Something is rotten in the state of Malaysia Baru.

The title comes from William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' when Marcellus said "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

But in Malaysia Baru, putrefaction is a better word than rot.  The rot started with the previous government and putrefaction began to set in after GE 14.

The skin tissues refer to my Tanah Air.  The  anaerobic bacteria emanates from the present ruling regime.

Source : Wikipedia

And the product of their regime consists mainly of bucketsful of  bacterial gas.


One of the most pungent and toxic output of this squalid Alliance - of  Hope (?) is when certain quarters among the so-called  Anak Malaysia / Bangsa Malaysia slyly -  with the the support(?), connivance(?) and blessings of those in the know - arranged the import of the ashes of this traitor.    And on Malaysia Day of all days!

" Chin Peng  instructed Eu Chooi Yip, the chief CPM strategist running operations in Singapore from Jakarta to "sabotage" merger and Malaysia."  Above image is from
http://thelastlibertybroadcast.blogspot.com/2014/11/history-for-historys-sake.html

What do other other people and nations - I mean people who have sovereignty and pride in their own Motherland /Fatherland - do to collaborators and traitors?

Although in the UK, some of the traitors and collaborators of the Second World War escaped punishment because of their connections and class.  It would seem that Lim Chin Peng, the Secretary-General of the Malayan Communist Party also had strings to pull from the members of his tong pau (people of the same womb) - together with some Malay and non-Malay "sympathisers".

From Wikipaedia

Notice the pecking order of the label  for the Communist Party of Malaya - English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.  Exactly the same as in Singapore - though they do have a majority of 70+% Chinese.

" Lu olang Bulayu Malaysia jangan bising bising.  Gua ata tulis dalam Jawi."  

Isn't it wonderful!  In today's Malaysia Baru, we are not allowed to learn Jawi in our schools!!

What more lu olang mau?

Taukeh  we want our  .......


Negara ku, Tanah tumpahnya darahku.

And this was also the oath taken by  Sgt Chee Sze Hsien(rtd)  when he responded to Taukeh Koon Yew Yin's demand that members of our Defence Force should be shunted to take the place of foreign workers in Felda estates.     Something similar to Koon's suggestion took place during China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) when Communist China's intellectuals were transferred to labour on  the farms as part of the "Down to the Countryside Movement".  But being an enterprising, canny tycoon, Taukeh Koon YY picks on the Askar-Askar (as most of them are Malays) not the shiftless young urban elites.

But then a brave and loyal Malaysian challenged this arrogance of Koon YY from Ipoh.

The Malaysian Armed Forces "did what we did because we want our children and your children to live in a better Malaysia."  Without "peace and stability " there would be no GAMUDA for Taukeh Koon YY and all his enterprising cronies who now make up the Financial Warlords of Malaysia.

I chose Sgt Chee's bold statement because it would, in the eyes of Taukeh Koon (and Taukeh LKS) carry more weight than a "lazy, unreliable, untrustworthy" (adjectives used by the PM of Malaysia Baru) lowly Askar Melayu.

And now we are told that the ashes of the leader of the CPM, a man who led a bloody insurrection which killed and maimed our civilians and young men in the Armed Forces and the Police Force - and a man who lived to the ripe old age of 90 - has been smuggled in by collaborators known only to the "Elite".

Oh Malaysians (some, not all).  You have no shame.

You can construct a mega-shrine, a humongous to'kong for LCP on Genting Highlands and cart his ashes and sprinkle them all over Gunung Tahan, but it doesn't make an iota of difference to the Malaysians who matter. A terrorist remains a terrorist wherever his ashes are scattered.

But think about it: what a fitting little scenario........  that the remains of this "Great  Leader" had to be surreptitiously smuggled into the Semenanjung like packets of amphetamines and sabu. 

Long Live Malaysia Baru!  Long Live the Reformasi!   This will certainly boost your chances in GE15.

    

Jackie and Julia - Episode 3

Dear Leicester Ladies, my heartfelt apologies for the long, long delay in concluding the episode on the rise and fall, and fall of Jackie and Julia.  Since you left we have had no end of visitors from Japan, New York, Tung Shin Hospital, Putrajaya, Petaling Jaya and UM - and the mandatory meals.

By now I hope you have been fully rehabilitated into your cultural and culinary milieu.  We expect to see the ole familiar J and J when we get back in a few weeks' time.

