian lawyers must be taught a lesson. They are beginning to show the rakyat that Malaysians have rights. They have begun to display - overtly and effectively - a fierce independence. They constantly call for reform to ensure justice and fair play (hitherto unknown qualities in the machinery of the State in Malaysia since the full onslaught of Mahathirisation) become once again integral parts in the administration of this country.

Knowing my friends, however, I know they must be loving their time in the police cells. They know what to expect, having heard the horror stories from clients all these years about the gross conditions of detention.

The police will be at a loss to see my friends cheering, laughing and singing.

Those lawyers know they have won a great moral victory.

They have done absolutely nothing wrong. They walked peacefully in order to get to a destination to celebrate an international festival of the United Nations.

For this peaceful walk, they are being abused by the Government of Malaysia - a grim testimony indeed to the state of our democracy and the so called liberalisation of rights in Badawi’s Malaysia.

Malaysia Boleh .. tapi tak boleh Jalan! (Malaysia Can* .. but cannot walk!)

*Malaysia Boleh or Malaysia Can is the national feel good chant propagated by the Government. It is a phrase that evokes a wry and cynical smile from most thinking Malaysians.



UPDATES: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY ARREST.


News Update (8): Judge allows bail, court now hears arguments on quantum

In reply, P Valen asked the AG why is he taking an inconsistent stand when he did not even object to any bail application or ask any condition to bail in the Altantuya murder trial.

He went on to say that to refuse bail would be tantamount to punishing an accused before conviction and to send a message to society that unlawful assembly attracts preventive detention.

Ragunath Kesavan then submitted that the burden is upon AG to show why bail ought to be refused. Even in ISA cases, some form of evidence must be afforded to the court as there is no averment before the court that the 8 accused will be involved in further unlawful assembly.

Tommy Thomas argues that when deciding whether to allow bail or not, one should look at the Federal Constitution. Article 4(1) recognises the supremacy of the Constitution, and therefore the Penal Code and Police Act are subordinate to the Constitution. So, when discretion is exercised, the Constitution must be taken into account.

Fundamental liberties start from Articles 5-12. Art 5(1) says liberty of person should be upheld in accordance with law. Article 10(1)(a) refers to freedom of expression and Article 10(1)(b) refers to peaceful assembly. The words used are "peaceful assembly" and these are constitutionally enshrined subject to restrictions to Article 10(2) which are the security of Malaysia and public order.

Therefore, the burden is on the prosecution to show how security of Malaysia is threatened when 100 people assembled outside SOGO and walked about 400 yards and further if they are released on bail, how is the security of Malaysia will be worsened by granting the bail.

Tommy went on to say when court interprets fundamental liberties in Nordin Salleh v Dewan Undangan Kelantan, it says when testing the validity of state action, the court is required to look at the state action. Nordin Salleh says the court must look at the effect and consequence of the state action which is bail application. So, the effect would be personal liberty and Nordin Salleh compels the court to look at it.

With regard to the words "in accordance with law", Tommy says section143 which provides: "Whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both."

From these words, the trial court is not obliged to imprison an accused. It is not mandatory imprisonment, and it will be a great injustice if someone who is not found guilty or fined, he is imprisoned.

Tommy submits these constitutional provisions should be taken into account whether to grant any bail.

AG then replied that if one follows Tommy's argument, then there is no issue even about arresting any person for simple reason that there is a likelihood of him being acquitted.

The issue is whether the judge to grant bail that is when refusing bail the nature of the offence will be continued or repeated.

AG argued that this is not a case of lawyers celebrating Human Rights Day and one would know just by looking at the names and this statement drew disapproval sounds from the lawyers present.

The judge then asked whether there is evidence to suggest that the 8 accused would repeat the offence. By looking at the names, the judge surmised that probably the only notorious name is R Sivarasa and then lawyers present clapped in response. The AG replied that that he was not able to guarantee that they would not repeat the offence. Again, this statement drew loud disapproval from the public gallery and the judge threatened to instruct the police to clear the gallery if those present did not keep quiet.

The judge further asked the AG whether he had any reasonable grounds to believe that they would repeat the act. Tan Sri Gani argued that despite all the warnings, they went ahead. Further, Tan Sri AG argued that no one was prevented by the police to enter the Bar Auditorium for the Human Rights celebrations.

In reply, P Valen submitted that AG should just charge them in court instead of opposing the bail applications.

After hearing all the submissions, the Judge said she would not accept the AG's arguments and would grant bail.

The court now hears arguments on the quantum.

MBW

*Please note that we do not have time to edit the report, and it may contain typos and errors.

Pictorial Chronology of Human Rights March & Arrests

Pictorial Chronology of Human Rights March & Arrests

To see a pictorial essay on the march and arrests of lawyers during the
Human Rights March on Sunday, 9 December 2007, download the (3Mb) Word
document from the following Gmail account:

www.gmail.com

and login with the following details:

username: colin.images2
password: colinimages2


Friday, December 07, 2007

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: WE WILL MARCH ON SUNDAY/09/12/2007!

The Bar Council has called off the December 9 Human Rights Walk. I think it was a mistake to have done so, but I have no interest in debating here the rights and wrongs of that decision. I write solely to declare that Iawyers who are determined to defend the freedom to peacefully assemble will nevertheless march on Sunday Dec 9 at 7.30am from Sogo to Central Market in commemoration of Human Rights Day.

We will march for the following reasons :

a) because it is our inalienable right to do so;


b) because Article 10 of the Federal Constitution gives us the right;

c) because they've got some cheek telling us we've got to petition the constabulary before exercising our fundamental rights.A right which can only be exercised with the consent of the District Police Chief is a shrivelled up and pitiful kind of right. It is a shadow of the shadow of a right;

d) because we're not inclined to be part of a culture of obedience to the high-handed directives of a tainted and unjust state apparatus;

e) because we're even less inclined to be menaced by a State which is so pathetically terrified of its citizens peacefully assembling.

Let us be clear about this: Any march/walk that is carried out under the authority and indulgence of the local police chief is not an assembly of free citizens. It is then nothing more than a chain-gang of miserable citizens marching under a cloud of fear.

The Bar Council as an institution has decided to cancel the march; but there is no reason why lawyers in their individual capacities and civil society groups should not carry on with the Sunday march. In view of the increasingly strident attacks by the authorities on the right to peacefully assemble, we have formed " Lawyers for Freedom of Assembly" to defend and protect that right. Caving in to the threats and hard tactics of the authorities will seriously set back the ongoing struggle for a just and free Malaysia.

