APPEAL FOR COOL HEADS OVER HUDUD
(published in Malaysian Insider)
The recent recriminations between those who support hudud and those who are against have raised the temperature of social climate among the various peoples in the country. Debate should be rational and not lead to ridicule and insults.
PAS has been consistent in their aim for implementation of religious laws though they had suspended their plans during the partnership within Pakatan in the last two elections. There are many new PAS leaders who are more concerned with more important issues facing the country. However, they feel that they are losing the support of the Muslims, especially with taunting by UMNO over their alleged “subservience” to DAP.
DAP has also been consistent in their opposition to the hudud laws and has worked with PAS within Pakatan which did not expouse such laws in their manifesto. DAP has declared that it would never agree to such issue being part of Pakatan’s agenda.
On the other hand, UMNO leaders have been hypocritical over the issue and are vacillating whether they would support the introduction of hudud. Several ministers have openly declared that they would support the bill. MCA, which had acquiesced to UMNO all these years on various Islamisation issues, suddenly decides to be vocal, to the point of being belligerent. Threats to form human barriers are not only undemocratic but even foolhardy as they may provoke more violent protests from the Islamists. However, MCA and Gerakan evade the question whether they would leave Barisan if UMNO endorses hudud.
Although I do not agree, I can understand why PAS has to continue their campaign through a private member’s bill. Note it is not the party’s official bill. After all, the states of Kelantan and Trengganu have already passed the hudud legislation. They have already said that they would abide by the votes in the Parliament.
The ball is now in UMNO’s court. For various reasons, UMNO leaders would be in a dilemma, whether to vote for or against. Even if all the Muslim politicians vote for it, there would not be a two thirds majority necessary to amend the constitution. Many Barisan Bumiputra MPs from Sarawak and Sabah are not Muslims. Being a private member’s bill, some Muslims may even abstain.
If the bill does not get the two thirds majority, PAS would feel itself vindicated as it would show that it tried. Hopefully then, the party would drop this agenda in their partnership with Pakatan. On the other hand, UMNO would be put in bad light. If they are against hudud, they would be blamed and if they had voted for it, they would be accused for hesitating all these years.
MCA would also realise that they are barking up the wrong tree, when all these while they had been subservient to UMNO.
PAS should however realise that the possible gains in political support from conservative Muslims would be negated by the definite loss in support from all non-Muslims and even from some moderate Muslims. Even now, PAS struggles against UMNO in rural Malay areas even though it is more vocal than UMNO on the hudud issue. It lost Trengganu even after passing the bill in the state. It will definitely lose many seats in the urban western states including Selangor. PAS has to consider whether it is worth all the tension and damaged relations it has brought about.
Saturday, 14 June 2014
Jiuzhaigou
CHENGDU TO JIUZHAIGOU
We took the Air China Airbus (100 seater) from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, about 200 km away. The flight took just 45 minutes while the road trip up the mountains would have taken 8 hours. The bus fare however cost only 60 ringgit while the air fare is 400 ringgit! Our plane flew over snow capped mountains and landed at the airport 3000 metres high. We could feel the reduction in the oxygen level at this altitude, but all the apprehension of altitude sickness came to nought. Even our oldest team member, aged 73 and with history of heart arrhythmia, spent the three days up there without any difficulty. We were advised to walk slowly and to take deep breaths regularly.
Spring in Jiuzhaigou is rather cool, around 18 Celsius in the daytime and just 10 degrees at night. It took us an hour by bus from the airport to reach our hotel, the Intercontinental Paradise, the biggest hotel in Jiuzhaigou. Along the way, we would see small farms, snow on the hillsides, and herds of yak. The hotel is more of a resort, well spaced out with all the amenities, surrounded by snow capped mountains on three sides. It is however isolated from the shops, being 30 minutes drive from the nearest village.
World Heritage
We spent two full days visiting the UNESCO world heritage of Jiuzhaigou, which means Nine Village Valley as there are nine Tibetan villages along the valley. It was formed hundreds of years ago by glaciers on to the karst mountains called the Minshan. However, its beauty was only known to the outside world in the last 30 years. The legend told of how the local spirit fell in love with the goddess who spurned him. So in anger the spirit threw the goddess’s mirror which fell and broke into 114 pieces, turning into the 114 lakes.
