Dear All,

Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) will be organizing " Raya Demand Abolish ISA" on 26th September 2008 at Masjid Jamek.

The details of the program as below:

Date: 26 September 2008
Time: 12noon
Place: Please gather at main entrance of Masjid Jamek (near Masjid Jamek LRT Station).

Please wear Black and Red coloured clothes to show your solidarity with GMI

Lets demand for abolishment of ISA and release of all ISA detainees.

For program details please contact Miss Nalini at 019 3758912 or SUARAM office 03 77843525. For direction please call Mr Syed Ibrahim at 013 3682067

Please spread the news to your friends and family and encourage them to come for this event.

what does it feel like?

i still remember when i was in my secondary school, i saw my brother sticking"No Detention Without Trial" sticker on his car windscreen. i asked him what does it mean. he explained to me that it is wrong to detain a person without trial as every person has a right to a fair trial.

as i grow older, i learn what rule of law means. it's a matter of principle, justice and fairness. This is what I've been holding on to.

when i started practice, i got the opportunity to be involved in Abolish ISA Movement (GMI). i got to know Kak Laila, whose husband has been detained for almost 7 years. i got to know Suhaib, Kak Laila's only son. I got to talk to these people, i got to listen to their stories, their grievances and their experiences, being victims of the draconian ISA.

you can read Kak Laila's blog to find out what are the things she is forced to endure, being a victim of the draconian ISA.

i can hardly imagine what does it feel like to be in their shoes. all this while, i only have my principle to affirm my belief and i can never imagine what would happen if that only one thing (principle) is lost somewhere along the line the moment we start to justify the wrong.

now, i realize that, when something is grossly wrong, there are thousands of explanation why it is so wrong that it becomes an unforgiven sin if committed.

i quote what Alfian used to tell me - "ultimately i would argue that the highest morality remains the morality of the process and not the result", and i concur.

"O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do." [An-Nisa 4:35].

Raya Mood

Raya is just one week away, how time flies...on last Ramadhan, i spent most of my time at home, did some cooking for berbuka. but this time around, i hardly have my buka puasa at home. what i like about Ramadhan is, no matter how busy you are, you will try to make time to meet up with your friends for buka puasa. Ramadhan is indeed a month of blessing.I'm gonna miss it definitely.

note: drowned in hari raya mood, keep listening to this beautiful song over and over again, Salam Dunia by M Nasir:-

Suara tangis yang kau dengar
Memecah hari kudus ini
Adalah aku
Mengenang pemilikmu

Kita pohon kemenangan
Meroboh kota keakuan
Ini saatnya
Yang kunanti-nanti

Mereka yang dilanda derita
Redhalah harimu kan tiba
Cahaya kekasih yang benar
Menghapus segala api kemarahan

Salam dunia
Salam semua
Salam Hari Raya
Bersinar akhirnya
Salam dunia
Salam semua
Salam Hari Raya
Bersinar akhirnya

Inilah hari kita
Tiada lagi rasa ketakutan

Inilah hari kita ohl

"Without friends, no one would want to live, even if he had all other goods"-Aristotle

Happy birthday my dear friend, Farhati..:) God bless...

of Azan

Read this fun piece on Nat Tan's blog, would like to share this with every one:-

"The azan, which only lasts five minutes, is hardly noise pollution, but soothes hardened hearts and provides a divinely inspired music to remind us how mundane and materialistic our life is. As the Arabic saying goes, if one is not moved by melody, he is neither a man, nor a woman, but an ass''.

Happy Malaysia Day 916

You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it. ~Malcolm X

Malaysia Day celebration at Kelana Jaya Stadium last night has left me mesmerized and ecstatic, one bangsa with one aspiration, the struggle of all Malaysians to save the dignity of their tanah air and the people.Words can never do justice to describe the spirit that filled the whole hemisphere.

every one sang this sacred song with all their hearts and souls~

Negaraku
Tanah tumpahnya darahku,
Rakyat hidup
bersatu dan maju,

Rahmat bahagia
Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita
selamat bertakhta,

Rahmat bahagia
Tuhan kurniakan.
Raja kita
selamat bertakhta

of ISA crackdown

On last Saturday, I was supposed to be monitoring the Indigenous People's walk to Istana in celebration of the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP). Later in the afternoon Mentari Project voulnteers and me were supposed to be having a meeting with ATMAH to discuss on our future plans of collaboration. These had to be canceled due to ISA crackdown on three Malaysian citizen namely RPK, TK and THC.

Appalled and saddened by turns of event, I just couldn't feel any worse.

