The Magna Carta

For Malay language version please visit this link.

There have been two documented events called the Baron’s Revolt (or also known as Baron’s War) in medieval English history. The first was from 1215-1217 (also portrayed in the movie Robin Hood featuring Russell Crowe) and another one from 1264-1267. The important consequences of these events are the gradual changes from absolute monarchy system which has been in used for some times to the constitutional monarchy system which have since then been in use in many countries including our own.  The events also introduced a sets of documents known as the Magna Carta which has been the foundation of the freedom of the individual against any arbitrary authority as the important symbol of liberty.

In our modern country’s history, the constitution amendment in 1993 involves the limitation of the royals’ legal immunity. It was sees as a victory for the commoners after few incidents involving a few royal family and common people which were made into the news and could turn the people against the royals. It was not seen by the majority of the people at that time as just a fight between royalty and nobility (read ruling government) but the support from the nobles for the large segment of the people who are seem to be against the royals.

Photo Credit: FreeMalaysiaToday

There were few other spats between the royals and the nobles from then on but the event that happened a few days ago that seems to change its tune where the commoners are the one who seems to be supporting the royals this time instead of the nobles.

It all started after the ‘No Show’ incident by the Prime Minister where one of the royal questions what many commoners have been asking the Prime Minister, basically ‘What have you been hiding?’

There have been many questions which no answers were given even when the questions came from one of the most respected commoner in this country, the one who have ‘been there, done that’ once and have never been as far as I remember, shy away from answering any questions without having to resort to some written script during his time as the Prime Minister.

Photo Credit: FreeMalaysiaToday

Obviously, rather that turn up to the event that is supposed to be a platform to answer, if not all then at least some of the questions, as expected he did not turn up. Citing security matter (which I find it strange as the place itself is what can be said as the party’s own headquarters) and as we know he then left the country even when disaster struck East Malaysia.

Stranger more is that the Prime Minister then left to his nobles then to answer to the questions and one among them even dares to question the questioner. Later we hear the words that ‘royalties should be above politics’ and so on but my take is that while it is true, it has been used by this noble for a wrong reason and certainly out of place.

Photo Credit: JST Facebook Page

Yes, the royalty should be above politics by not showing preference of which parties especially during election time so not as to influence the commoner whom they will choose to be their modern day nobles. However, this new event is not about politics at all. This event is about questions from the commoners regardless of their political support, including from the ruling government’s party themselves has been asking. It got nothing to do with politics. It all got to do with how the government governs the country which will affect the commoners the most, rather the royals and the nobles. Since even the most respected commoner’s questions has even been brushed aside, then what can you expect when the questions comes from the more common commoners?

This could be trigger to what the nobles have not been imagining of, where the commoners sided with the royals against them. Could this also trigger our own Magna Carta to be written where we can have a truly transparent government in all possible things especially that involves the money which come from the taxes we’ve paid as long as they do not involve national security. We want to know what the money is going to use for before it’s being used and rather not know them only after they were gone. 

Photo Credit: Google Images

Well, we'll probably will never know.

Disclaimer : All images are for illustration purposes only and this blog author does not claim any copyright to the published images and he only copied the images already publicly available on the internet (unless stated). The blog author also wishes to state that his opinion posted on this blog are his alone and not paid by any political parties.

When In Rome...

For Malay language version please visit this link.

No, this is not about my travel to Rome. In fact, I have never even been to Rome though I have many times over defeated and annihilated the Roman Legions leading the Carthaginian armies and even sacked and razed the city to the ground with my Hunnic hordes in few Total War games. Actually this post is about the phrase that many of us have read or heard which is "When in Rome, do as the Romans do” or “When in Rome, act as Romans”.  It is first attested in medieval Latin “Si Fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō Mōre; Si Fueris Alibī, Vīvitō Sicut Ibi” (if you should be in Rome, live in the Roman manner; if you should be elsewhere, live as they do there); attributed to St Ambrose.

There is even a Malay proverb which reads “Masuk kandang kambing mengembek, masuk kandang kerbau menguak” which practically advice us very much the same as the Latin quote above. While there are probably various meanings or places that we can use the proverb above, I’m going to talk specifically about the dress codes.

Photo credit: Google Images

We surely have heard regarding the sarong incident at one of the government office few days ago and like many other things that happened in this country, for me it’s a small issue blown out of proportion every time any politician opened their mouth. From a practically an issue regarding conforming to the dress code, it has become a political and even a religious issue, with accusations like the government is going to Talibanize the country, personal definition of what decent and what’s not decent to wear  to the minorities are losing their rights and so on. You can almost pick up various types of these kinds of answers on many blogs, news sites, forums and Facebook pages relating these incidents.