All lawyers and civil society groups are welcome to join the " Lawyers for Freedom of Assembly" for our march on Sunday. Support this move to preserve the basic rights of all Malaysians.

Written by: N Surendran

For Inquiries:
N Surendran
0123207066

Latheefa Koya
012 3842 972

Monday, December 03, 2007

it's Monday and accute Monday blues syndrome strikes again..there was some miscommunication in Court this morning...yah..that's life...complaining won't do much help...last nite i coulndt stop thinking about "idealism"..and i actually had a few lines of arranged words in my head,thought of writing in down today...but like i said to Fahri during the Brazilian BBQ dinner last week "i hafta wait for some kind of revelation to start writing"..the monday blues is all that i have to put the blame on for holding me back (ahh..lame excuse fad!)eheh..

but i guess now i have all reasons in the world to smile about...Kiran just came to my room and passed a parcel to me...thanks Fahri for the book, really appreciate it!:)now i have regained my moment of enlightenment!:)

Friday, November 30, 2007

a junior friend of mine just texted me for advice...i guess im too old to give advise about lovey-dovey-break up-back-together kinda problem...my standard advice would be simple and practical:-

1) ditch him cold because he's not worth your time (p/s: abang azli..hint hint**)
2)you are better off without him
3)unfaithful guys are worth going down the drain
4)your happiness does not depend on a creature called man (unless you find the right one)

p/s: certainly is indeed satisfying!



Wednesday, November 28, 2007


Let us help stop Global Warming now and make sure that the world we live in stays alive!

Visit http://www.warmingsign.org to sign up and get facts on Global Warming.

Help us spread the word by forwarding this message to your contacts and friends.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

this particular motorbike has been catching my attention for a couple of months, i'd spotted this motorbike every time i'm on my way back from my office...i couldn't stand the temptation no more that i took my camera and captured this picture and later i noticed someone was standing by the door, smiling...i guess it was the owner!"save the earth, it's never too late".

Hence the hadith:-

"there is none amongst the believers who plants a tree, or sows a seed, and then a bird or a person, or an animal eats thereof, but it is regarded as having given a charitable gift [for which there is great recompense"-Al Bukhari, III:513]

Friday, November 16, 2007


AND I STILL REMEMBER...

introducing Mr Aleyasak and his wife, Puan Maryam and their two kids....i still remember bugging the hospital clerk the nite after BERSIH rally just to find a Malay guy's name who got admitted to the E.R through a log book containing tonnes of people's names...suddenly i saw his name "ALEYASAK"..my heart said that he was the one that we were looking for...

i still remember seeing him and his wife for the first time...the wife broke down in front of me in tears....she first thought that Johnson and I were among the unknown individuals who did nothing but harassing people in distress...i still remember talking for hours just to console them...i still remember how motivated she was after we had a long talk...and i still remember how devastated she was right after i left...i still remember talking to her thru the phone just to make sure that she was ok..and i still remember texting her when i was in my office, just to make sure that she was doing just fine...

i still remember telling her that she was not alone in this fight..i still remember telling her that every one is always there for her and her family...i still remember telling her to be strong and keep on fighting this battle because it's not over, it has just started...

and last nite when far, raina and i visited the family, Puan Maryam was so motivated and all pumped up...she looked extremely happy and the whole room was filled with laughter....she was so overwhelmed to realize that she has everyone behind her, to help her through this...and i'm more than happy to see this:) and i still remeber telling her "PERJUANGAN MASIH PANJANG..KITA HARUS TABAH..."

Thursday, November 15, 2007


AIN'T THAT FUNNY??

and the menteri said:-

and the menteri said: "saya memang tak suka al jazeera...dari dulu lagi saya dah bantah al jazeera buka branch di kl...buat apa kita nak al jazeera..KITA BUKAN ORANG ARAB!!"... far and me laughed like crazy...

and the menteri said: "saya memang tak suka tengok peguam-peguam berjalan dalam walk for justice...diorang ingat diorang tu selalu betul...kalau dah betul kenapa diorang bela penjenayah di mahkamah..kan mmg penjenayah tu mmg salah"..and we laughed so hard that our stomach muscles went numb!!!!

in conclusion, stupidity has gone way beyond redemption..i know its funny and all..but I deeply deeply resent this as it is such an insult to the people who value intelligence..because we still have intelligent people in our beloved country, the only difference is, they have to struggle to get their voices heard...

Monday, November 12, 2007

POST PERHIMPUNAN RAKYAT 10/11/2007-A BITTERSWEET EXPERIENCE






Episode I

It was raining. As I was walking through masjid jamek tunnel I can hear loud voices of the Police. I could see the demonstrators were standing, filling every space of the place. I was wakling in the rain to get to my assigned group.Dataran Merdeka was already blocked by the Police, hoping that the crowd would be on a stand still. We were not breathing the normal air, I got a little drowsy and my eyes started to itch. It was the tear gas. The only word I could think of was “BARBARIC”!).

I Met Puspa, Mr Yeo Yang Poh, Fahri and Lionel in front of the Bar Council. We proceeded to Masjid Negara and continued walking in the rain towards Istana Negara where the meorandum was to be handed over to the King.it was along walk, indeed, but nobody was complaining. We could see people who got stuck in the traffic looking at us with that “what on earth could have possessed this bunch of people in black and white to walk along the higway” look. Some were staring at our tag and I could see the lips uttering “PEMERHATI…”.The feeling was indescribable.


I witnessed the rise of the people who have faith in democracy peacefully assembled on that historical day to reclaim their rights as guaranteed by none other than the Constitution. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that. They walked the long miles to get the message across. They walked the long miles to deserve a draconian treatment by the authority. The still walked, in faith.

My whole family was worried about me, but I kept on telling them that I have these 50,000 people to back me up .I understand their concern and I appreciate their supports. Thank you so much for believing in me. People at home witnessed this event live from al Jazeera news which we could hardly see in our mainstream media which is rather counterfactual. It’s a sad reality, and it has always been.

It was a peaceful assembly. We were there to witness this. Rakyat/the people have proven them wrong. Threats after threats, and nothing could change our stand. I’m proud to see before my own eyes the culture of civil disobedience demonstrated by a group of committed people. They are committed to their beliefs. They are committed to justice. This culture had, through out history released those oppressed by a system that is rather abusive than protective. This culture had set the Africans free from Apartheid. This culture had enlightened those fighting for independence. And it has always been.

