THIS has been a worrying and despairing Ramadan because of the plight of a loving family who are very dear to us. They are just "our bloody neighbours" ( an endearing term we use for each other), but just as close and as good as being our "anak buah".
THIS has been a Ramadan of guidance, of revelation which has enabled me, in the words of P. Ramlee's "Suara Takbir" to savour the experience of 'rasa dalam kalbu, tenteram dan aman selalu'.
THIS has been a Ramadan that gave me hope for the future of my Tanah Pusaka with professionals like Datuk Dr Noor Hisham bin Abdullah, with scenes like this : of our frontliners doing their duty with compassion and integrity towards all Malaysians.
We have a lot to be proud of, especially the Malays who make up a majority of the frontliners. The job has to be done and done properly even though the Malays have been insulted as if they are the scum of Malaysia, being accused not only of being shameless, untrustworthy, unreliable, dishonest, etc. etc. and most recently, of being bacul (cowardly and weak).
Remember this abusive comment on the Malaysian Armed Forces by a billionaire beneficiary of Malaysia's corrupt and Malaycentric governance?
I hope Taukeh Koon Yew Yin and and the likes of him are now satisfied - that they are getting their money's worth!!
THIS has been a Hari Raya where I had the opportunity to listen to a Prime Minister leading the Takbir Hari Raya. At 76, I doubt if I will get another chance and this one by Prime Minister Muhyiddin bin Yassin is good enough for me - poignant enough to make me shed tears like each and every time I hear it on Hari Raya mornings in our Kampung at Pasir Panjang (1950s) and Jalan Mas Kuning (1960s/70s) when I still had my Emak, Abah and my adik bongsu Mustakim. Al Fatiha.
Covid 19 or not, may Allah bless my beloved Tanah Pusaka.
Today is the tomorrow we thought of yesterday. But my today is full of yesterdays.
My warmest Hari Raya greetings to all, Maaf Zahir Batin - with a sweet memory of the Hari Raya that my Abah made for his children in 1947, Kampung Chantek Singapore.
We returned last week and looked for our much-missed breakfast of tosay, roti telur, teh tarik and kopi susu kurang manis. On our frst morning, we headed for the mamak restaurant just up the road. Aaaah puas!!
Next we walked on to Giant Supermarket to stock up on our comestibles. What joy when we saw on the shelves a bunch of Pisang Emas! I have never understood why our Malaysian supermarkets tend to stack up mainly Dole and Cavendish Bananas when local Pisang Emas and Pisang Rastali are almost impossible to get hold of.
When we got to the checkout counter we were given a bright smile from the lady serving at the counter.
LADY Lama tak nampak, hilang ke mana?
SPOUSE Kita balik kampung - ke kampung Pakcik.
LADY Oh, bagus tak?
SPOUSE Bagus, Pakcik suka sejuk.
AsH (putting forward the pisang emas for payment) Bagus ya, kali ini ada pisang emas. Maciksuka benar pisang 'ni.
LADY (with a grin on her face) Pisang emas dibawa belayar ...
AsHMasak sebiji diatas peti.
Hutang emas boleh dibayar.
Hutang budi dibawa mati.
The lady was so surprised, turned to the checkout lady behind her and exclaimed.
LADY Wah, dapat habiskan pantun 'ni!!
AsH (with a smile) Kami orang lama.
What a lovely welcome home to my Tanah Air. Pisang Emas and Pantun Melayu.
Maybe all is not lost?!
Growing up in Pasir Panjang, Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s, Emak brought us up on a regular string of pantuns - to keep us on the straight and narrow and perhaps to remind us not to forget that we are Malays, especially as we were being educated in an English school. By the way, Emak never had any schooling at all - whether in Arabic, Malay or English.
SM Salim was one of Emak's favourite singers and she loved this song on 'BUDI'.
BUDI - 'mengenang dan membalas budi' was an attitude that she drummed into our heads. Budi for her and Abah was not merely confined to the 'receiving' but also the 'giving'. It was not just a matter of responding with a terima kasih. It involved appreciating, remembering and reciprocating.