Photo credit: Suzanne G L Tan Facebook Page

There are some that gives their opinion of what is decent and what is not like saying that since they are confirming to their own office dress codes, then they must be confirming to other places dress codes. Look, just because you can wear something to some place, it does not mean that you can wear the same thing at every place. The dress codes are there for a reason and they varied from places to places. Not just government and public offices but there are also dress codes even for privately invited parties which one must follow if one wants to participate.

Photo credit: Google Images

I find it strange that the particular government office was forced to issue an apology because someone who came to their place did not conform to the office rules. I did not read about the apologies and wondering are they apologizing because they did not turn the woman away and come back when she’s dressed according to the rules or because rather than turning the woman away , they provided a solution where that saves everyone’s time?

Yes, there are times that some rules may no longer be relevant but as long at the rules is being in practice then should not we follow them? Yes, rules are made to be broken, but then we’re not English. Again the little non-issue has become a national and religious issue especially when every politician racing to show their faces on the newspaper get saying all sort of things.

Photo credit: FreeMalaysiaToday

However, coming from any other people I can simply say that these are political stunts but from this particular politician however there seems to be some sort of agenda which is not solely politics. I would rather not speculate much but this particular politician never seems to miss commenting on almost any issues that may (or may not) related to Islam. Whether that’s a coincidence or whether that’s what the type of person she is or even whether that’s what her constituents expected her to say, from the issues like azan and Octoberfest, my impression is that she’s that she’s trying to make Muslims feels ashamed for being what they are. 

This can even be seen from her personal attack on one of the Multiracial Reverted Muslims group founder related to the article posted on FreeMalaysiaToday where she in the first place tried to give the impression that the ruling is related to Islam and will probably infringe on her moral and maybe her own religious sensitivity. Luckily I’m not staying under her constituency so I will not bother much as long as her intentions are political.

Photo credit: MRM Facebook Page

I guess I should stop talking about this anymore since cheap politics are not within my listed interest and I would rather go back to read about Rome. Who knows, maybe someday I can afford to take my wife for a visit to the Roma Aeterna the Eternal City, the Caput Mundi, the Capital of the World, sitting in front of the Flavian Amphitheatre sipping Lavazza’s Crema e Gusto!

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Disclaimer : All images are for illustration purposes only and this blog author does not claim any copyright to the published images and he only copied the images already publicly available on the internet (unless stated). The blog author also wishes to state that his opinion posted on this blog are his alone and not paid by any political parties.

Alea Iacta Est (The Die Is Cast)

For Malay language version kindly visit this page.

When Caesar was ordered by the Senate to resign his military command, which is practically illegal since he’s entitled to command the army until his proconsular term expired, or face the ultimatum of being declared the enemy of the people. Due to jealousy of Caesar’s success in his Gallic campaigns the Senate has thought that this these charges can put stop to Caesar’s ambition and hoping that he will quietly retire and forgotten by the people as being called the enemy of the people and the republic is the same as being called a traitor and liable for any persecutions. The Senate however miscalculated Caesar commanded respect from the army and has the love of the people of Rome especially the plebians, if not the aristocrats.  

Face with either to quietly fade away from the public or face persecution from the false accusations of theft, tyranny and illegal warfare, Caesar has done what is unthinkable. With a single legion, he was said to utter the famous word and crossed the Rubicon bringing his army into Italy and the rest is history.

Alea iacta est.

From https://najibrazak.com/faq-4/

It certainly feels that the die is cast now regarding the showdown between Tun Mahathir and Prime Minister Najib and base on my innocent observation the Prime Minister has now perform the biggest major blunder by proclaiming that Tun Mahathir is the one behind the ‘crisis’. A blunder that is much bigger than the ‘No Show’ event that happened last week. Just like Pompey and the Senate has miscalculated, so did the Prime Minister probably on the wrongly advice of his highly paid advisers is that Tun, just like Caesar still commands respect and surely the love of still many people in this country.

From https://najibrazak.com/faq-4/

The claim that Tun is trying to mislead and maybe trying to influence the people is simply wrong. The Prime Minister are getting the wrong type of advisers who may still be thinking in the terms of ‘pemimpin’ and ‘rakyat’ and not ‘wakil’ and ‘rakyat’. The advisers may still be advising base on 20^th century political mentality where the ‘wakil rakyat’ are voted to be the leader rather than what it’s supposed to mean which is simply the representative of the people.