Episode II

After we dispersed, Dipen, Mr Yeoh, Mogan, Dara, Puspa and me walked to KL central and we had tea at the Mamak shop nearby. We talked about so many things and suddenly we got a message asking us to get to the secretariat for a brief follow up. We walked to KL Sentral and headed to the Secratariat. We got down at Masjid Jamek and many people were stranded outside. The lrt service had been deliberately stopped. It was an inspiring moment to share our feelings on the event. As Puspa and me were leaving for prayers, we got a message from Kak Lat, asking us to gather at IPK KL police station to help those who got arrested at the assembly.

We got there at 7 and we waited for hours, as we were not allowed to see them. It’s nothing new that various violations of human rights can be spotted in less than 5 hours. At about 8pm, 5 were released with bruises and cuts. Again, it’s nothing new.

Episode III

Johnson and I accompanied 3 of them to HKL to get medical treatment and to lodge police reports on this abuse. We waited for hours to get everything done. The gentlemen told us that there was one guy who was beaten by the police and broke his leg who was also brought to the same hospital. As Johnson and I were getting lost on our way to find the ward, he asked me one question, “is this your first time doing this”-“Yes, and I always wanted to do this”. We managed to find the guy.

I was assigned to advise him and the moment I talked to the wife, she broke down and tears kept coming out. I almost cried but Amer told me to be strong for them. I consoled the wife and told her that we are all here to help her out. Then, she started to smile a little and I was so relieved. and i managed to get them to agree to lodge a police report against the police as they have been constantly harassed by unknown individuals who keep appearing the moment i left the family, telling them not to talk to any lawyers, not to lodge any reports and so on..it's nothing new that harassment would take place after gross violation of human rights.

It was a bittersweet experience for me. Waiting for hours in the hospital and in the police station taught me a priceless lesson. Being a lawyer puts me in a position to help those in need. It imposes responsibility. Responsibility entails obligation. It was an ongoing struggle. It was a long walk. There’s only one thing that keeps us strong. Faith. And people who are always there with us, for better or for worst.

Id like to thank Kak Lat, Eric, Johnson, and Puspa for everything, and the makan2 at banana leaf place at 12 was great!

To abang n kakak, thanks for being supportive.

to nad, thanks for dropping me off and for the umbrella.

to shuwy, thanks for the concern.

to far, thanks for accompanying me to the hospital yesterday.


Wednesday, November 07, 2007


CALLING ALL RAKYAT!!!

PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY-10TH NOVEMBER 2007

Perhimpunan Aman Rakyat 10 November 2007 Menuntut Pilihanraya Yang Bersih, Bebas dan Adil

Menyusul daripada Konvensyen Raykat BERSIH yang diadakan di KL pada 20 Julai yang lalu, BERSIH akan mengadakan perhimpunan besar-besaran seperti berikut untuk menuntut rombakan ke atas sistem pilihanraya supaya ianya menjadi bersih, bebas dan adil:

Tarikh : 10 Novemeber 2007 (Sabtu)

Masa : 3 petang

Tempat : Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur



Friday, November 02, 2007

I always have high admiration for smart people, smart as in smart-smart, not book smart...sometimes its funny that you barely know someone, yet you can talk about a lot of things on and on...and as result of last nite get together with nik nazmi, safa and my buddies, my brain couldn't stop thinking even when i tried so hard to get some sleep!

Wednesday, October 31, 2007


NOT SO MUCH OF "PRISON BREAK"

Sungai Buloh prison.i was so thrilled the moment my boss asked me to go to the prison, to interview a client that is being charged under Dangerous Drugs Act which carries death sentence. prior to the visit, every one was a little concerned that i had to go there on my own..but seriously, I was more than happy to go there on my own...:)

the place was like a maze. the moment i entered the door, i knew that i was so gonna get lost on my way out....i waited for about half an hour in the waiting room and then my client showed up....he looked calm and collected...very respectful...he is a refugee from Acheh and he came to Malaysia after the tsunami aftermath...and the moment i asked him about his family, he was about to burst into tears as he wasn't sure whether he had anyone left back home...i freaked out for a few seconds and asked him to calm down, or else i was pretty sure that i'd be crying buckets too...i continued taking his statement.

i asked him what did he tell the police during his arrest and he kept on telling the same thing that he'd been telling me from the very beginning...and suddenly he said that the Police kept on beating him, asking him to admit to the crime...and he further said "diorang pukul saya, tak apalah itu kan dah kerja diorang"..it sounded as if "it's 'ok' if they want to beat me"--I told him "NO, its not 'OK' to do that" , ...and I got so upset that I said, only inhumane human beings can do such thing to other human beings!

this kinda thing is nothing new to us, its not something that is unheard of...and we have come to a point where we hear about this kind of thing on a daily basis and we tend to say,,"yah it happens...there's nothing much we can do" or even worst "..bla bla bla for some fricking economic reason, we can compromise the price of life..bla bla..."...like it or not, this is what has been happening...and its such a sad sad true story!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

during the raya break i asked abang azlee to watch the short film: 10 tahun sebelum merdeka...we always have lotsa things in common to talk about, so i believed that he was gonna like it..i was right..he loved the short film so much that he got his moment of enlightmnet as a result of the ever inspiring "HARTAL"...Great!check out his spanking new blog at www.axleesan.blogspot.com!!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

as i was watching supernatural last nite, far asked me one funny question "is there one time that u actually stop talking?"...i looked at her and proudly said "NO, ..."and i kept on insisting her to come along with me to this restaurant where someone who looks exactly like stephen chow sing chee can be seen there...again, i can be extremely weird at times...:)

Monday, October 22, 2007

CALLING ALL LAWYERS TO SHOW SUPPORT

please visit: www.malaysianbar.org

Thursday, October 11, 2007

i just wanna wish everyone "Selamat Hari Raya dan Maafkan segala salah dan silap". yesterday Far and I went to Bangsar mosque to pay our first zakat because all this while my dad had been paying for me... we paid RM4.70 and we were proud of it as if we had contributed gazillion ringgit to the baitul mal, and all that i could remember was both of us walking and smiling along Bangsar bazar ramadhan..(amateurs!!):)

Thursday, October 04, 2007

"My thinking had been opened wide in Mecca. I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."-MALCOLM X.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