Sad to say, in the 21st century, Malaysians - and especially the Malays - have marginalised and even forgotten this aspect of their culture for other norms like cultivating and accumulating kudos for ensuring themselves a place in paradise. I cannot speak for Malaysians who are non-Malays but they too I imagine, would have values of BUDI in their culture - and no doubt the 21st century has caught up with them too.
And this brings me to one crucial aspect of the practice of BUDI - of appreciating the lot we have been given and of counting our blessings: and that is recognizing that we Malaysians have grown and flourished in this generous, tolerant, bountiful, pleasant and peaceful land.
The checkout lady at Giant (she must be in her late fifties), bless her, still remembers her Malay pantun. Fast forward a decade or two, how many will still apply and appreciate this facet of Malay culture. These lines from the song above are grim portents of the fate of the Malays.
Datuk Laksmana ka Bangka hulu, Belayar kapal membawa dagang. Bagai mana kapal nak lalu, Kuala sudah dilingkung karang? ---------------------------
What did I leave behind in the spouse's kampung?
The British have finally got their divorce from Europe. It was acrimonious, divisive and at times very nasty. A decision was made firstly in a referendum over three years ago, then secondly in the European Election of 23 May 2019. In this, as a PR of UK, I voted for the Brexit Party and Brexit.
A small digression: The last posting touches on one of the main reasons why the decision to leave the EU was made - and then confirmed twice, each time more forcefully than before: this was the question of immigration from Eastern Europe.
A week before we left, the spouse was walking our friend Colin to his car. One of the Romanian neighbours smiled and wished the two white British Nationals "good morning". Before 31 January 2020 (when UK officially left the European Union), and since they moved to our street in 2014, they would just scowl at Iain and their wives would bump shoulders against me whenever I walked past them on the pavement. Why the about-turn in attitude? I suppose it all boils down to power and the fear of being made powerless - when all it needed, right from the beginning, was respect and goodwill and less arrogance and self-entitlement.
Can Malaysia learn any lesson from this??
And so, finally, the General Election on 12 December 2019. This put paid to all the moanings of the Remainers who wanted a Second Referendum because they insisted that the First Referendum of 2016 did not give an acceptable majority for leaving the EU.
Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party's manifesto of "Get Brexit Done" was the cue not only for the most devastating defeat in 84 years for a dithering Labour Party, but also a conclusive decision to leave Europe.
I take heart that my decision to vote for Conservative instead of Labour was replicated by Labour members in the North. I have a strong empathy for the North especially when Thatcher's pit closures led to the Miners' strike of 1984-1985, when thousands of men were abandoned to the scrap heap.
The grief and despair of these Northerners were hard to live with. We became especially close to them because Iain's Aunt Peggy was a strong supporter and sympathizer with the miners and their families.
Peggy lighting a coal-fire for her old-fashioned oven-water heater. She has no central heating or refrigerator or television. But she did accept her nephew's offer to install a telephone in her flat because we grumbled about keeping in easy contact with her and her safety.
Peggy passed away about 15 years ago. Her hometown Bishop Auckland decided this on 12 December 2019. They wanted out - they wanted Brexit.
Well, that's Brexit done and dusted for the spouse's country and my adopted country.
What will be the fate and future of my country and the spouse's adopted country? Who knows, out of the woodwork we may get a hero in Malaysia, something like this knight in UK? Perhaps a Malaysian style Datuk Buckethead????
Yesterday the husband of " Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom ........... Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith " i.e. the Christian Faith, was involved in a bad accident.
Worries and prayers were expressed by the Ugandan-born Bishop of York, Bishop John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu.
Perhaps if Malaysia (old or new) had a Christian Royalty, some of her rakyat and elite might be a tad more respectful, tolerant, understanding and accommodating towards having a "Yang di Pertuan Agong" as Head of State. Let's take more steps backwards - to more than 61 years ago , to just about 65.
Note the unctuous deference to the British Queen in pre-independence Malaya, specifically 1953.
Supplicants from Penang
And by the way, that loyal and humble subject Dr Lee Tiang Keng plotted secession for Penang to break away from the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Federation of Malaya) and join forces with Singapore - why kowtow to Malay Sultans?