From https://najibrazak.com/faq-4/

It’s funny that the very people who understand actually what the job of ‘wakil rakyat’ happened to be a former one himself. Tun did not write as he had written to mislead or misguide the people. What he wrote was simply what the ‘rakyat’ has been asking. It is as simple as that. What we need is just answers. If we had asked the wrong questions where there are no answers then at least show us where we are wrong rather than trying to shut down the only voice where many people from various different race, religion and political affiliation can find a common cause.

From https://najibrazak.com/faq-4/

To the Prime Minister, I ask nothing than you to tell the truth. I know that the money are gone but at least show me where they went to. Show me where the photos of the power plants that the money was suppose to have bought. Tell me how those power plants are supposed to help me and my fellow Malaysians?  How many jobs will the plants help created for us? Will you ensure that after this to let businesses to be run by businessmen rather than politicians just like politics be run by politicians rather than businessman? You can still make your mark in our history by being the first prime Minister to actually be the leader of the representatives of the people. If not, may you step aside and resign with dignity so that a more capable person can replace you?

From https://najibrazak.com/faq-4/

*To Tun Mahathir, do not relax your efforts, and thoroughly polish what you have already on the stocks, and - continue to represent me, to be my voice, to ask my questions as long as you are able to for the style of your composition, though I had always entertained the highest expectations of it, has yet surpassed my hopes, and has taken such a hold upon me, or rather has so fired my imagination.

Photo credit: Google Images

I wish you well and long life. You wont cross the Rubicon alone.

* The above is my reproduction of  Cicero's Letter to L. Lucius befitting the current scene.

Disclaimer : All images are for illustration purposes only and this blog author does not claim any copyright to the published images and he only copied the images already publicly available on the internet (unless stated). The blog author also wishes to state that his opinion posted on this blog are his alone and not paid by any political parties.

The 10th Of June

On the 10th of June 1190, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drowns while crossing the Saleph River in Turkey while leading an army to Jerusalem during the Third Crusade and thrown his army into chaos. While the Crusaders army still have other capable leaders like Richard the Lionheart which have won many battles against Saladin, the have failed to win the war and Jerusalem stays in Muslim hands.

Photo credit: Google Images

At 3pm, 10th of June 1540, Thomas Cromwell, the Earl of Essex was arrested on the falsely accusation of the crimes of corruption, heresy and treason. He was then sent to imprisonment and later executed at the Tower of London. 

Photo credit: Google Images

The first boat race between the now famous Oxford and Cambridge universities happened on the 10th of June 1829 between Hambleden Lock and Henley Bridge on the River Thames. It has then became an annual event starting from 1856, interrupted only during the First and the Second world Wars.

Photo credit: Google Images

Thanks to Google, there were a lot of momentous events that happened on this date throughout history whether they are related to politics, warfare and even sporting events. There's so much that have happened on this date that's worth remembering.

There is however an event which is the most memorable, that is the event on the 10th of June 2005, the day that I married the most beautiful woman on the planet. It was 10 years ago to this date that I married my wife and it was the day that I don't need Google to remember.

From left : Iris, Iman and Ian.

To my wife, thanks for giving me three (any more coming soon ?) beautiful children. Thanks for being an ibu to Ian, Iris and Iman. Thanks also for being an ibu to Mimie. Last but not least, thanks for being you and besides the regular doa in my prayers, I dedicate this poem to you.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right.

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Happy 10th Anniversary darling, on this day, today the 10th of June 2015 to you, to me and all of us!

Disclaimer : All images are for illustration purposes only and this blog author does not claim any copyright to the published images and he only copied the images already publicly available on the internet (unless stated). The blog author also wishes to state that his opinion posted on this blog are his alone and not paid by any political parties.

Nero Burning Rome

For Malay language version kindly visit this link.

They said that Nero watched Rome burned from his palace at Palatine Hill singing and playing the lyre. They even said that Nero himself sent out men to set fire to the city. Some even blamed the Christians that sets out to burn Rome. There are those that even said that Nero was not even in Rome when the disaster happened.

Photo credit: Google Images

Whatever surviving historical accounts that we have today with regards to the Great Fire of Rome in 64AD came only from secondary sources through the writings of Cassius Dio, Seutonius and Tacitus. Unfortunately the primary accounts from contemporary writers like Fabius Rusticus, Cluvius Rufus and Pliny the Elder no longer survived. 

Photo credit: Google Images

Since only the secondary sources survived and they tends to differ from each other, and even the primary accounts themselves were said to be contradictory and exaggerated.  Modern historians tends to agree with Tacitus version of the event though in truth, while we do know that the fire incident did happened, we may never truly know how and who caused that event to happen.

