Why don't we give love that one more chance?

Notes of an adolescent observer.

It's the holiday season and I believe you and I would want to feel safe and sound while enjoying ourselves in company of good friends and families along the way. Especially in a country so unique, the whole thing about actually living in it is just exceptionally eccentric.

I believe you and I want our people to progress and the nation to be prosperous, if not for the next fifty years, forever. It is the best country in the world. I have been to places, and no matter how special they claim they are, Malaysia remains unbeatable and this land and the people crown my heart in many ways.

And all this, from an 18-year old spoiled brat's perspective - a typical teenager raised with Malaysian education, mixed secular and religious pedagogy, listens to a mishmash of indie and jazz music, loves art, and likes onde-onde, putu mayam, Paddle-pop as much as he loves sushi and weird unpronounceable gourmet.

So I am a happy guy who likes to hang out and basically being outside most of the time nowadays. And while I'm at it I would appreciate it if I will lose neither of my body parts or hurt anything or anybody, so I drive safe and abide by the rules. I don't want Ayah to get mad at me either, so I always try to spend accordingly. Sounds heavenly and real, eh? I mean, bottom line, everything goes that way. Therefore, no lies.

Lies came into the picture when there are rumors spreading saying that there will be another rally going to be staged in KL. By using 'another', I'm indicating that there were many messages involving this. For those who sent them out of concern, I thank you. However, I am getting sick out of it. Malaysians of all ages, please, we don't need this. We don't have to be paranoid. We don't have to be scared. We're not dumb, you and I are absolutely not dumb. Or would you want to be one?

I accidentally went to downtown KL on December 11. If you don't know of anything as such, now you know there are people crazy enough that goes to KL by accidental causes. It would be just another day at KL, if not for some alterations to the plan. I was slinging my camera along with my initial, decent reason was to browse for a new lens, or speed light down at Bukit Bintang. I parked at Pavilion, and I was with my bodyguard wannabe, Syafiq J. It is important to know that I went out only for a minum-minum session at Seksyen 3's Restoran Gembira. Accidental? I think yes!

After the browsing part, I was done and bored. The weather was blissful and I had my camera (that sometimes can be turned to a light dumbbell, read: heavy) at my shoulders. So I thought, a traditional light stroll wouldn't hurt. The next thing we know is we were in Brickfields, Masjid Jamek, Jalan Masjid India, Central Market, Petaling Street and Puduraya before we were finally back at Bukit Bintang again. Unsurprisingly, my parking cost me RM17, and we had our dinner at KLCC before we headed home.

It is always good to keep in your head that walking is always the best way to see KL. Driving only reflects the ignorant part of it. The thing is, on that very day it was another typical day with normal people doing perfectly orderly things. Pickpockets, pirated DVD dealers, immigrant workers, tourists, crazy drivers, crazier taxi drivers, unpunctual trains, smelly toilets, friendly people, the disabled, faggots - everything - not a strange thing in sight.

I encountered temple-keepers, bunga malai makers, auntie making bak kut teh, cheap clothing salesgirl, tok kiai, tourist booth receptionist who looks like he doesn't want to work there, practically a lot of people. None of them the same. I entered temples and mosques, and at every spot, I was treated the way I wanted - respected and given privacy. So I was.

No hatred at hall. At least not visibly. It is the KL I wanted to know. It's a city so cosmopolitan, New Yorkers would end up eating socks when they see us.

At the other side of the city, a group is marching up to the Parliament to give a memorandum. They expect it to be perfectly smooth as they are confident things will stay calm. But it didn't went smooth, because some people or maybe the authorities are so afraid, they staged roadblocks and intentionally caused havoc, deterring unnecessarily over paranoia and insecurities. And another scar is left out.

Four days later I went to KLCC for the third day of RANtai, and for the Midnight Sale. Things went out perfectly with no hassle. RANtai intriguingly gave out free condoms in conjunction with a particular AIDS campaign. The screening that night was satisfying, with 10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka being such a standout, and the puzzling Kisah Tiga Lelaki. Midnight Sale was a total bummer, we were back from RANtai to KLCC at 11.30pm only to find the place 3/4 dead.

Haziq and I went back after that, only to find the Federal Highway jammed at 12 am. It was the weirdest thing in the world that time, so we decided to have our supper at PJ's State. The traffic jam, expectedly, has happened to be caused by a tragic accident near the Sunway interchange.

No rallies, none. Incidentally, a dumb message started by maybe some paranoid racist circulated that a rally will be staged by a hot hot heat organisation near Jalan Ampang. For the less-informed, RANtai was at Jalan Ampang. I felt utterlessly disappointed. The stupid message left some people being unnecessarily scared.

Sunday, December 16. After accompanying Yat to send his brother's camera in Cheras, we were to go to KLCC, and eventually the last day of RANtai to meet up with our other course mates. It was still early and the guys were still at KL Sentral, so I thought a nasi lemak down at Kg. Baru would not hurt even a tiniest bit. Yat was all out to treat me with one, so we randomly searched for a stall, and I didn't want Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa at that time.

So we found a stall, and the nasi lemak was OK. The rice was very good, however the sambal was the ones that will have you the slightly dizzy effect after eating. I bought some newspapers afterwards. There were even tourists around, and the locals were behaving normally. It has been awhile since I last been to Kg. Baru, heck, do I even had a last time?