As for Singapore:
Looking at the non-white membership of the Singapore Legislative Council, no wonder my Chinese fellow undergrads at Singapore University mocked the title of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Ash's experience at Singapore University from the early to mid-1960s.
So, this contempt for the institution of the Malay monarchy has a long, long pedigree. People like Eric Liew and Richard Chung and countless others are simply carrying on with the tradition of their forefathers.
Insults and jibes at Malay institutions, religion, culture and all things Malay will never end especially from the likes of highly educated and well heeled "Bangsa Malaysia" ......
..... who contributed his thoughtfully reasoned analysis (after all, he's a university graduate) on the Agong's resignation. I see no need for me to repeat his masterpiece.
Besides all the others - Malays and non-Malays - baying at this Institution of Monarchy, we have the classic, oft-repeated pecuniary rationale of "we pay the most tax, so we have the greater say!".
Perhaps Eric and Richard and all those of their ilk might ponder on the price we pay to be a Rakyat of Malaysia. Bishop John Sentamu for example, demonstrated and expressed his loyalty and gratitude to the country that gave him succour and security and citizenship
There are after all, many other Malaysians who have made "contributions" and paid a different price for sustaining the well-being of Malaysia.
" The ethnic profile of police officers has been traditionally disproportionate compared to the national ethnic profile with a significantly higher proportion of ethnic Malays especially in the earlier decades. However the number of casualties involving ethnic Malay police officers are statistically higher overall due in part to the high mortality rates involving the ethnic Malay community during the Malayan emergency in the 1950-1970s, and in part to the ethnic composition of the police force."
From the above Table, the Malays paid in 1,016, the Chinese 98, the Indians 27 and the Eurasians 69 - LIVES, not ringgit and cents.
You could say that those members of "Bangsa Malaysia" who eventually became today's high-rate taxpayers were given the luxury/opportunity to study, work and prosper in peace because the Malays were protecting their rice bowl.
Enough's said.
So, we can look forward to a new Malaysia pledging to undo all the mismanagement and miscreants of old Malaysia. The past 61 years have been rubbished.
But let's learn from an old Malay poem.
CHERITA SI KATAK PELAHAP
Dahan ! Dahan ! kenapa bengkok ? Sebab terhinggap burong. Burong ! Burong ! sebab apa hinggap dahan?
Hendak melihat ikan timbul.
Ikan ! Ikan ! kenapa timbul? Sebab ada lembu masok sungai. Lembu ! Lembu ! kenapa masok sungai ? Sebab ada orang memukul. Orang ! orang ! kenapa di-pukul lembu? Sebab lapar, hendak makan nasi. Nasi ! nasi ! kenapa engkau mentah? Sebab api tidak bernyala. Api ! api ! kenapa tidak bernyala ? Sebab kayu habis basah. Kayu ! kayu ! kenapa habis basah ? Sebab di-timpa hujan. Hujan ! hujan ! kenapa engkau turun ? Sebab di-panggil katak. Katak ! katak ! kenapa sudah memanggil ? Sebab haus berkehendakkan ayer. KATAK CHELAKA ! BUKAN - KAH CHUKUP AYER MINUM DALAM PERIGI DI-BAWAH POKOK ?
The bough (dahan) of this Malaysia will remain bent and crooked because the country still embraces the incompetent, stupid, arrogant and nefarious birds, fish,cows, humans, fire, firewood, rain and most of all, the cursed voracious frogs.
....... outbursts from celebrities such as the lady below only tend to generate more heat than light in the present political climate in this toxic nation.
Image 1
There's no business like show business! But there is a pepatah Melayu which cautions Malays (and Others) that "Kerana pulut, santan binasa, kerana mulut ........" especially when referring to bangsa, and bahasa; to apportioning such derisions as "buat malu", "a lot of uncivilised people", "purely disgusting" to a particular community.
There is no doubt that their expression of frustration and anger is no different from this .... of Bersih 5 and all the other Bersih Campaigns .....