WALK FOR JUSTICE

WALK FOR JUSTICE-26.9.2007





WALK FOR JUSTICE-26.09.2007
For me, the most beautiful moment of yesterday’s march was when everyone was standing in front of the PM’s office, screaming their lungs out and suddenly the rain started pouring..standing still, every one was…as I was holding the banners, I could hardly see a thing as the rain was extremely pouring heavily…all that I could hear was the voices of people who deeply believed in justice…

"What do we want????—JUSTICE!!!"
"SIASAT SIASAT"—all the way
"STOP THE ROT!"-STOP CORRUPTION!!

and the most cute slogan of the day was—"do we want justice???"—correct! Correct! Correct! (it really sounded funny and cute saying "correct" over and over again…


I still remember waiting at dataran merdeka and all 5 buses took off simultaneously, and right in the middle of the highway heading towards putrajaya, our buses were stopped and pulled over…it was very much expected that the police were always used to manifest paranoia on behalf of our government…being in the so called democratic country, negotiation didn’t do any good, being one of the most civilized mode of communication-..we were still not allowed to proceed to the palace of justice..we decided to walk the 5 kilometres..and along the way, some lawyers stopped their cars and everyone just hopped on!!! Solidarity indeed is beautiful!


Everyone gathered in front of the palace of justice…it felt so good to see almost 2000 people most in black and white, fighting for the common cause-JUSTICE!…and in the midst of enjoying the hard-to-describe moment, I was interviewed by a Turkish journalist on various legal issues..and the most interesting part was about the issue of democracy in Malaysia…


Some people said there’s no use doing all this as it wouldn’t change anything, same old same old…for me, it always makes a difference between doing something and not doing something, there’s always a difference between believing and not believing, there’s always a difference between fighting for something and just sitting and talking or criticizing…I always remember the words of Almighty God—"do even the tiniest deed of virtue, as it always has a place in God’s heart".

Monday, September 24, 2007

CALLING ALL "RAKYAT" AND LAWYERS!!
BAR COUNCIL SPONSORED MARCH FROM POJ TO PM OFFICE IN PUTRAJAYA ON26/09/2007 (WEDNESDAY).
MEET AT STAIRS OF POJ AT 11.00 AM.
BUSES WILL BE CHARTERED AND BE AT THE BAR COUNCIL AT 9 AM.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SAVE THE INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF OUR JUDICIARY.

Friday, September 21, 2007


VIDEO LINKING THE CJ TO THE "APPOINTMENT FIXING" SCANDAL : TRUST/AMANAH VS BETRAYAL/KHIYANAH

Does it really matter? Yes, it does. Appalling. That’s a constant feeling of disappointment and discontentment. I once heard Tun Ahmad Fairuz said something about "amanah/trust" after his appointment.

A trust. I believe that trust bears responsibility and accountability. After what happened, has been happening and will happen, does he or anyone who stands on the same footing as his mean trust to mean TRUST?? Or it’s just a mere saying, because it does sound good to utter the word trust interchangeably with Arabic equivalent word-amanah. "Amanah", that sounds more Islamic doesn’t it? It is within our comprehension that amanah is no monkey business. But after 50 years of Independence, it sounds like it IS a monkey business among those in power. It is THAT good to be true!

After all these years, we’ve had enough drama in the Executive but it seems it’d be more spiced up if the judiciary is dragged along. The more the merrier! It’s Malaysia Boleh anyway, so it's nothing unusual I believe.

Indeed when I heard the news about the video linking the CJ to the "appointment fixing" scandal, I couldn’t help myself but to get extremely upset to the core of my being. "Amanah"- I wonder how these people have the guts to utter this sacred word because it seems like it’s just worth going down the drain. Are they the ones to suffer when all that we can see is the antipode of the word trust/amanah-BETRAYAL/KHIYANAH! But are they the ones to suffer? I highly doubt it because what really matters to them is what’s in it for them. The interest of the people.?Again, worth going down the drain! The interest of justice? Is this even real?

And yet, these people are the ones sitting up there, issuing statement to the mainstream not to mention biased media which turns out to be just a pretentious act are the ones who contribute immensely in putting the people’s fate on the line! Indeed, Malaysia BOLEH!

And I wonder what on earth could have possibly possessed them to utter this sacred word, as they are the ones who best explain what the word "betrayal" really means. How on earth they have the guts to utter this sacred word when their hands are tainted with deception and dishonesty.

It’s ironic that even after 50 years of Independence, the drama still continues, and the saddest part is, the people are still the ones to be left out to just watch their trust being ripped apart in exchange of Datukship, Tan Sriship, Tunship, whose closet has more skeleton, whose porch has more fancy cars, whose wife wears more expensive designer clothes, and who corrupts the most. Very well done indeed!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Dr Cuddy: "I should tell House that he was right".

Dr Wilson: "No. You shouldn't".

Dr. Cuddy: "But he was right".

Dr Wilson: "Yes he was right, but that doesn't mean he wasn't wrong".

*my Monday nite would be so much fun as House is back, like i always say, sarcasm is the highest level of funny-ness!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Ramadhan al Mubarak to all:)


this morning was a great day to begin with...the hearing for the winding up petition went well and all the worries and complication seemed to go away the minute the judge granted the order...as i was walking back and forth the court building, i bumped into kak fahda--one of the persons that i look up to for various good darn reasons...i had a long chat with her, it was the third time we met..as she was jotting down my e-mail addrress, she actually got my full name right "fadiah nadwa binti fikri..see, i can remember your full name..":) as it has some kind of similarity with mine.."fahda nur ahmad kamar.."...


it always feels good when people can remember my hard-to-remember-pronounce name..it always does...and it always feels good to be around people that i look up to, to listen to their stories, experience and advice...and that makes me love this profession even more...haha..POYO!!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

shah alam court..all that i could think of this morning was to get there by 8.00 am just to get a parking space..as i got there, it was less chaotic..no wonder, Altantuya's case has been adjourned for the whole week...one whole peaceful week for me and my parking space issue...i was thinking of just staying in my car, listening to american idiot by green day but it was getting dark so i really had get inside the court..as i was having my breakfast, i had the chance to have a long chat with a nice lady who happens to be my super senior at uni....the conversation went from somerset bay collcetion to "how to be a good litigator"...and one good thing that kak majdah told was "as you're developing yourself as a litigator, you'll become someone who has a strong conviction to your principle"...i couldn't agree more...having a priciple and having convicted to it....i guess that's what makes a man, a man....