These are found along 3 valleys forming a Y-shape with the total length of 98 kilometres. We passed by about 30 lakes, being of different shapes and sizes, but all with vivid colours of blue, green and turquoise. The largest lake, aptly called Long Lake, is 4 kilometres long and at 3500 metre altitude. Most of the other lakes are small, around a kilometre in length. Some are named after animals like Rhinoceros, Tiger, Peacock and Panda Lakes. Others have more fanciful names like Five Flower Lake, Mirror Lake, Sparkle Lake and Colourful Lake. The last mentioned is the smallest and yet the most colourful.
There are several waterfalls in between the lakes, not very high but often found in an array of twenty individual falls forming a Pearl Shoal. One is called Arrow Bamboo Lake where the particular bamboo used to be found which attracted the wild pandas. We had to sit in eco-friendly buses to travel along the valleys to see the various lakes. At certain spots, we went down and walked along the wooden paths for a kilometre or so to enjoy the colours and sounds of the waters. There were convenient clean toilets along the way.
We stopped by a small wooden house with an old mill run by the river waters, which ground roasted barley, which could be made into a hot drink or even converted into barley wine! There is only one restaurant in the whole valley, to keep the place eco-friendly. The buffet lunch cost 30 ringgit; the dishes were very basic meats and vegetables.
Tibetans
The Jiuzhaigou valley and villages are inhabited mainly by Tibetans who live in ornately colourful houses and wear equally colourful dresses. We had opportunity to visit a Tibetan home which catered to tourists. The ladies were very friendly and jovial, but spoke only in Mandarin. We were served with various Tibetan foods such as buckwheat bread, potatoes, bean curd, barley wine and butter tea, free range chicken and various vegetables. Of course we enjoyed the smoked barbecued yak meat which rather tasty without any beefy smell at all. The Tibetans are still very closely tied with their form of Buddhism. Every home would have Prayer wheels, basins of holy water, pillars of worship and statues and pictures of Buddha. They like to sing and dance around the fire. Even the night Tibetan cultural performance at the theatre showed the cycle of samsara and reincarnation. They did however quite understand when some of us Christians did not take part in the ceremony.
(Visitors are advised not to travel during the Chinese national holidays eg New Year and October national Holidays)
We took the Air China Airbus (100 seater) from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, about 200 km away. The flight took just 45 minutes while the road trip up the mountains would have taken 8 hours. The bus fare however cost only 60 ringgit while the air fare is 400 ringgit! Our plane flew over snow capped mountains and landed at the airport 3000 metres high. We could feel the reduction in the oxygen level at this altitude, but all the apprehension of altitude sickness came to nought. Even our oldest team member, aged 73 and with history of heart arrhythmia, spent the three days up there without any difficulty. We were advised to walk slowly and to take deep breaths regularly.
Spring in Jiuzhaigou is rather cool, around 18 Celsius in the daytime and just 10 degrees at night. It took us an hour by bus from the airport to reach our hotel, the Intercontinental Paradise, the biggest hotel in Jiuzhaigou. Along the way, we would see small farms, snow on the hillsides, and herds of yak. The hotel is more of a resort, well spaced out with all the amenities, surrounded by snow capped mountains on three sides. It is however isolated from the shops, being 30 minutes drive from the nearest village.
World Heritage
We spent two full days visiting the UNESCO world heritage of Jiuzhaigou, which means Nine Village Valley as there are nine Tibetan villages along the valley. It was formed hundreds of years ago by glaciers on to the karst mountains called the Minshan. However, its beauty was only known to the outside world in the last 30 years. The legend told of how the local spirit fell in love with the goddess who spurned him. So in anger the spirit threw the goddess’s mirror which fell and broke into 114 pieces, turning into the 114 lakes.
These are found along 3 valleys forming a Y-shape with the total length of 98 kilometres. We passed by about 30 lakes, being of different shapes and sizes, but all with vivid colours of blue, green and turquoise. The largest lake, aptly called Long Lake, is 4 kilometres long and at 3500 metre altitude. Most of the other lakes are small, around a kilometre in length. Some are named after animals like Rhinoceros, Tiger, Peacock and Panda Lakes. Others have more fanciful names like Five Flower Lake, Mirror Lake, Sparkle Lake and Colourful Lake. The last mentioned is the smallest and yet the most colourful.