Image 2 - "Please step to prove that we are Malaysians hate #MO1 (Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak)"...... although I must admit they have softened the "purely disgusting" act by using "Please ".... aaahh! .. that's sweet, not so "uncivilised". (Taken from Malaysiakini.com/bersih5)
....... or this ...
Image 3 - Taken from Lim Sian See's Blog
Perhaps it will be fitting to apply this window from our Celebrity's eruption to the second and third images albeit with a few adjustments.
A Pepatah Inggeris has this to say: "Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander".
We can manufacture and use all sorts of excuses and rationales to justify our anger and disgust (apologies for using that word again).
Here are several reasons why those biadap and 'uncivilised' Melayu did what they did yesterday.
Ash will spare you the lecture. Pictures are worth a thousand words.
1. History of Bahasa Melayu as Bahasa Kebangsaan'
2. A celebration of Bahasa Kebangsaan by Malaysians in Kedah.
3. From the very early days of Imperialism and the arrival of the Immigrants, Malay was the lingua franca - it was put to use in communicating vested interests - so that business and profit can be expedited. Even the Mat Salleh had to resort to Bahasa Melayu and in Jawi too!
4. When the new principal legal adviser to the Government, to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and to the Cabinet - chosen by the PM of Malaysia Baru - decided to speak in English during yesterday's Press Conference, is it any surprise that 'patriotic' orang Melayu would take umbrage and tell him to do a proper job - in the National Language. He cannot describe their reaction as 'uncivilised'. Any other red-blooded non-Malay (and also some Malay) Malaysian, who regard themselves as Anak/Bangsa Malaysia should feel the same about their Bahasa Kebangsaan.
If a top ranking legal officer in India for instance prefers to speak in English he would be hauled over the coals. In India the use of English for official purpose ceased 15 years after Independence in 1947. 'Tommy' (how The Star affectionately refers to him) , as an "anak Malaysia" has had nearly 60 years to maintain his fluency in his Bahasa Kebangsaan. And when he was interviewed about his appointment, he commented :
" We are planning to reform 60 years of laws.... " ?????? which or what laws? Is that a promise or a threat from the Alliance of Hope?
5. Still, he admits he has to brush up his Bahasa Kebangsaan. Isn't it time he shows his commitment to his job requirement (in using the National Language) just as he is convinced that prayers and God elevated him to the rank of Malaysia's Peguam Negara.
I suppose BN hit the dust because they did not pray hard enough and their God abandoned them!! Then, which religion and which God fostered the victory of the Alliance of Hope. Dear God, what a burden we place upon you. Was it really you or the Politically Omnipotent Men with their Grand Design of Resurrection?
Finally, back to Darshan Singh:
Terima Kasih! And a big thank you to P.Ramlee - the Eminent Person we never had!
AsH balik kampung for Hari Raya in Kay-El and discovered Malaysia Baru - New Malaysia - hence my makeover spelling for the capital of a New Country.
With a memory like an elephant, a septuagenarian elephant at that - it reminded me of the landslide victory of Tony Bliar (oops Tony Blair) and the Labour Party in 1997 after a long period in the twilight zone when Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative party held sway from 1979 to 1997 with her free market, capitalist, monetarist policy.
Eventually, the British public had had enough of Thatcher and her cronies in the privatised Conservative culture.
Tony Blair came along like the Avenging Saviour for the weakened Labour Party caught in the shenanigans and mire of 'Socialism' and Trade Union politics. He modernised the Labour Party and stitched up a synthesis between capitalism and socialism and called it NEW LABOUR. It worked especially as it kept the middle class happy and Blair (and the Labour Party) ruled the roost from 1997 - 2010. Like Ronald Reagan he was a teflon leader because political dirt could not stick to him - especially the invasion of Iraq in 2003. AsH also believes Malaysia has a good share of teflon leaders!! We Malaysians are as good as the West where modernisation is concerned.
If I had been in Malaysia Lama (or Malaysia Buruk?) on May 9, 2018 I would be utterly confused as to my choice of vote. Deciding between BN and PH is really no choice at all. It's like deciding between LABU and LABI, between the hantu or the jembalang.
Yang Mana Satu Idaman Kalbu?? Again our magnificient P. Ramlee has pinned the situation right down to a T.
