On politicians

House of a politician -location unknown

House of a politician in Segambut

House of a politician in Damansara Heights

House of a politician in Shah Alam

“Politics (pronounced "sc-um-ba-gs"): noun; from the Latin words Poli meaning "many" and Tics meaning "bloodsuckers.”

~ The Dictionary on the Politician

“At the end of the day, politicians are people too... But what about during the day?”
~ Stephen Colbert on Politicians

Ke...ke..ke...!

More on child labour

The recent death of a 10-year-old Irula tribal boy in a brick kiln in Namakkal district in Tamil Nadu, India under mysterious circumstances has prompted rights’ groups to urge the district administration to carry out a detailed inspection in its brick kilns to verify whether child labour is prevalent.

The members of Evidence’s fact-finding team said they found 30 children working in such kilns in the village.

For more detailed information please read Child labour prevalent in Namakkal brick kilns: rights group

More than 200 million children in the world today are involved in child labour, doing work that is damaging to his or her mental, physical and emotional development. Children work because their survival and that of their families depend on it. Child labour persists even where it has been declared illegal, and is frequently surrounded by a wall of silence, indifference, and apathy.-ILO

The recruitment of child soldiers still widely practised by the Burmese army

Htun Htun Oo 16, a Burmese child soldier, escaped from the Burmese Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 341 in Papun District in northern Karen State in July, making his way through the forest eastwards, even though he was not sure whether he would be killed when he reached KNLA-controlled territory.

“Whether I lived or died didn’t matter anymore,” Htun Htun Oo said, “All I wanted to do was escape. I was ready for anything so long as I didn’t have to stay another day in that battalion.”

Htun Htun Oo was seized by the Burmese army at a railway station in June 2007 while he was on his way to visit his uncle, who was a policeman in Rangoon.

Htun Htun Oo’s case is not untypical. The recruitment of child soldiers in Burma is still widely practiced by the Burmese army, according to Aye Myint, a leader of Guiding Star, a Burma-based social and labor rights group.

Pic above: A Burmese child soldier, not Htun Htun Oo

For the full story please read: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=16620

She held a 2 year old's feet under scalding water to potty train her!

In Wildomar, California, a 24-year-old woman accused of holding her toddler's legs under scalding water to discipline her and then failing to seek medical attention until the wounds became infected has been charged with child abuse and torture.

The 2-year-old girl, who suffered severe burns from the knees down, underwent surgery 3 days ago in attempt to save her feet. The toddler received skin grafts but it will be several days before doctors will know whether they were successful.

For more information, please read Wildomar woman pleads not guilty to child abuse, torture

“While legal obligations lie with States, all sectors of society, all individuals, share the responsibility of condemning and preventing violence against children and responding to child victims. None of us can look children in the eye if we continue to approve or condone any form of violence against them.” – Report of the Independent Expert for the UN Study on Violence against Children

Friends from the office

Outing with my old EPU colleagues for lunch followed by a viewing of Yap's brand new Condo unit in Taman Tun.

The dining area

L-R: Daisy, Yap and Havinder relaxing

The girls checking out Yap's kitchen, very pretty, spick and span. I wonder if she ever cooks? ke...ke...ke...

View of the Taman Tun Hills from the kitchen window

Maybe I should cook for the girls the next time they visit?

View of the corridor to Yap's master bedroom on the right

In an office, we encounter many different people and personalities. Some make us feel at ease, some make us feel uncomfortable, some we admire, some we just cannot tolerate however much we try, even for years, some are aggressive, some are downright uncivilised, some are nice but keep a polite distance and a precious few become our friends for life.

IT defies logic!

In Bristol, Virginia, the extreme nature of the child abuse case reported this week – a 6-year-old girl allegedly bound for weeks and frightened with toy snakes and spiders as punishment for taking food – seems to defy logic. It appears that family members bound a hungry child and frightened her intentionally, or allowed the abuse to continue, unabated, for the crime of being hungry. The perpetrators – her aunt, uncle and grandmother were arrested.

For more detail information please read Bristol Child Abuse Case Defies Logic

Violence against children is never justifiable or acceptable. States are obligated to protect all children from all forms of violence. International human rights law is based on respect for every person’s human dignity. Children, as people, should receive no less protection than adults.-UNICEF

Just for giggles

Q: Why should 60-plus year old people use valet parking?

A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.

One in six children in the world are engaged in child labour!