Thursday, August 30, 2007

CALLING ALL JUNIOR LAWYERS....
CONFIRMED! VISIT TO TAMAN MEDAN


Date : Wednesday 5th September 2007

Time : 5pm (the program will end by 7.30pm)

Meeting point : In front of the Kompleks Pasar Taman Dato' Harun (Taman
Medan), next to the Mosque. Best route is to take the NPE
(New Pantai Expressway from Jalan Bangsar towards
Subang/Sunway ) and turn left into Taman Dato Harun. You
will see the mosque on the left as soon as you enter into that
road.

Agenda : Handing out "know your rights" leaflets to youths and
Interactive sessions with youths on topics like employment
right, police etc

Please call all your young lawyer friends to join us in this interesting and educational excursion plus legal aid service trip in conjunction with LAW AWARENESS WEEK'S RIGHTS OF NEXT GENERATION!

Monday, August 27, 2007

















anti-FTA demo-26.8.2007-Dataran Merdeka-Jaln TAR.
as every one became a united front, chanting their lungs out--a never ending struggle of the people for the people!!
"tolak tolak
tolak FTA!
"kaum tani
hilang tanah!
"kaum kerja
hilang kerja!
"harga ubat
naik tinggi!
"rakyat merdeka
jadi hamba!
"tolak tolak
tolak FTA!





Thursday, August 23, 2007

last night was a crazy experience for me and my housemates.we'd almost gone mental when every one was stuck in the car, key-less (if there's such word!)-waiting for Kuhan to call us back and bring the key...unfortunately our good faith landlord didn't have any spare key..we were so screwed that all that we could do was laughing like there was no tomorrow...
when far,faj and yati insisted me to come along to join the so called have- a ride-no need to get out of the car- as we were only going to the petrol station and the atm, i decided to just be in my nighty...and it was such a coincidence that we saw nadia and she was dragged along in our quest to Gombak to meet my junior who happened to have my key as i left it long before i officially moved in..thank God we successfully got the key, or else every one would be on emergency leave today...we learned from what happened last night that:
1) give a spare key to your closest friend (we don't have trust issues)
2)don't ever be in nighties (you'd be so embarassed to get out of the car)
3)there's always a good reason why things happen (i never thought that the spare key that i accidentally left with my junior was the "key" to solving our problem-*sometimes it takes time for God to show that things always happen for a reason..so move on!!)

Monday, August 13, 2007

a trip and a funeral
Al Fatihah to Allahyarham Abdul Razak Bin Ahmad--I barely knew him, but along the trip to JB Kak Lat was telling me about him...someone that should be looked up to, someone who dedicated his life in the course of justice and humanity,an activist...i was thrilled that the whole trip was all about joining a program organized by Allahyarham...when we were still on our way, Dr Syed got a phone call saying that he just passed away...we were one hour late...it was hard to describe the feeling...it was mixed feelings...from seeing his body, joining the tahlil, and attending the funeral...there was only one thing that i could think of that day.."he left us all as a hero...i was glad to be there......to feel his undying spirit ...and i thank Kak Latifah, Dr Syed, Puspa and Nasrul for everything...

Friday, August 10, 2007

As the issue of a malaysian student transforming his "creativity" and "patriotism" through a video seems to be most talked about..as i was reading the newspaper, i'd rather pass and turn over to the comic page..nothing new i would say...for me...it's reasonably right to criticise the policy of the government as this is a lawful exercise of civil disobedience and it has nothing to do with disrespecting one's country...but to insensitively and deliberately insult one's religion and belief is rather primitive and idiotic...it's nothing new to people who wear tudung/hijab/head scarf to be treated as if they are all nothing but a bunch of orthodox,deprived or rather unintelligent people and being discriminated against (it really happens..tell me about it!)...and it's heartbreaking that we hear people talking about obligation, responsibility, rights, freedom and civilisation..but we still fail to do one simple thing..that is RESPECT. It's not something that we are lacking, it's something that we refuse to have!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

when i was little, my teacher used to tell this famous quote "loving one's country is one of the branches of faith".But it's pretty ironic that i constantly have the intention of running away from this country-finding neverland??(which i'll never do of course)-and the only reason that makes me feel that way is because of the irrationality and idiocy of the Government. as i was driving to work, there was a news on the radio stating that "Bloggers who spread rumours will be imposed with harsh consequences or subject to the ISA".there's nothing much that i could say, 50 years of independence is just a mere saying that's worth going down the drain, as long as there are still individuals who are holding the trust of the people using primitive measure(which they always do) every time they chicken out when (most of the time) they make a major, irreparable screw up with the tax payers money!

Wednesday, July 18, 2007


17/07/1983
a lovely surprise by my housemates, thanks to far,yati, kak zimah and faj..and to all dear frens for the wishes...:)

Monday, July 02, 2007

Sabah... all that i could think about was its great seafood and beautiful island in the sun..and only God knows why i decided to climb Mount Kinabalu in the first place...even i couldn't wrap my mind around it until now...it was a bittersweet memory..a considerable amount of pain and suffering on the way up which took about 12 hours to the summit, and the 9 hours ouch-ing pain on the way down....with zero training, (other people told me that they had 6 months training before coming) i still couldn't imagine how i did it...many backed out before they even reached the summit...i could hardly feel my leg, my toe nails were numb and they were about to come off, i couldn't digest the word food as i would throw up just thinking of it...ive heard about people going up and down the mountain before..it sounded nothing to me, but now everything has changed...it wasn't nothing..it was something..my friends and i took 8 hours before we reached the 1st camp.it was raining and cold...

we had a rest until 1.00 am and continued our journey to the summit at 2.00 am...it was so dark and all that i had with me was my flash light...it was quiet i could barely hear nothing but the rain....it was getting harder for each step..my gloves were soaking wet and when i looked back, there was no one behind me..i started to freak out and i just kept going..suddenly i heard john, the mountain guide was calling me...what a relief...as i was going further up, there were many people behind me, it was kinda fun to look at the moving light right behind me coming from the flash lights...as i went further up, it was really hard to breathe..i started coughing and vomiting (which was so not cool!!!)..and it was interesting that while i was still throwing up, suddenly someone patted by shoulder and said "it's ok fad, slowly ok.."..then came another person who did the same thing and i couldn't even tell who...the spirit of solidarity among the climbers...cool!!but i couldn't act cool no more, i told john i wanted to back out and i didn't think i could pull this off...he told me i could pull this off and he was gonna be right next to me along the way...seriously, if it wasn't for john, i was pretty sure that i would be headed back to the hostel....i continued until we reached a spot where every one must hold on to a rope and climb up...it was dark and i had no idea what the place looked like.all that i could feel was we were climbing on a vertical line...finally we got to the second check point at 4.00 am...we made it through...if we arrived at the check point by 4.30 am, we wouldn't be allowed to continue climbing to the summit...pretty amazing for amateurs eh?:)...