Tukang masak aku tak sudi, Tukang cuci menyakitkan hati.
As for misai tebal, ular sawa : as my dear ole mum would put it - selisih malaikat 44!!
But Haji Bakhil has hit the nail right on the head. Tak habis habis asmara chinta (asmara politik?) Lagu nasihat lebih baik - bagaimana datang duit, darimana datang duit, bagaimana nak jadi orang kaya...
But that is what Malaysian politics has been all about for the past 50 years or so - the actors in Parliament, the protagonists in the social media, the (political) sifus and warlords, the taukehs and tycoons, the bankers, the lawyers, the academics, the CEOs, the Immigration Department, the handbag purveyors and the financial movers and shakers. P. Ramlee could see all that coming - bless his cotton socks! In my book he is the most Eminent Person that Malaysia did not have. After all, if fate had not taken away his life too soon, he would be only 89 today - just a few years younger than the PM of Malaysia Baru. I must admit that in this GE 14 I am on the same wavelength as Haji Bakhil's daughter : Hati dah bosan. Tidak berkenan sebab perangai tidak siuman.
And so in abject despair AsH has to submit to this ultimatum.
Biarlah setan atau pun hantu Cukup bulan makan batu. Biarlah hantu atau jembalang
Balik kampung, tanam kacang.
And here's the grand denouement :
Macham mana aku ta' makan, says the Snake. Sudah memang makanan kami.
On 24 April 2017, the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V will be installed as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
This occasion is described as an 'Installation' and not a 'Coronation' (from the word coronet which is also a crown). Part of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Regalia is the Tengkolokdi Raja (a traditional head-dress) and it does not include a Crown. Malay Sultans are not crowned (except for the Sultan of Johor).
After 73 years, (although I spent my first 63 years as a citizen of the Republic of Singapore) I am just getting acquainted with the whats and whys and hows of this unique system of Constitutional Monarchy. I am just beginning to come to grips with the history and legacy of the Lingga-Riau Empire. Their Royal Regalia is similar to that of Malaysia's Paramount Ruler specifically items like the Keris and the Cogan. More fascinating for me is the Nobat di Raja.
Here's a video of Perak's Nobat di Raja at practice.
No, AsH has not gone dewy-eyed over Monarchy and Royalty. Let me describe phases of my span when Kings and Queens became part of my education - during Colonial times and the
Singapore-in-Malaysia era.
For a short spell when Singapore was part of Malaysia in the 1960s - Singaporeans faced the prospect of having a Monarch: a Sultan who is a Malay-Muslim and carries the nomenclature of Yang di- Pertuan Agong as the Head of State. The closest thing they could relate to a "Sultan" is Masjid Sultan or Jalan Sultan, where Malays and non-Malays would flock to for Malay and Indian-Muslim culinary delights during every Ramadan. As for Johor, it is the nearest neighbour with a Sultan, but Singaporeans were not too impressed with the 'stories' regarding the then Sultan of Johore.
From September 1963 to August 1965 ( which coincided with my sojourn at the University of Singapore ) we sang Negara Ku as our National Anthem. The line "Raja Kita Selamat Bertakhta" carried no significance for us and we could not connect with the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in Malaysia.
But then, Singapore's very own National Anthem Majulah Singapura was sung with gusto at every morning Assembly in schools, and when a pupil was asked the title of the Anthem, he happily gave the answer "Mari Kita" (the Anthem's first two words)!
In Singapore, Malay might be the National Language (then), but it carried no kudos and no significance. Besides, Malay schools were flagging in their enrolment (like some vernacular Chinese schools in Malaysia today) and were left to die a natural death, especially after August 1965.
When I was teaching at Sekolah Menengah Yusof Ishak in the late 1960s, I met a number of pupils who, in their 4th/5th year at Kampung Jagoh Malay School (Telok Blangah Road), had to menumpang at Jubilee Malay School (off West Coast Road) when their school enrolment reached a critical level.
By the 1970s/1980s Kampung Jagoh Malay School and Jubilee Malay School ceased to exist. As they withered away, there were no voices that would or could whimper and mourn their demise.