Pictures above from stolenchildhood.net

These pictures break my heart!

An estimated 158 million children aged 5-14 are engaged in child labour - one in six children in the world. Millions of children are engaged in hazardous situations or conditions, such as working in mines, working with chemicals and pesticides in agriculture or working with dangerous machinery. They are everywhere but invisible, toiling as domestic servants in homes, labouring behind the walls of workshops, hidden from view in plantations. - UNICEF

Who gives a shit?

Two nicely dressed ladies happen to start up a conversation during an endless wait in the LAX airport. The first lady was an arrogant California woman married to a wealthy man. The second was a well mannered elderly woman from the South.

When the conversation centered on whether they had any children the California woman started by saying, "When my first child was born, my husband built a beautiful mansion for me." The elderly lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?" The first woman continued, "When my second child was born, my husband bought me a beautiful Mercedes-Benz." Again, the elderly lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?" The first woman continued boasting, "Then, when my third Child was born, my husband bought me this exquisite diamond bracelet." Yet again, the little old Southern lady commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

The first woman then asked her companion, "What did your husband buy for you when you had your first child?" "My husband sent me to charm school," declared the Southern lady." Charm school!" the first woman cried, "Oh my God! What on earth for?" The little elderly Southern lady responded, "Well for example, instead of saying "Who gives a shit?" I learned to say, "Well, isn't that precious?"

Credit to: http://seniorcitizenhumor.blogspot.com/

Keke...ka...ka...

We are all born as human beings first

Pictures above of Myanmar refugees in Malaysia, reproduced from http://www.flickr.com/.

I am currently working on an assignment to research on refugees in Malaysia. My preliminary research shows that according to the UNHCR, as of end May 2009, there are some 49,000 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia, 43,500 from Myanmar. In addition, according to UNHCR, and based on lists provided by refugee communities in Malaysia, there are some 45,900 unregistered asylum-seekers in Malaysia.

They runway from their countries to escape religious and political persecution but in Malaysia they face a harsh reality as they cannot be granted refugee status by the Government. Malaysia, like other countries in the region, is not a signatory of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951. Therefore their children cannot attend schools, they work illegally in underpaid jobs and most have to stay in substandard living conditions, sometimes in makeshift conditions on the fringes of the jungle. Their refugee status is granted by the UNHCR office in Malaysia which provides them with minimal welfare assistance.

"...we are all born as human beings first before the establishment of the concept of territorial integrity. Hence, it should be natural that we should see each other as human beings first rather than aliens" - quote Lim Ka Ea, Human Rights Research Officer from a paper entitled "Refugee Go Home - He would if he could"

If he lives he may never walk, talk or be able to feed himself!

A 2-month-old infant, Jack, who police say was shaken, smothered and bitten by his 26-year-old father is clinging to life at Children’s Hospital. The father, Koller of Lafayette, and his wife, Jennifer Schmidt, 20, brought their baby son to Avista Hospital in Louisville on July 21 with a skull fracture, multiple bruises and bite marks. Jack wasn’t responsive and was transported to Children’s Hospital, where doctors told police that Jack has “considerable widespread brain damage.” Doctors said that if the child lives, he “may never walk, talk or be able to feed himself.

Koller is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond at the Boulder County Jail and is scheduled to be charged Friday with felony child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.

Read the full report Infant in Lafayette child abuse case clings to life

"Violence against children knows no boundaries. Violence cuts across race, class, religion and culture. In every country of the world there are children who continue to fear and experience violence. No country or region is immune" - UNICEF

My Saturday with friends

Nor and me accompanied Fuzi and her friend John from Canada for seafood in Kuala Selangor




L-R: Nor, Fuzi and John









John given the honour of catching the crabs himself








We bought the fish, prawns and crabs and brought to a nearby restaurant to be cooked. The food was out of this world!






John having a good time tearing at his prawn. He certainly enjoyed the meal thoroughly






The view from the restaurant






In the evening had dinner in Chee Keong & Jennifer's house in USJ Subang Jaya




Iskandar Lim (R) and Chee Keong, friends since their school days in Kampar








Scenes of Jennifer's lovely home



































A peek into Jennifer's bedroom. Hope she doesn't mind








L-R: Chen, me, Jennifer and Nor










Best friends Nor (L) and Jennifer

Time sifts our friendships and our friends,

for Time alone can be the test.