There are several waterfalls in between the lakes, not very high but often found in an array of twenty individual falls forming a Pearl Shoal. One is called Arrow Bamboo Lake where the particular bamboo used to be found which attracted the wild pandas. We had to sit in eco-friendly buses to travel along the valleys to see the various lakes. At certain spots, we went down and walked along the wooden paths for a kilometre or so to enjoy the colours and sounds of the waters. There were convenient clean toilets along the way.
We stopped by a small wooden house with an old mill run by the river waters, which ground roasted barley, which could be made into a hot drink or even converted into barley wine! There is only one restaurant in the whole valley, to keep the place eco-friendly. The buffet lunch cost 30 ringgit; the dishes were very basic meats and vegetables.
Tibetans
The Jiuzhaigou valley and villages are inhabited mainly by Tibetans who live in ornately colourful houses and wear equally colourful dresses. We had opportunity to visit a Tibetan home which catered to tourists. The ladies were very friendly and jovial, but spoke only in Mandarin. We were served with various Tibetan foods such as buckwheat bread, potatoes, bean curd, barley wine and butter tea, free range chicken and various vegetables. Of course we enjoyed the smoked barbecued yak meat which rather tasty without any beefy smell at all. The Tibetans are still very closely tied with their form of Buddhism. Every home would have Prayer wheels, basins of holy water, pillars of worship and statues and pictures of Buddha. They like to sing and dance around the fire. Even the night Tibetan cultural performance at the theatre showed the cycle of samsara and reincarnation. They did however quite understand when some of us Christians did not take part in the ceremony.
(Visitors are advised not to travel during the Chinese national holidays eg New Year and October national Holidays)
Ipoh, My Adopted Hometown
IPOH, My Adopted Hometown!
(published in Ipoh Echo, June 1st)
I am not surprised when I read that the popular USA News considers Ipoh as one of the nine most affordable cities in the world to live in. Being born and bred in Penang, I had wanted to return in Penang after my years of working in Perlis and Kuala Lumpur. Most Penangites were reluctant to leave Penang, even if they were given promotions and incentives on being transferred out. Penang was the idyll place in the sixties and seventies.
Unexpectedly, I was asked to take over a practice in Ipoh by a colleague who was emigrating. I had few relatives or friends in Ipoh and I had limited command of Cantonese. The only contact with Ipoh was in 1964 when with together with three schoolmates, I visited Ipoh during the vacation. Ipoh was then reputed for the pretty girls who had smooth complexion like its famous hor fun! Compared to the girls in Penang then, they were more fashionable in their dressing.
When I moved to Ipoh in the early eighties, the town was rather boring. There were no supermarkets, playgrounds or even decent cinemas. The Ipoh pretty girls had already moved to Kuala Lumpur, not that it really mattered as I was already happily married! (Note: The only Malaysian Hollywood film-star, Michele Yeoh, hails from Ipoh!) However food was good and cheap. There were the iconic ngah choy kai (towgeh and chicken), hor fun, curry noodles (I still prefer the Penang style though) and the signature Oldtown white coffee. Joining some of the clubs was still affordable. Playing golf is among the cheapest in Ipoh.
Over the years, property prices in KL and Penang have shot up astronomically. Houses in Ipoh remain affordable until the last few years. Yet they are at least 30-50% cheaper than corresponding houses in these two cities. Food still remain cheap and delicious, so much so that these outlets would be overcrowded during the festive season when many Ipohites return home. It has excellent medical facilities whose charges are lower than in KL and Penang.
In spite of its population of about 400,000, it never feels crowded or congested. There are few tall buildings. Traffic jams are unheard of except for about 30 minutes after office hours on several main roads. Most of us are able to return home to see our families and enjoy home-cooked lunch during the hour-long break. There is never any water shortage and only the occasional blackout. The haze is usually bearable even when unhealthy levels are reported in other parts of the country.
Since the last ten years, several shopping malls and cineplexes have been built. New restaurants, some with fine dining have introduced new cuisines. There are at least ten new Japanese restaurants, several providing Italian, German and Irish cuisines and even a few serving nyonya dishes.