But I'm digressing.
Interestingly, Dr Toh Chin Chye (1921-2012), a founder-member of the PAP, and a former Deputy Prime Minister (1965-1968) wanted the Anthem to be in Malay "as this is the indigenous language of the region " and it would "appeal to all races". A whole lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then!!
In 2001, the Anthem was re-arranged by Mr Phoon Yew Tien in "the musical key of F". This arrangement was "grander and more inspiring" in order to make the anthem "more accessible to all Singaporeans". [Details regarding the Singapore National Anthem were taken from www.nhb.gov.sg] During the courtship period between Singapore and the Federation of Malaya, I recalled an incident that stuck in my psyche - that convinced me that this "arranged marriage" would not work. One party was chalk, the other was cheese. More than that, the agenda - implicit and explicit - for the merger was fraught with duplicity and opportunism.
What was the incident?
I was with some of my fellow undergrads in the Union House canteen chatting about the hottest topic on the campus - of Singapore in Malaysia. I was the only Malay in the group. One of the boys cheerily quipped, "Yah man, we shall have AH GONG as our Head of State!" They were beside themselves with glee and cackle - except Maznoor bt Abd Hamid!
After that startling revelation, I wrote an article for the Bulletin of the University's Democratic Socialist Club entitled 'SULTANS : AN ANACHRONISM? ',I wish I had kept a copy, but in those days we were still using dinosaur technology. In a nutshell, I stated that Sultans, like the British Colonials and the Chinese tycoons, have a place in the political makeup of the country - and especially the Sultans. If they had not been conquered, conned and cajoled (and sometimes connived) into opening up their States, there would be no Singapore or Malaya or Penang. Just as the British Isles is the United Kingdom, 'Government' in Malay is translated as Kerajaan. Very flimsy ground maybe, but there's a limit to the insults and encroachment that the Malays can take.
When Singapore joined Malaysia, it became obvious that the main thrust of the PAP's agenda was to agitate for Malaysian Malaysia. It was a glib and disingenuous mantra, which sounds like one thing, but it means another. Today, though differently packaged it is still part of the agenda of the DAP, a clone of its cousin in Singapore.
So why did I write that article?
I am no great fan of Royalty, local or foreign. They were only characters in movies like 'Hang Tuah' (re the self-indulgent, unjust and effete Sultan) and 'Bawang Putih, Bawang Merah' (this time the handsome prince, which many red-blooded damsels dream of marrying). Titles like Tengku or Raja or Syed for that matter do not leave me in awe. But, enough is enough - just how many more apples do they want to pick off the tree??
======================
I reckon there are some in Malaysia who will snigger, mock, ignore or at the very least tolerate this Royal ceremonial event that takes place every five years.
However this septuagenarian remembers how Singapore and the Federation of Malaya went to town to celebrate another particular Royal Event. Here are some images from the "Penang Settlement Coronation Celebrations" of June 1953.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and the Penang Settlement Souvenir Programme.
The pages relating to "The significance of the Crown in Malaya" indicates that the nine Malay Rulers are only entitled to the appellation 'His Highness', not HRH ('His Royal Highness). Mere titles they may be but it still reveals the pecking order. Malayans then were quite at ease and happy with this version of imported Royalty and feudalism. How different should they be today?
The Nine Sultans - His Highnesses taking their place in this Ceremony.
The following extracts describe the 'Historic Ceremony of Coronation'.
In 1953 I was just nine years old and we had all this procedure explained to us in our classroom. I was fascinated by the Orb and the anointing ceremony. Fancy rubbing your hands and head with
"holy oil from the Ampulla which is poured into the Anointing Spoon". And we were informed by our teachers that this means " she is blessed and consecrated as monarch and made ready to receive the royal vestments and regalia, the outward symbols of her office". We hung on to the words to imagine all these rituals taking place. I remember being quite gobsmacked ( though that's not the right word for 1953) and we little brown children of the British Empire sat there on the floor with glazed eyes and (some) open mouths.
The Orbs
The Mace (top picture), The Royal Sceptre and the Jewelled State Sword (lower picture)
But I must admit most of that pomp escaped us and all we wanted was the Coronation souvenir badge.