Let me now recall your adventures just for the record and perhaps after this you can submit the whole series for publication in our Leicester Mercury.

I do hope the following revelations about the two of you will not be too salacious for some of the conservative folks in the East Midlands - though I do believe these little stories will not jeopardise your standing in the NHS (for Julia) and in Animal Rescue (for Jackie).    Well, at least we hope so.

Taking the water :  During the 18th and 19th century the Brits would  partake of the waters in the spas of cities like Bath.  It was supposed to detoxify the body from all the nasty effects of a rich and lazy lifestyle - to improve the circulation, so to speak.

Well, when Jackie and Julia came to the Tropics they made sure they took to the water - this time in Pulau Kapas.

Taking to the lovely warm tropical waters of Pulau Kapas

Indeed, the experience improved their circulation and more!   (The spouse says it improved the circulation of the sharks too - he saw half a dozen circling the two ladies!)

The subsequent events were almost like watching the transformation of Eliza Doolitle  ( My Fair Lady) in reverse: from high society lady to a Cockney flower seller!


Cor Blimey.....they started eating with their hands!  They threw caution and their cutlery to the winds and tucked into Malay food, lock stock and barrel using their hands.

Tucking into Terengganu fish, fish and more fish under the tutelage of Nulan.

Wot! no teapot? no cups and saucers! And wot's that rainbow drink?  I think it's Terengganu ABC Margharita - J & J could not resist it.

Besides that, they became quite adept in disembarking from a ferry, Terengganu style.  No jetties, just a step ladder - but still clutching on to a  Leicester CO-OP shopping bag.  You can take Julia out of Leicester but you cannot take the CO-OP out of Julia.

Barefooted belles from Linden Drive, Leicester

By now, J & J are familiar with the habit of taking off shoes when entering a Malaysian house.  And they naturally did it when Nulan took us to a heritage kampung house at Pulau Duyung (see the above image on the right).

There was a lot to learn (and appreciate) from this visit to Kota Lama Duyung.

A synopsis of Kota Lama Duyung.

From top right clockwise:  the bedroom, the well and the kolam, the para or kitchen and the front of Kota Lama Duyung.

Again on Pulau Duyung, we discovered almost by chance a traditional Terengganu boatmaking yard under the bridge linking Pulau Duyung to the mainland.  As a contrast there was Terengganu's version of what the locals describe as Tower Bridge of London.  We reckon the former is far more formidable than the latter.

But now, as a caption to the pictures below: Just a little worrying prophecy from Ash for what she reckons is the last bastion of  a truly Malay landscape, Malay economy and Malay lifestyle in a Tanah Melayu.

 Top left : an abandoned local welfare organisation (Pertubuhan Kebajikan Pulau Duyung).  Hopefully this organisation has been moved to  another/better building.
Lower left :  An unloved kampung house next door to Kota Lama Duyung.  Top Right : a wakaf needing a bit of TLC.  Lower Right :  On the road from Marang to Terengganu; just look at them thar hills - a yummy site for developers to rush in and construct gated housing estates and condominiums along this prime and beautiful East Coast Road.

Sorry.  It's just AsH being a cynical old git!!


Our last day in Terengganu was spent driving all the way back to the Muddy Estuary (KL).  On the way Nulan stopped at a beach with an amazing rocky outcrop.  Iain and I tried to recollect our lessons in geology from decades ago to figure out the rock structure but to no avail.  Still, it's a beautiful formation.

Most interesting are the two lower images which show the symbiosis(?) or struggle(?) between vegetation and an eroding top soil.

While the beach looked spectacular we were a bit perplexed.  Why did Nulan make this stopover? Uh huh, is there some mischief afoot?  Is our guide and leader finding us too much of a handful - three women who never stop talking in the car and won't allow him to switch on the radio.  As for the other male, all he does is fiddle about with the aircon knobs in the car and says a lot of "yes dear", "no dear" . Oh dear!!!

1.  It was Julia (top left) who felt the first inkling of concern.
2.  She then directed Iain to climb up the rock and be the look out man(top right).
3.  Then he saw Nulan sitting and talking to a few men resting at the wakaf (lower left). Two of them had very heavily laden bicycles with them.  Should we worry?
4.  Never fear, Jackie,  our intrepid SRN (State Registered Nurse) caught sight of a tour bus on the main road (lower right).  We have our escape route!!!!