it was another 2 hours journey to the summit...we were so exhausted that we could hardly make a single step..john literally dragged us up and kept saying we were gonna make it...10 steps at a time..stopped for 5 seconds for a breather..it was 6 am and we could see the sunrise...it was amazing...all the pain seemed to disappear for a moment...it was worth it..and i realized how strong the power of mind could be...every one was so thrilled...

on the way down which took another 7 hours, with my legs were all shivering, all that i could remember saying was "God..why am i doing this..why?????but please help me get down...." (it's either do or i was gonna be stuck there forever)...for me, it was the most miserably painful yet a meaningful experience ive ever had in my entire life...i learned what life is all about...all those bumpy rides, pain and losing hope, determination and spirit, the power of mind..all wrapped up in one...and im so grateful that i eventually pulled it off...someone asked me "would you want to come again?"..i said "im gonna miss this place, but NO thanks">>

Sunday, June 17, 2007

"Religion is not about thinking alone...put those thoughts into concrete practice". "Religion makes sense when you practise it"-Karen Armstrong^^^and i couldn't agree more on this.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Heroes always say "we wanna save the world!!"...it's profoundly ambitious...well, every one should be...but somewhere along the line..heroes fall too...and when high ambition starts falling apart, it's gonna be a long fall...heroes still?vacant and ungainly...but the world still needs to be saved..perhaps by some other heroes...

Sunday, June 03, 2007

According to Malik b. Anas, Jesus, the son of Mary, peace be upon him, said, “Do not speak much without remembering God, for by doing so, you harden your hearts. Surely a hard heart is distant from God though you are unaware. Do not, like lords, look at the faults of others. Rather, like servants, look at your own faults. In truth, humanity is comprised of only two types, the afflicted and the sound. So show mercy to the afflicted, and praise God for well-being.”-(Muwatta’ of Malik)

Tuesday, May 22, 2007


it was a great afternoon..i always wanted to be called to the bar before Dato' Sufian, and God granted me that wish.... the preparation was super complicated. it's the tradition, here. we have to organize some kind of kenduri, just like a wedding, but the difference is, there's no bride and bridegroom (obviously!!!). from the invitation card, making courtesy call, inviting the senior lawyers and judges,having an amazing race from one firm to another.it was extremely tiring. again, it's the tradition. but one good thing about keeping to this tradition is, there was always something to think about on our way back after seeing these people, a piece of advise. it might be short and simple, but it meant a lot..in conclusion, life has just begun..and there's a long way to go...

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Ignorance

Life has always been an interesting subject. Watching Oprah, a few minutes ago was really awakening. Being a human figure, we subconsciously do have all the answers that life often asks. What makes it hard is being in a state of denial. Like it or not, we all know the answers. What is real in life is relentless. Admitting the truth is the hardest part when our ego leaves no room for some kind of enlightenment. Pointing fingers wouldn’t do much help either.

When Oprah was talking to Mary J. Blige on her breakthrough album that wasn’t just literally a breakthrough, it kinda struck me in the head. To quote what Mary J Blige said: “we are in so much pain when we are ignorant”. Her story of life was nothing but real. She has all the things that every one is dying to have. Popularity, talent, millions of dollars jewelry, priceless couture dress and all the fame in the world. What she meant by being ignorant was, with all the dreams that other people are dying to have, she was struggling with her own self and the environment that she lived in. everything seemed to be a mess that she could barely have control over. Partying and drinking all night long, shooting up on drugs define best the environment that she was tangled up in. She said, there were actually people who told her it was okay to be in a spin. It was okay to be in a mess. And the turning point was the day she met someone who actually told her “you shouldn’t do this, you shouldn’t do that” and that person was her husband. It was an awakening story. It was a life changing experience for her and others who are in deep struggle to find the purpose of life, to cherish the essence of human creation, to appreciate virtuous values in life.

For me, men are best taught through deliberation of what life is all about. To free ourselves from the shadow of ignorance. We look around us. Ask ourselves, is this the kind of life we wanna live in. if the answer is in the affirmative, ask ourselves again, are we truly happy with what we have and believe in at this point of time. And if we have to bid farewell to life tomorrow, can we just leave everything behind without any regrets. Life is too short to feed our ego and waste it away on denials.

Our lives are often masked and defined by the environment we live in. we might end up being freaks or weirdos if we do not condone with the popularly defined social norms, imposed by our environment. We might end up being a social outcast just because we are different. And, at the end of the show, Mary said that she’s lost her friends along her way to find the true meaning of life. And I figure, that’s nothing unusual.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Nothing unusual, nothing strange
Close to nothing at all
The same old scenario, the same old rain
And there's no explosions here
Then something unusual, something strange
Comes from nothing at all
I saw a spaceship fly by your window
Did you see it disappear? ...

Nothing unusual, nothing's changed
Just a little older that's all
You know when you've found it,
There's something I've learned
'Cause you feel it when they take it away..(amie-damien rice)

Thursday, May 03, 2007

A draconian truth


bau-bau cafe-the taste of activism


the dinner:)


Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) Consultative Meeting
freedom of information campaign

the picnic

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

the power of the people

I’ve been quite a believer. I believe in the power of the people. I believe in the spirit of the people. I believe that the ultimate goal of one’s life is to do something for the people. But I would have to accede that sometimes people around me label me of being too idealistic. Some say I’m not living in ‘reality’. Some say it’s academic. I still remember having a conversation with some friends last week during lunch, as in the middle of the conversation, I told them that I’m interested in criminal justice. A friend said to me: “don’t u think that u’re actually defending criminals?” I guess I’m so used to hearing such accusatory unsubstantiated statement whenever the same subject comes into the picture. It kinda struck me to the core of my being, but I believe that I have the duty to explain what I’ve been holding on to and what I’ve been believing in.

