How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Building walls instead of bridges

It seems common to have problems with our immediate neighbours. Sad but true.

Our problem started when our neighbour’s daughter threw a piece of wrapper into our compound as seen by my wife. She told her to bring a plastic bag and collect all the rubbish which they have thrown over – wrappers, empty plastic bottles, beer bottle crown corks, and even clumps of long human hair which one of them conveniently dropped them instead of taking the trouble to dispose of it properly.

Anyway, since then we never talk to each other. Perceived loss of face I suppose, when the parents knew about it. When we built the fence-wall at the time we built the house, it was on our side of the property, not really a common wall. So it is really annoying when they continue to hang dripping car mats and carpets over the wall to dry, causing paint to become mouldy in no time.

Recently, one of my regular breakfast companions had a window pane broken by his neighbour’s grasscutter while I was waiting with him for another friend. We found the missile that caused it was an old piece of metal the size of a cheap blade, the type that can be folded in. It is anyone’s guess what could have happened if it hit one of us instead. I estimated it travelled some 30 ft. and broke the glass. Anyway, he complained to the grasscutter while the owner remained seated on his garden chair, back facing him, ignoring his comments, while
smoking.

That was a couple of months ago. Last week, the grasscutter came and used the same type of motorized cutter. It created a mess in my friend’s compound as a result of the flying cut grass and soil. The last straw was when his wife commented that some soil or dirt actually went into their room. He complained to his neighbour about it.

Neighbour said, “You are always complaining.”

He retorted, “I have tolerated all this for the past 30 years, and you said I am always complaining.”

Neighbour: “I’m going to put up a wall to replace the chain-link fence.”

Today, I could see a pile of sand and some workers working on it. Pride can be expensive!

While Berlin Wall came down, we are putting up walls against our neighbours. Walls to avoid seeing each other.

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