The thing is, it is a lovely idea to have the first class view of the towers at your backyard. Imagine opening your windows to such a panorama, before doing some light gardening and grabbing your motorcycle to lepak at the nearest warung. The lavish apartment owners around the KLCC area would really have to feel sorry for themselves when they know this.

After the whole day was over, literally, I dropped by at PJ at my Atuk's house as Mama said the whole family was there. It was a feast of fruits, say, durians, and Wan's pulut durian was tempting to the core. While I was eating, Acu told us that another rally was supposed to be staged down at Kg. Baru earlier that day, by another yeah yeah yeah organization.

I was equally shocked and disgusted.

I know I would not want to believe that. For those who don't know and maybe are confused, they will group these 'rallies' altogether as a whole bad thing. While some of it are proven bad, some are organized to be staged out peacefully and they did, but later were misinterpreted and given a bad image haphazardly, totally fooling those who don't know or would not want to know the truth.

In short, we're perfectly fooled and confused.

Which sends some people to be paranoid. It roots back to a common sense, anyhow. If we really trust each other in the first place, why afraid? If everything is in a perfect order, why be insecure? If we believe in a peaceful Malaysia, why be threatened?

Because if we are already a strong society as whole, we will not be shaken. Yet stupid rumors are spread. Racism should not exist here in a land where her people is diverse. Racists should be tormented by eating tempoyak, cincaluk, budu and sago worms simultaneously with belacan being stuffed up in his or her nostrils. The video of that should be posted on YouTube.

I mean, how could things like this appear in a mainstream national newspaper?

Kita boleh menyaman kerajaan Belanda, Inggeris, Jepun serta keluarga Brooke kerana negara dan keluarga ini juga pernah menjajah keseluruhan atau sebahagian daripada bumi Malaysia.

Negara berkenaan bukan saja perlu disaman kerana menjajah negara secara kolektif selama 446 tahun, tetapi juga kerana merompak hasil mahsyul negara, membawa agama dan budaya asing, melanggar hak asasi manusia peribumi, merencatkan proses pembangunan negara dan dosa yang paling besar mengubah karekter bumi Malaysia daripada bersifat satu kaum kepada pelbagai kaum.

Basically this is what you get when you sleep in history classes. Dumb ass.

What the hell is wrong? Quite simply, no religion is native to this land, not even Islam. There is no such thing as 'agama tidak asing', as the writer is suggesting. Hinduism and Buddhism came first long before Alfonso de Albuquerque ran amok at the great harbour of Malacca, and before the traders came, we are perfectly pagan. Islam came into our forefather's hearts from many sources, and then Christianity came together with the colonialists.

Changing a land's demographical patterns is not a big sin. Fighting God's fate of humanity is. First of all it's not the colonialists who have made our land home to many happy people who simply have different ways of seeing life. People from all over the Malay Realms - the Nusantara - the big archipelago crossing from Sumatra to Papua have long migrated to the land that was once known as Tanah Besar. They were not all Malay - these people are made up of many more diverse ethnicities - Javanese, Achenese, Bugis, Banjar, Minang and others.

People from Southern India have long visited Southeast Asia, being frequent visitors at the land's many ports. Quite notably, the Chin Empire of modern day China loved Malacca, and has sent several fleets, one of them being led by the legendary Cheng Ho to meet the Sultan. And what made you so sure that the Thais, Arabs and Persians are being isolated from all these social fiesta going on that time?

Malacca exclusively and the Peninsula in general, back then should be something of a cosmopolitan like KL these days. Surely the world's greatest port at that era is not expected to be boring. So much curiosity should have been stirred, and everybody should have like to know each other. Our people must have been very lovely at that time, or if some people beg to differ, lovelier.

Fast forward, after hundreds of years (or 446 years later, thanks for making the calculations dude), something is wrong. In fact, forget hundreds of years. Something should have gone correct sometime during the last fifty years, yet we're missing it.

It is best to think that racism is always a problem, and ignorance will only lead to hatred.

Our society needs more than propaganda and deceptions. We need to fight child rapists, corrupted politicians, criminals and people who think they are otai enough to become criminals. We need better roads and better public transportation, all over from Tawau to Arau. And if you don't know where the hell are these places, add better educational system to the list.

Well.

It is at this time of the year when the most rationale guy I have ever known, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has made a great speech that mankind should hold on to forever. As half of humanity is gathering before God today at the fields of Arafah, let us not forget what the great man told us thousands of years ago,

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

After 1375 years, he still got that right. God created us different for us to understand and learn from each other, not to tear us apart. Other nations have got over that and moved on.

Reality; puppet media and selfish SMSes are spread, while we got some irrational politicians cursing at the table democracy. At the same time, another person is waiting for a late train again at the station, or maybe he's just too early.

For everybody else who loves this country, Happy Holidays. Maybe this Eid and Christmas will put off the pressure out of our hearts and make some changes.

Spread the joy. Give love that one more chance, will ya?

Listening to David Bowie & Queen - Under Pressure
PICTURES from top 1. At Kg. Baru, sophistication stands in stark contrast with old-fashioned lives. 2. Shoppers browse through footwear at Jalan Melayu near Jalan Masjid India area 3. Despite warnings, people still doze off in the vicinity of Masjid Jamek 4. It's a rainy day outside while the LRT passes by the graffiti made at the walls of the Klang river, National Mosque visible at the back. 5. Traffic light at Bukit Bintang, fences and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building clocktower, signage at KL Sentral Monorail Station. All pictures copyright Syukrishairi 2007.