Now that I am 64 years older I find these parts of the Ceremony quite fascinating.
1. Then follows the administration of the Oath, in which the Queen, in answer to questions put to her by the Archbishop, promises to govern her people according to their laws and customs, to "cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed" and to uphold the Protestant faith. 2. The Queen then takes the Sword and goes alone to the altar and in an act of symbolism offers it to the service of God and lays it down. 3. The Bible is presented ("The most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; this is the Royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God") and the Archbishop's Benediction follows.
The Queen is then ceremonially assisted from the Coronation Chair to the Throne, and in turn the Archbishop, the Princes of the Blood Royal, and the senior member of each degree of the peerage, kneel before her to pay homage ....
Certainly the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Installation won't be as complex and ostentatious and magnificent and sumptuous and showy as the Coronation of a Christian British Monarch whose reign covers half of the globe. Malaysians who prefer to be Republicans can take comfort from that difference!
Finally, how did the Rakyat in Penang celebrate that joyous day?
And finally, a grand tribute from the Rakyat in Penang to Queen Elizabeth the Second -
That lottery is for the construction of a permanent memorial, a concert hall named Queen's Hall in Coronation Garden. What is $200,000 worth in today's money?
The intent of this posting - nine Sultans taking turns to be the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is simpler (and more interesting) than having a permanent lifelong monarch. Every nation needs a figurehead Head of State.
For the Malays - whose economy, demography, government and culture have been subverted and muddled by the appetite of Britain and its compradores - please, please let them keep their Sultans .... and please, please save them from the Republicans, the puritan Arabists and all shades of Shakers and Modernisers.
.... just a little play of words on Robert Browning's poem "Home Thoughts from Abroad".
Been back for nearly 2 weeks : the moggies were happy to see us.
But the spouse was already showing signs of exhaustion. He succumbed to the infections we picked up on the plane and it ended in this for both of us.
Through the haze of sniffles, sore throats, hacking coughs, fever and headache one's thoughts wander to Victoria Park where the spouse would wander almost every day to feed the gulls.
Walking back home from the Park we also noticed these 'leftovers' on the pavements.
Used capsules of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) - another form of recreational drug for 21st century young denizens.
The 'creativity' of the young in filling up their their hedonistic and high-tech lives are quite amazing - makes my generation with their ciggies and rock 'n' roll very tame indeed.
But some things remain unchanged.
Hope springs eternal even in Leicester. We get this through our letterbox very frequently.
This image below - up to 10-15 years ago - is not a typical scene, in where we live in this part of Leicester.
A car from Eastern Europe, all 4 tyres flattened and abandoned. As it has an East European number plate, the owner /culprit would be very difficult to trace. When and if it is finally towed away, the Council will have to pay for it. As it is, this year our Council Tax will be upped by 10%.
Fly tipping, of broken bits of furniture, mattresses, children's bicycles, broken plastic roofing, planks and all sorts of odds and ends have also blighted this residential area - again a recent introduction by our EU brethren.
Still, one has to ....
But bananas in Leicester are tasteless.
Back in Setiawangsa, we discovered a little stall that has a regular supply of my favourite pisang emas.
On the second day of Chinese New Year we decided to get our usual supply of bananas and papayas. But the shop was shut. As I walked towards the stall selling my favourite pisang goring, I became aware of the openness of the little street and the peaceful, quiet surroundings because there were hardly any cars or motor-bikes.
It was just like walking along the lanes in Kampung Abu Kassim, Pasir Panjang, Singapore 60 years ago. I felt a bit tearful but I can't blame it entirely on the impending cold. Time and tide can break many a heart!
I went back the next day to snap some pictures, hoping to recapture in Kramat, that bit of my past.
But it was just a wild fancy. This was all I could get. No more rose-coloured spectacles!
Jalan AU 3/12 at 0730.
Remembering a kampung wayside - minus the car and the atap genting.
The moral of my posting : for all those aged from 13 or thereabouts to 40, 50, 60 ; record and remember the scenes that make up the tapestry of your being before it's too late.