With the passing of years

we lose the false and keep the best. -author unknown

Why sleep is important !

A few women were discussing diet tips. When it was mentioned that getting enough exercise and sleep were just as important as watching food intake, one woman responded with surprise that sleep was a factor. Another replied: "Of course sleep is a factor. The only time Im not eating is when Im sleeping!"

Source: http://jokes.smashits.com/

She wouldn't talk to me for a month!

One night a man walks into a bar looking sad. The bartender asks the man what he wants.

The man says "Oh just a beer".

The bartender asked the man "Whats wrong,why are you so down today?".

The man said "My wife and i got into a fight,and she said she would'nt talk to me for a month".

The bartender said "So whats wrong with that"?

The man siad "Well the month is up tonight".

Source: http://www.thejokeyard.com/sexist_jokes/no_taking_for_3_days.html

Finally, someone has actually made the point.

Yasmin Ahmad (in red) with the cast of Talentime.

Tragically, Yasmin Ahmad passed away on the evening of 25 July following a massive brain haemorrhage. Whenever I read the tributes to her I couldn't help but feel so sad. Malaysia has lost a gem of a film maker and advertising director.

I had always liked her advertisements which so aptly captured the essence of racial harmony in Malaysia. My favourite is "Tan Hong Ming in love" which depicted a young boy, named Tan Hong Ming who said he is in love with a girl called"Umi" . The advert ended with the message "Our children are colour-blind, shouldn't we keep them that way?" Finally, someone has actually made the point.

Singapore film-maker Tan Pin Pin accurately summed up Yasmin's unique ability,

“All her films, set in Malaysia, have the spirit of 'live and let live'. They tell us that people are humans no matter what their creed and race.”

Semoga rohnya dirahmati Allah

Yasmin Ahmad's blog http://yasminthefilmmaker.blogspot.com/, last entry dated 22 July 2009.

Ha ha!

I must be getting absent-minded. Whenever I complain that things aren't what they used to be, I always forget to include myself.

- George Burns

Funny cartoons

The Trouble with golfing in old age!

Any Way you lose

Check out this site: http://seniorcitizenhumor.blogspot.com/

Very fresh seafood

Once in a while, my friends and I go to Kampong Tanjung Karang for our fresh seafood supply. And I mean really very very fresh, like just unloaded from the fishing boat!

Yesterday we were in the mood for fresh seafood again, having got quite fed up of the quality of seafood of our wet markets and supermarkets in the city. So we headed off for a one hour and a half drive to Tanjung Karang.





Fishing boats nestling at the jetty

The boat just arriving with the day's catch

The towkay weighing our purchases

The towkay's youngest son, Ah S'ng, who posed for the camera after some persuasion

The fishing village on stilts which Ah S'ng calls home.

We also bought live crabs from a shop nearby which we brought to the nearby restaurant to have them cooked with salt eggs, for lunch.
Yummy...very delicious!

The Ikan Toman kept in an aquarium where we stopped to have our lunch.

What are we doing?

I was doing some research on poverty erradication in Sabah and Sarawak when I came across an article by Dr Hams which haunted me for days. He was giving a personal account of the poverty in Kota Marudu in Sabah and his opinion. I take the privilage of reproducing part of his article.

"...it appears that our system, be it health, education or transportation, tend to target and benefit the people who already have access to modern facilities. Why can't we develop the society as a whole? What are we doing for the people of Kota Marudu who do not live in the town and other people of this country who live in remote areas?

We have 16-year-old school drop-outs who are mothers of two and pregnant with their third child. We have a real problem of illiteracy in Kota Marudu. Do you blame these people for being ignorant of their rights as citizens of this country when they don't even have access to education?

Knowledge is power, and I believe the people of Malaysia have begun to realise this. Are we, those who are more fortunate and educated, going to remain ignorant about the existence of these people?

It has been 45 years since the formation of Malaysia and the fundamental rights of the citizens have not been addressed properly. It is embarrassing and a failure of this country to have these conditions exist.

We should stop trying to break records by baking the biggest curry puff and whatnot. We should stop people from constructing the national flag from dried chillies and sago and then complain about food shortage.

We should stop sending people on travels to infinity and beyond when the people of Kota Marudu, the people here on earth are dying of tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases. We talk about wireless Internet service, but, there are far more important issues to deal with. Our first world facilities do not compensate for the suffering of the people."