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.)

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

How would you translate 'Tua Pek Kong temple'?

I had a good laugh when I read the translation by Bing in Facebook. A friend posted some pictures taken at the temple in Pasir Panjang, near Sitiawan. I could not recognize it, partly because I was distracted by the red herring 'near Batu Gajah' mentioned in FB (don't really know how it got that description, just like the translation I am going to disclose). I was trying to relate to those temples I know in BG which could have been renovated. Anyway, next to the Chinese characters in FB was a link for translation and it was, 'brother-in-law temple'!

I tried and tried to figure out but could not get how it was translated as such. But then again, 'Tua pek' in Hokien means 'father's older brother'. Sometimes, a wife might follow her children in addressing such a brother-in-law as 'tua pek' (which is relevant if brother-in-law had any relevance to this!). Therefore, 'tua pek kong' could have originated from someone (now a demi-god) who had been addressed as such before. This is highly unlikely as the term suggests relationship within a family. I still think it is more likely that it could be 'pek' as in a respectful term for an elderly man, 'tua' as in big could have been added to give it added respect, and 'kong' as in Chinese for 'god'.
Link

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