Photo credit: Google Images

We also do know that during the flood crisis in Kelantan late last year, our Prime Minister was away playing golf with Obama. We also know that when Sabah was hit by an earthquake a few days ago, our Prime Minister was seen in Saudi Arabia a few days later. Those two things we do know and they have been reported all over the news.

Photo credit: Google Images

What we may never know unless we are in the loop are the reasons. Maybe it was a coincidence that the Prime Minister left the country right after the much talk about Nothing 2Hide/Everything2Hide incidents? Maybe the prime Minister unfortunately has booked with AirAsia with its No Cancellation Policy which made him not able to cancel these engagements when disaster struck the country? 

Photo credit: Google Images

We don’t know the reasons and that unfortunately, for better or worse leaves room for a lot of speculations. What we only know is that at the time of national trouble and disaster, our very dear leader is not here with us to share our grief and to relief our pain. For me, I will let those political players (and political writers) present to us their version of these stories while I go on and continue to read and write what I know about.

I know that not long after the Great Fire of Rome, Nero was murdered and since he was the last in line of the first Julio-Claudian imperial dynasty, the imperial throne of Rome was contested by 4 influential generals (google Year of the Four Emperors) between late 68AD until 69AD when the victorious Vespasian finally becomes the victor to wear the purple and Rome finally had peace internally for the next hundred years.

Disclaimer : All images are for illustration purposes only and this blog author does not claim any copyright to the published images and he only copied the images already publicly available on the internet (unless stated). The blog author also wishes to state that his opinion posted on this blog are his alone and not paid by any political parties.

Mind Your Language !

For Malay language version please visit here.

"English is a Germanic language formed by a fusion of Old English and Norse. If you want to talk about religion or science or law or medicine you must use Latinate words (from French or Latin) and a smattering of Greek. English is basically a skinny barely functional body of Germanic (bones, basic organs and muscles) with a huge overgrowth and brain of Latin and Greek words, more than trebling it in size. Sort of like a massive genius head crab perched on a hillbilly."

The quote above is one posted by a user on an internet forum that I usually frequent and I like that considering that language, as in many other things in Malaysia has and is being politicized much by almost every segment of the society.

There’s this issue about teaching Science and Mathematics in English which I believe now has been scrapped and the call to uphold the Bahasa Kebangsaan (which I very much agree despite ironically I’m posting my blog articles in English).

There are people especially from the upper middle class to the higher class (the haves and the have yachts) who are probably thinking without saying out loud that we should be better replacing Malay as the national language to English. They gave us various reasons to support their claims like most accessible knowledge currently can be found in English.

Photo credit: Google Images

On the other hand, there are those who have said that English, while it’s certainly important, is just a tool. Our dependence of the English language is that we as a society has grown into the end user, rather that becoming the inventor. We are seeking knowledge, not creating and expanding them. We can’t say as of now that the people in Japan, Germany and France for example don’t even bother to make English as their first language since they are a nation of inventors and people even have to learn their language to further develop their product.

Photo credit: Google Images

While I find nothing wrong with learning Science and Mathematics in English for schoolchildren, there are two equally possible scenarios that can happen if that is continued.

First, the students will be better equip to look up further information on their own from outside sources (like the internet) and develop thinking of their own rather than what’s only been though in the classroom. Besides the knowledge in Mathematics and Science, they can also master English at the same time (I don’t know whether killing 2 birds with 1 stone applied to this).

Second scenario however, without proper basic in English, the students may be left behind because they will not know what’s being teach. The terms use in those subjects maybe alien to them and this will cause them to lose interest in the subjects since they can’t catch up. This is because they need to learn and master English first before even learning other subjects in English.

Photo credit: Google Images

There is nothing wrong whatsoever in learning other language. In fact I have regretted that I did not properly learn Arabic and French in school while I had the chance (Arabic is compulsory while French is optional). In fact, the earlier Muslim thinkers actually learn Greeks and Latin too to collect earlier knowledge before translating them to Arabic and then expanding upon the knowledge, creating new stuff with them which contributed to what is known as the Islamic Golden Age when non-Muslim Europe at that time were living in the so called the Dark Ages. In the ninth century, the library of the monastery of St. Gall was the largest in Europe. It boasted 36 volumes. At the same time, Cordoba’s library contained over 500,000.

Photo credit: Google Images

During the renaissance the Europeans use all the discoveries to kick start their scientific revolution which leads to the Enlightenment and subsequently to this modern age. They have rediscovered their Graeco-Roman roots via what was saved actually by the Islamic thinkers and even translated Arabic text to their own language. So like the Arabs (including Persians and many other Muslims at that time) and the Europeans, we should not be shy to learn other languages.