Justice is rather a spirit than a form. It is viable. As lawyers, our duties are not to absolve criminals. We work within the framework of justice. We are in the position to ensure that justice is done because it is just to do so, as justice is not discriminatory. It does not look at your pedigree. Justice assures that no one is discriminated against. Every single soul is entitled to it. It’s nothing new to us that we keep on questioning the essence, perhaps getting too carried away by our preconceived ideas that are very much deviating from all the virtuous values that we can have access to: religion, conscience, and the essence of our creation, without even realizing it.

I’m a kind of person who has a strong conviction on the power of the people. Therefore I believe that for a nation to achieve its highest dignified human civilization, the creation of an independent civil society is the only key towards opening the realm of a civilized nation in its true sense. The right of the society to have expectations from the ruling sovereign must be given due recognition. When a representative of the society steps forward to address the concerns of the whole society, he should not be treated in such a way that he is against the ruling sovereign and eventually labeled as a rebel. What could have been more threatening to the security of a state that a mediocre man, who only has his opinion as a weapon at his disposal, fighting for other people’s rights, where in the alternative, he could have just sit around, watched the idiot box, earned his money and said “why should I bother about other people”. Is this the kind of society that we want? Is this the kind of life that we want? Is this the kind of life that we want our kids to live in the near future?

When people start to step out of the norm of being submissive and receptive towards the actions of the sovereign, they are being prejudged and accused of causing fragments in unity. They are accused of being disrespectful and ungrateful. Sometimes I wonder, is it too much to ask from the one who’s been keeping the trust? Is it too demanding that we want something to be put in its right place? Is it too rebellious that we demand justice for other fellow human beings? Is it too much for us to expect something from the one who has the power to do something? Or is it just the way how it is supposed to be? Because everything seems to appear as if it’s such a sin that we demand a just civil society.

Monday, April 09, 2007

i just got back from kl a few hours ago, after a long 4-hour drive, all that i could think about was my 8-day-unforgettable experience that i had in kl..it was plainly a blast..a good friend of mine always says this to me "if u come down here, it takes ur mom to come along and drag u back home"..and i guess it's true!!!everything went perfectly well..the one day seminar at the bar council was simply a great new experience, and the filing of my long call papers went extremely well as mr murali was being so kind and helpful to me that everything was done in one day, perfectly smooth, and he actually called the commissioner for oath personally to come to the counter and affirm my affidavit when it was almost 4 o'clock, and i still remember his last words to me before my confidential papers were sealed "take a good care of urself, and God bless you"...all that i could do was smile the entire day and people might think that i might be mentally challenged for some reason, eheh...and each day that passed by really made my day...

i'm glad that each day that passes by makes me realize that my conviction to what i believe in is getting even stronger...today, after i got back from inceif, as i was walking on the street, looking at the people, it made me realize that, this is the closest i can get to the people, and im grateful that i choose to be in this profession...I'm grateful to get to know those who have pledged their lives for the people, and i'm grateful to be given the opportunity to learn from these people, and i'm glad that i'm still here....

Sunday, April 01, 2007

i decided to go to bed 10 minutes ago..but it seemed like i needed to say 3 things before that:

1) it was a tremendous victory tonight..i can still feel the victorious moment at the back of my throat...and only three words would best describe tonight "glory, glory, manutd!!!

2) arsenal 4-1 defeat to Liverpool..only three words would best describe the defeat "HA-HA-HA!!!"

3) to gunners fans-please find another good reason to brag about...the prediction on the history-bad omen thingy between u guys and liverpool was way far from real!!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

i still remember, a few weeks back as i was flicking the remote control, i had the opportunity to watch something on animal cruelty...in Thailand, endless effort is being done by the volunteers to save the unfortunate gibbons that were forced to drink alcohol and sing in clubs, for one obnoxiously uncivilized reason : to entertain the tourists!

To have to listen to those people who confidently claimed that their tones sound like Freddy Mercury in the American idol audition is already emotionally and physically (to the ears of course) torturous!! what more can human expect from gibbons!! Despite the existence of the law prohibiting such acts, still, quite a number of cases being reported on daily basis.

and yesterday, i came to know about the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), an organization that has been quite vocal in promoting awareness and addressing its concern on issues involving cruelty to animals. SPCA responds to complaints lodged by the public on any cases involving neglected or abused animals by their owners.

being in a state of not knowing the present reality on how those animals have been badly treated by the so-called humanely human beings, the facts are rather disturbing. according to the report made by the SPCA, dogs are the most neglected and abused. they are put in small cages, denied food and water. and most of the complaints made by the public stated that the dogs are often beaten by the owners when they started barking..

i quote what Gandhi once said "the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are being treated".the animals, they are not like human beings, they cannot express themselves whenever they're hungry, sick or sad..but there's one thing that human beings and animal have in common, we are both living creatures created by God..and the least we can do is to treat them with love and compassion...i still remember when i was little, when a stray cat invaded my kitchen, and when i started to act hysterically to chase the cat away, my mom always told me this story about Prophet Muhammad and a cat. there was one time when there was a cat sleeping on his prayer mat, instead of waking the cat up, he started cutting half of the prayer mat so that the other half of the mat would remain underneath the sleeping cat..

my message to all of you out there, if there's any possibility of animals being abused in your area, feel free to contact SPCA, as they would take necessary steps to help those unfortunate animals. SPCA can be contacted at :

SPCA Selangor,
Jalan Kerja Air Lama,
68000 Ampang,
Selangor.

tel: 03- 42565312, 03-42535179
fax: 03-42528382
e-mail: spca@streamyx.com
open everyday :9am-4pm.




i still remember, a few weeks back as i was flicking the remote control, i had the opportunity to watch something on animal cruelty...in Thailand, endless effort is being done by the volunteers to save the unfortunate gibbons that were forced to drink alcohol and sing in clubs, for one obnoxiously uncivilized reason : to entertain the tourists!