But all was well.  Nulan was just chatting to two middle aged men from Kedah who were cycling in the Semenanjung in preparation for their journey on the Hajj - by bicycle - next year!  We had a chat with them and were quite overwhelmed by the dedication and tenacity of these two ordinary and brave men from Kedah.  May Allah keep them safe.

Through a heavy rainstorm along the Karak Highway, Nulan drove us safely home to Kuala Lumpur.

Before the ladies flew home to Leicester, Din (the man who facilitated our holiday in Terengganu) arranged a reunion of the Magnificient Five  and a meeting with Nulan's family.  It was good because we got a chance to thank his lovely wife and daughter for 'lending' him to us so that we could have a safe and wonderful holiday in Terengganu.

What a lovely Finale.

Back in KL we left them on their own to do the usual tourist trips to Batu Caves, Pulau Ketam, Twin Towers, jumping on the hop-on and hop-off buses.   (A disclaimer:  We are not responsible for what they got up to during this time!)

But, just to be on the safe side, Iain wrote them a warning note when they got back home.

"How are the folks at LAR (Leicester Animal Rescue)?  Do give them our love, and we shall see them at the Christmas do - unless you manage to twist arms  and have us banned.  If you do, we shall tell them all about your clubbing nights in downtown KL.  I know you don't remember, but it was really difficult carrying you both from the taxi at 4 am.  And not just one night!"

They flew home to their cat Minx and their lovely garden on 5 October.

It was not easy to say good-bye.

Taraa me duck!

We've grown accustomed to their ....

Mr Kempson Wong - The Reunion

On September the 9th, I was ridden with regret.
https://anaksihamid.blogspot.com/2019/09/im-so-sorry.html


Then on the 10th I was over the moon.
https://anaksihamid.blogspot.com/2019/09/im-over-moon.html


But by October 29 my cup runneth over - because finally I met my former Primary School teacher, Mr Kempson Wong from Pasir Panjang English School, Singapore - face to face.  He was my class teacher from 64 years ago (1955) when I was just 11 years old.    It was not the last time I saw him - I met him briefly in 1968, by which time I was a young adult, a teacher, just like him.

He was a fantastic, unforgettable teacher, and in 2012 - having not seen him for 44 years - I wrote a posting for him.
http://anaksihamid.blogspot.com/2012/09/remembering-mr-kempson-wong.html

Seven years later, the fates were kind to me.    I met up with Mr Kempson Wong once again - and this time I met his lovely wife Catherine too.

Catherine and Maznoor in their kitchen.

She not only gave me a bottle of her absolutely divine Almond Florentine biscuits.  I also took home with me the recipe and the special Florentine flour.    Iain and I are still squabbling over who has had more Florentines than the other.  Thank you so much Catherine.

My ex-teacher is so lucky (and so happy) to have Catherine as his soul mate - a finer couple would be very hard to find.  When I got back to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore I wrote him a message;
"When Iain and I grow up we want to be just like you!"

Because of "circumstances beyond his control" Iain was unable to enter Singapore to meet my former teacher.  In his place I passed on a gift of his book  "Fatimah's Kampung" to this exceptional teacher of mine.

Here's something I managed to cobble together to celebrate my reunion with Mr Kempson Wong - something for our family album.

Left: Maznoor and Iain Buchanan.    Right:  Catherine and Kempson Wong 

 At 85 years of age, Mr Kempson Wong still plays tennis twice a week.  His voice is just as strong as it was in 1955.  His walk is just as straight and sturdy.   And there is still that twinkle in his eye.

He was my teacher 64 long years ago - but I remember his classes like they were yesterday.    He is indeed hard to live up to.   They just don't make people like him any more.

But I discovered something new about him.  He plays the piano - and he does it so beautifully.  It was something he decided to learn when he retired from his profession.   I shall never forget my ex-teacher's serenade to celebrate our meeting.

I asked him to play for me "The Ash Grove" .  Then he followed it with this.

I wished I could have recorded his version but I guess the original song will have to do.

After he had ended the repertoire, he stood up, looked at me and smiled and sang :

"My memories of love will be of you."

What else could  I do but collapse in tears.  Thank you Sir.  I always knew you were special.  I shall treasure this morning  to the end of  my  days.

Long, long ago in 1955 :

Mr Kempson Wong (red square),  Maznoor (red circle).

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.  (Dan Rather)