Ipoh also enjoys a strategic location. It is only about two and a half hours drive by the highway to Kuala Lumpur and less than 2 hours to Penang. The new electric trains provide another convenient link with KL and soon to Penang. Another 90 minute-drive can take us for vacation in Cameron Highlands or the beach resorts in Lumut and Pangkor. The only transport lacking is by air as the only airline landing in Ipoh is the Firefly from Singapore.
While Ipoh has many good schools, it is certainly not the best city for young people looking for higher educational institutions or challenging careers. Many of our young people have gravitated to the Klang Valley if not abroad. However the exasperating traffic jams in KL and the crowded streets in Penang are not conducive for a quiet living. Ipoh is however the best city to bring up young children and to retire with a relaxing and affordable lifestyle. Cemetery plots are still among the cheapest, ranging from just a RM500 for a Christian burial plot. At my age, I am less concerned on the leasehold title of my house than the price of the cemetery land!
(published in Ipoh Echo, June 1st)
I am not surprised when I read that the popular USA News considers Ipoh as one of the nine most affordable cities in the world to live in. Being born and bred in Penang, I had wanted to return in Penang after my years of working in Perlis and Kuala Lumpur. Most Penangites were reluctant to leave Penang, even if they were given promotions and incentives on being transferred out. Penang was the idyll place in the sixties and seventies.
Unexpectedly, I was asked to take over a practice in Ipoh by a colleague who was emigrating. I had few relatives or friends in Ipoh and I had limited command of Cantonese. The only contact with Ipoh was in 1964 when with together with three schoolmates, I visited Ipoh during the vacation. Ipoh was then reputed for the pretty girls who had smooth complexion like its famous hor fun! Compared to the girls in Penang then, they were more fashionable in their dressing.
When I moved to Ipoh in the early eighties, the town was rather boring. There were no supermarkets, playgrounds or even decent cinemas. The Ipoh pretty girls had already moved to Kuala Lumpur, not that it really mattered as I was already happily married! (Note: The only Malaysian Hollywood film-star, Michele Yeoh, hails from Ipoh!) However food was good and cheap. There were the iconic ngah choy kai (towgeh and chicken), hor fun, curry noodles (I still prefer the Penang style though) and the signature Oldtown white coffee. Joining some of the clubs was still affordable. Playing golf is among the cheapest in Ipoh.
Over the years, property prices in KL and Penang have shot up astronomically. Houses in Ipoh remain affordable until the last few years. Yet they are at least 30-50% cheaper than corresponding houses in these two cities. Food still remain cheap and delicious, so much so that these outlets would be overcrowded during the festive season when many Ipohites return home. It has excellent medical facilities whose charges are lower than in KL and Penang.
In spite of its population of about 400,000, it never feels crowded or congested. There are few tall buildings. Traffic jams are unheard of except for about 30 minutes after office hours on several main roads. Most of us are able to return home to see our families and enjoy home-cooked lunch during the hour-long break. There is never any water shortage and only the occasional blackout. The haze is usually bearable even when unhealthy levels are reported in other parts of the country.
Since the last ten years, several shopping malls and cineplexes have been built. New restaurants, some with fine dining have introduced new cuisines. There are at least ten new Japanese restaurants, several providing Italian, German and Irish cuisines and even a few serving nyonya dishes.
Ipoh also enjoys a strategic location. It is only about two and a half hours drive by the highway to Kuala Lumpur and less than 2 hours to Penang. The new electric trains provide another convenient link with KL and soon to Penang. Another 90 minute-drive can take us for vacation in Cameron Highlands or the beach resorts in Lumut and Pangkor. The only transport lacking is by air as the only airline landing in Ipoh is the Firefly from Singapore.
While Ipoh has many good schools, it is certainly not the best city for young people looking for higher educational institutions or challenging careers. Many of our young people have gravitated to the Klang Valley if not abroad. However the exasperating traffic jams in KL and the crowded streets in Penang are not conducive for a quiet living. Ipoh is however the best city to bring up young children and to retire with a relaxing and affordable lifestyle. Cemetery plots are still among the cheapest, ranging from just a RM500 for a Christian burial plot. At my age, I am less concerned on the leasehold title of my house than the price of the cemetery land!
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