To have to listen to those people who confidently claimed that their tones sound like Freddy Mercury in the American idol audition is already emotionally and physically (to the ears of course) torturous!! what more can human expect from gibbons!! Despite the existence of the law prohibiting such acts, still, quite a number of cases being reported on daily basis.

and yesterday, i came to know about the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), an organization that has been quite vocal in promoting awareness and addressing its concern on issues involving cruelty to animals. SPCA responds to complaints lodged by the public on any cases involving neglected or abused animals by their owners.

being in a state of not knowing the present reality on how those animals have been badly treated by the so-called humanely human beings, the facts are rather disturbing. according to the report made by the SPCA, dogs are the most neglected and abused. they are put in small cages, denied food and water. and most of the complaints made by the public stated that the dogs are often beaten by the owners when they started barking..

i quote what Gandhi once said "the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it animals are being treated".the animals, they are not like human beings, they cannot express themselves whenever they're hungry, sick or sad..but there's one thing that human beings and animal have in common, we are both living creatures created by God..and the least we can do is to treat them with love and compassion...i still remember when i was little, when a stray cat invaded my kitchen, and when i started to act hysterically to chase the cat away, my mom always told me this story about Prophet Muhammad and a cat. there was one time when there was a cat sleeping on his prayer mat, instead of waking the cat up, he started cutting half of the prayer mat so that the other half of the mat would remain underneath the sleeping cat..

my message to all of you out there, if there's any possibility of animals being abused in your area, feel free to contact SPCA, as they would take necessary steps to help those unfortunate animals. SPCA can be contacted at :

SPCA Selangor,
Jalan Kerja Air Lama,
68000 Ampang,
Selangor.

tel: 03- 42565312, 03-42535179
fax: 03-42528382
e-mail: spca@streamyx.com
open everyday :9am-4pm.




Friday, March 23, 2007

since today is the last day of my pupillage...and after my brain was put to its maximum deliberation process, responding to Mr Edmund Bon's challenging interview question, i decided to to write 6 weird things about myself as i just got tagged by aja...(aja-its kinda hard actually eheh!)..

1) I'm terrified of animals-from the slimy little worms to gigantic horses...on various occasions when i was helping my mom preparing food in the kitchen, if i had encounters with the slimy little things playing hide and seek in between the vegetable leaves, I'd end up crying on the couch in the living room.

2) every time i have physical contact with certain objects such as shoes or sandals, id have this weird imagination that the germs were crawling up my hands.

3) i like to do things that would be seen as "macho" instead of "girlish".

4) I'm so obsessed with sleeping...it's really disturbing if i don't get to sleep in exact substantial amount that I'm used to. And it's getting even weirder that lately, i couldn't have that much time to continue sleeping as I'd automatically wake up at 8 am..(ain't that weird?-i couldn't agree more).

5) i love to indulge myself in depressive kinda songs. cheesy-bimbo-ish (paris hilton and the like cheesy weesy songs--strict prohibition rule applies!!!).

6) I sing in my sleep

--and i don't think i can get even weirder than that!!


Wednesday, March 21, 2007

the truth

when we talk about truth..what do we really mean by searching for the truth..because what is real about the truth is that, it hurts..and we'd rather live in denial than knowing what the truth is..and what makes things even worse is, we deny that we are in denial that, we care not about the truth...it's an awakening fact that we live in an era that confronts our conscience even when we are asleep, and it's a pity that if tomorrow would be our last day on earth, that we fail to figure out what the truth is all about...

Friday, March 16, 2007
















this entry is dedicated to asma and boon ka..i just dont know why suddenly the memories that i had with these two great friends keep coming back to me... i guess after what we'd been through when we were so caught up with the work that kept on piling up in the moot room really paid of..we got to know who our true friends are, and if the hard thing that came along the way couldn't kill us, it only made us stronger...i just want you to know that i feel so blessed to have friends like you...

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

my 9 months chambering is finishing of in 6 days away..people around me keep asking the same question.."so..what are you gonna do after this?"..and my answers as of now are:

1) getting a good night and day sleep
2) backpacking
3) to complete my guitar lesson (gotta take this seriously..who knows one day im gonna have my own indie band:))
4) friends get-together
5) fnbkl
6) to enjoy the privilege of my profession --independence--without fear or favour--to stand for what is right

i guess these have summed up everything...

Thursday, March 08, 2007

as i was driving to work today...i just can't get the above picture of Connor and his mother out of my head...recently the issue of child obesity has been intensely debated..in England, the Local Safeguarding Children Board is empowered to conduct a hearing on taking over custody of a child when the child in their area is seen to be likely to suffer any potential harm.The hearing was held under the Children Act, which places a duty on the local authority to conduct an inquiry if it has "reasonable cause to suspect that a child ... in their area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm."..indeed the law comes into play as the welfare of a child is the paramount consideration under the law.

as the parents are the ones who have the physical control over the well being of their child, it seems like every one is putting the blame on the parents when their children are not eating healthy food...and again when an obese child is discovered, the parents are being accused of self-neglect of their own children's well being...i guess to some extent, it's justified to say that the parents are responsible to make sure that their children are eating right..and to some extent it is justifiable to say that it's not the parents alone bear such responsibility as the government also plays an enormously crucial role to curb this problem.

Joe Quenan writes : "The measure of human success is no longer the life well lived but the lifestyle well lived". Obesity and diabetes has been always seen as middle-age problem..but now, it's getting even worse as the number of people with obesity and diabetes keeps on increasing rapidly among children. come to think about it, it would not be fair to do the blameshifting to the parents alone when this era we are living now is flooded with the non-stop advertising of low nutrient, high calories food that keeps on appearing during commercial breaks...which is again out of the parental control to stop those children from watching the commercials...it has become a lifestyle that is so close to us than we could ever imagine..even I myself couldn't really stop myself from picking up the phone and order those unhealthy fast food every time i found this tempting pamphlet in between the pages of my morning newspaper.

i still remember watching one of my favourite jamie oliver: the naked chef where there was one segment about jamie and his campaign to promote "eat healthy food" among school children who would only eat cheese burgers, chicken nuggets made of gross animal fat, and sausages. on various occasions, frustration was all that he got as it was really hard to even convince the school board to approve his campaign to serve healthy food in schools just for one silly reason, "the kids are not eating it". and the the second reason was the processed food was cheaper and to get the budget to be reassessed to replace those processed food with the healthier one would have to deal with bureaucracy in a higher level (the school board even the ministry).

i believe that to solve this distracting scenario, the government would have to step in and be sincere enough to deal with this problem...and the government has to be honest enough to put aside any lucrative motive on any policy if the law is said to be implemented unconditionally, and to reaffirm the notion that everything that is taken into consideration is nothing but for the common good of the people. and i believe it is the right time that we live a life rather than the lifestyle that only benefits one's economic or material interest..In the end , it is in a child best interest that he lives in a safe and healthy surrounding as guaranteed by the law.