Late that night while I was having my kuey tiaw at Mali's with Sasha and Far, I got an sms, calling all NGOs for an emergency meeting the next Sunday morning. I could hardly sleep that night thinking what would happen to this country of mine.

ISA has always been religiously, morally and legally wrong. There’s no two-way about it as the principle of justice is absolute.

i have rather mixed feelings reading Ms Tan Hoon Cheng's experience, being detained for 18 hours under the draconian ISA. I could hardly imagine the feeling of being stripped off your rights to defend your dignity as a human being. I could hardly imagine the feeling of helplessness, knowing how oppressive and abusive a law can be.

It has been a long walk...and all that is left for us to do is keep on walking.

The War on Democracy

Last week I had a great time at Freedom Film Fest as I had the opportunity to watch"The War on Democracy" by the award winning journalist John Pilger, a documentary that examines the role of the United States in defining democracy that licenses them to wage war against any countries as long as it is in the America's national interest.

I quote :

“Perhaps the most revealing and, in many ways, entertaining interviews of the film is that which Pilger conducts with Duane Clarridge, former head of CIA operations in South America, who openly and angrily admits and celebrates America’s right to do what they want anywhere in the world and to anyone, regardless of their innocence - as long as it’s in America’s national interest. ‘Like it or lump it,’ he says.”

Highly recommended indeed.The documentary ended with a very inspiring song, which I could hardly get it off my head.

A change is gonna come by Sam Cooke

I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die
Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown
Somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knocking me
Back down on my knees

Ohhhhhhhhh.....

There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

of Kursus Kahwin

met Af at Shah Alam court. we had quite a lengthy chat while waiting for the Court to start.Af was telling me that she just got back from "Kursus Kawhwin".

Af : Fad better pegi kursus kahwin tu cepat, soon diorang nak buat 3 hari 2 malam siap ngn qiyamullail.

me: Yaka, God!lama tu, kursus sekarang kene bayar berapa?

Af: RM80.00

Me: 3 hari 2 malam plus qiyamullail?hmm, mesti lagi mahal kan?

Af: a'a, around RM120.00

Me: if dalam masa lima tahun still tak de plan nak kahwin watpe nak pegi?

Af: if pegi sekarang sehari je, nanti 3 hari 3 malam, plus qiyamullail.

*****Af's friend interjected, "certificate tu valid sampai bila?".

Af: 3 tahun kot.

Me: la, then penat jelah pegi! (rather puzzled)

note: why did i even bother considering?(tak relevant langsung!):P

but i'm all happy for Af!nanti boleh kirim saree cantek2 kat india eh:)

Of Education

Today the Mentari kids are sitting for their UPSR exam, and I’m feeling nervous about it. Perhaps the period of nine months being with the kids makes me feel this way..and I still remember on last Sunday, when we had our berbuka puasa session with the kids and their parents, they were holding my hands for like 5 minutes and kept on asking me to pray for them.."cikgu doakan saya tau.."..of course I will...

So what's next?

The project will proceed as usual, we'll be focusing on year 4 and 5 students while year 6 students will be having a long break before they get to form 1.but the good news is, they still wanted to come to class even after the UPSR exam. For me, it is a positive sign that, for them, coming to class is not just about learning academic subjects and sitting for examination.

The purpose of education is beyond excellent grades and handsome paycheck. But to have these have always been a consolation to one's hard work to strive for the best, the tangible aspect of formal education. (Well, to see how proud your parents are every time you show them your exam result has always been a good point considering the fact that sometimes, in the future, you might still have to ask for some funding from them the moment you realize your bank account is in deficit!)

For me, the most important aspect of education is the attainment of a certain degree of liberation. To liberate one self from ignorance and vices in finding the purpose of our very own creation as human beings, to continue doing the right thing, no matter how small the thing is. It’s an ongoing process that we have to learn and teach every now and then, particularly when we forget that there are always other people around us, not as fortunate as we are, waiting for some shoulders to cry on.

I would like to share Aristotle's idea on education that is rather intriguing:

"…our thinking and practice as educators must be infused with a clear philosophy of life. There has to be a deep concern for the ethical and political. We have continually to ask what makes for human flourishing? From this we should act to work for that which is good or 'right', rather than that which is merely 'correct'…”

And the plans/areas to focus on that we have in mind for the kids are:-

1) gender relations
2) multi-racial relations
3) good manners

I hope things will be able to be carried out according to plans. InsyaAllah.more volunteers are welcome to join this project:P

RAMADHAN AL-MUBARAK

It has always been a great pleasure to have the opportunity to be in the month of Ramadhan,the month of blessing, the month of forgiveness and the month of self-reflection. i would like to take this opportunity to wish all Muslims Ramadhan al-Mubarak.