Photo credit: Google Images

However we should not forgets our own language. We should not however content to being the end user. Once we become an inventor, others will come and learn our own. After all, Malay is not a ‘small’ language. It’s a language (including all the dialects) being spoken by more than 150 million people. However, to become inventor we should all learn a new language, a language that can send humans to the moon and outer space.

We should all learn Java ! 

Photo credit: Google Images

Disclaimer : All images are for illustration purposes only and this blog author does not claim any copyright to the published images and he only copied the images already publicly available on the internet (unless stated). The blog author also wishes to state that his opinion posted on this blog are his alone and not paid by any political parties.

Look East Policy

For Malay language version please visit this link.

Nakanu nara, koroshite shimae, hototogisu 

(If the cuckoo does not sing, kill it.)

Nakanu nara, nakasete miyou, hototogisu 

(If the cuckoo does not sing, coax it.)

Nakanu nara, naku made matou, hototogisu 

(If the cuckoo does not sing, wait for it.)

The senry (Japanese form of short poetry) above are best described the important characters that contributed the most for Japan’s unification post Sengoku Jidai or Japan’s medieval age civil war where the first line is attributed to Oda Nobunaga, the second to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the final to Tokugawa Ieyasu who later on form the Shogunate that lasted for few centuries until the modernization of Japan. 

The poetry describes the characters for their traits where Oda is known for his ruthlessness in the first verse, Toyotomi for his resourcefulness in the second verse and finally Tokugawa for his perseverance and patience in the final verse.

Photo credit: Google Images

The Sengoku period happened from 1467 until 1603 before Japan is finally united after the previous Ashikaga Shogunate lost power and control over Japan and warlords pop up all over using war and diplomacy to become the next Shogun (which meant supreme military leader). Even though the Emperor is the highest authority in theory, he basically just governed issues related to custom and ceremonies while the temporal power were in the hands of the Shogun and other military commanders (sounds familiar?).  

Photo credit: Google Images

The war basically goes on for the next one and a half century before Japan was finally united by the three characters above.

The interesting thing to note is that Oda was a ruthless general he almost successfully capable to unify all of Japan if he was not assassinated by one of his closest companion through treachery. It’s very interesting also to learn that his companion was actually coaxed by his another companion, the one who eventually succeed him to do the traitorous deeds. So, to cut thing short, Oda is killed by his friend who upon instigation from Hideyoshi, seek out to assassinate him for some made up reasons.   

(Do you think this sounds contemporaneously similar?).

Photo credit: Google Images

Hideyoshi through diplomacy (and some said intimidation too) manage to make all other warlords make peace with him and support him for the invasion of Korea. Even though he can be consider the supreme military commander at that time, he was not eligible to become a Shogun since we was originally from the peasant stock and not the ancient samurai lineage. 

Finally, after he died and nominated his heir to succeed him the power eventually fell upon one of heir’s guardian. Tokugawa was believed to have already planned the ambition to become the Shogun and rather than take power by force but wait until the opportune moment.  He initiated a scenario where the final civil wars were forced upon him starting with the Sekigahara campaign and ended with the Siege of Osaka where all his opponents are obliterated or forced to submit to his sole power.

With the end of the civil war period, he can now petition the Emperor to grant him and his descendants the Shogunate office which had ruled Japan until 1868.

When Tun Mahathir announced the ‘Look East Policy’ in 1982 I was too young to remember what it’s all about so maybe I’m looking from a different angle and my interest in Japan was not economics but more about history.  I’m still looking at this when Mahathir retired and was replaced first by Oda Nobunaga (I mean Tun Abdullah) and later by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (current Prime Minister Najib Razak).

Photo credit: Google Images

I am wondering who will become Tokugawa Ieyasu? Who have the perseverance and patience to wait. Easiest bet will be Tan Sri Muhyiddin of course as a natural successor since he’s the current Deputy Prime Minister but then Tun Mahathir himself was served by 4 different deputies so there’s no guarantee that Muhyiddin will survive.

There’s also the high equally possibilities that the BN will fail to win the next general election. If that happen then I will then tell the end of the Shogunate days.

Until then, just let the cuckoo sings.

Disclaimer : All images are for illustration purposes only and this blog author does not claim any copyright to the published images and he only copied the images already publicly available on the internet (unless stated). The blog author also wishes to state that his opinion posted on this blog are his alone and not paid by any political parties.