The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion
The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion |
| Posted: 15 May 2013 04:26 PM PDT
MAY 16 — I haven't written in a while and I was sorely tempted to join in the torrent of columns and opinions discussing the exciting and tumultuous developments prior, during and after the 13th general election. However, for now, permit and indulge me to share with you a recent experience before I get serious. There are a few experiences which we can all say have been memorable or may have made a difference in our lives in more ways than one. For example, riding a bike, getting kissed for the first time, being dumped by your first boyfriend or girlfriend, getting kicked in the nuts (a guy never forgets his first time), getting rotan-ed by your teacher, voting, getting married and divorced, or the death of a loved one. Something happens and we move in a different direction (sometimes we have a choice or most times, not) while being kicked in the butt to move us speedily on our way. Arguably, not unlike Bilbo and Frodo, just without the furry legs and taste for potatoes and evil jewellery. This year for me, that moment occurred when I wore contact lenses for the first time. People who have been wearing these things for ages or not at all may wonder, what's the big deal about wearing contact lenses? Ever since I was four years old, I have worn glasses or spectacles. I was that kid in school who wore dark-rimmed thick and heavy spectacles whose nose would be penyet by the combined weight of the glass lenses and frame. I can assure you that neither the Harry Potter nor J.J. ABrams look was in vogue at the time. The reason for my short-sightedness had been attributed to watching too much television at close range (a rationale which every kid wearing spectacles has probably been subject to), to being punished by God due to minor to moderate-level sins done in a previous life (I thought that this was sort of harsh, after all whatever it was, I didn't do it). Equipped with glasses supplied by the UK's National Health Service, I would go through school and early life, peering at objects near and far, broken spectacles (repaired with cellophane tape and, at one point, Plasticine), and being called unkind and uncreative names in the school playground ("four eyes" was common, "specky" and "burung hantu" were favourites). Over three decades, I have been told that due to the increasing power needed to deal with my myopia, I would have to wear these things for life and that there would be no other alternative. Searching for an object on the ground without glasses often brought to mind the tune from Three Blind Mice. I looked enviously at persons wearing cool-looking shades or sunglasses especially after watching the movie "Top Gun". But recently, after a little bit of argument and many expressions of disbelief (on my face) and of exasperation (on the faces of a friend and the salesgirl at the optical shop, both of whom were trying to convince me and had their patience sorely tested), I decided to get contact lenses. There's a brand of contact lenses out there which claims that the experience of wearing them is life-changing. I was sceptical about it before but not anymore. For the first time in my life since I was four, I am now able to look at my face without the need of glasses. It is no exaggeration for me to say that the first time I put on my contacts (after almost an hour of shoving my fingers into my eyeballs, eyebrows and forehead), I saw the face of a stranger looking back at me in the mirror. It felt and looked strange. I saw in stark relief lines and textures on my face which had been obscured or unclear before (I should really heed the advice to wash my face properly and more often). It felt like freedom. I suddenly had a vision unobscured by a frame and completely without a boundary between clarity and blurriness. I imagined that I could see new colours and shades which I had never noticed or seen before. I felt a sudden burst of newfound confidence and energy. I also suddenly felt incredibly vain. I went to the office fully convinced that people would remark on my new appearance sans glasses. An entire day went by. Not a single person made a passing comment or even remarked that I looked different. You could almost hear my vanity deflate like a whoopee cushion in the background. But you know what? It feels good wearing contact lenses. I feel like I am ready for a whole new adventure involving saline solutions, renewing prescriptions and times when I am telling people to not move as I grope the ground for a fallen lens. The sun feels great on my face. And I can finally wear those cheap cool sunglasses which you can get at the beach! * This article is dedicated to the Malaysian Glaucoma Society and to the one whose Katy Perry toenails continue to dazzle the eyes. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist. | |
| Posted: 15 May 2013 04:18 PM PDT
MAY 16 — BN is experiencing a taste of its own medicine, possibly for five straight years more, and the coalition may expire at the end of it. Because at the end of the term, the toll on the psyche of the party faithful could be too much to bear — and force the party on a path of no return, at least no more back to mainstream politics. For its leaders can't catch a break. For the next few days the new Cabinet will be the main punching bag for the Malaysian public. Few of us can define inspiration but most of us can sense it, and a full cavity search of those named to lead the country will lead to a simple conclusion, there is little inspiration let alone aspiration among those selected to lead this country through the better part of the second decade of the new millennium coming up. But the Cabinet is not my focus today even if its members are right, front and centre of my dissection. It is that after 10 days of being declared the winners of the national election by the body which reports to their prime minister, they feel like anything but winners. The prime minister, his deputy, his former and present Cabinet, they all appear a bit woozy — a little like second hand akin to a Sunday after a drinking binge without the drinking binge. When they lost the popular vote in 1969, Umno had time to regroup because of emergency law in effect following street violence. This time the emptiness enveloping the Putra World Trade Centre must be overwhelming. There may be only 47 per cent of Malaysians in favour of BN versus the impressive 52 per cent for Pakatan Rakyat, but the divide becomes even more pronounced when factoring the unprecedented levels of activism coupled with restraint from Pakatan supporters that for a casual observer arriving in Kuala Lumpur after awhile it may appear that BN have indeed lost the election. The BN medicine It is a fairly direct one, win only a single election every four plus years — all-or-nothing contest pitting the massive state resources of BN versus the rest — and tell everyone to clam up between the elections. It does put into perspective when analysed, between 1970 (post-New Economic Policy) and the Sunday before last, over 43 years Malaysians were allowed 10 times or 10 general elections or 10 voting days to give their say. Between those days — the years that pass — BN will kindly inform the people they have the popular vote and everyone should respect the situation. BN justifies the limited opportunity for the millions of Malaysians to speak out by arguing that they whether by a close or clear count have the majority of the votes. Why have elections so many times when the people always end up voting for us anyway, that's an exercise in futility. Now, with enough seats but not the popular vote BN must carry on while a very informed majority is opposed to them, an impatient majority that will remind them of that unshakeable fact. How will they spin that now? They have no capacity to change The handicap is further inflamed by the continued obstinacy of the present regime to change. Change is anathema to them, they are literally holding out till the rest of the population revert to the old reality of just accepting them, just because. The appointment of Khairy Jamaluddin was to echo a willing BN, but a swallow does not make a summer and the party ruled that he was guilty of some internal election infringements. Khairy may just regurgitate reform as a basis to differentiate himself from the rest of his party leaders and plan his own rise. Umno is not a party of reform. So two swords are pointed at the party, which was not before this election. That they are not changing their ways quickly enough, and for the general public to give a long sigh and comment that this is why they are the first functioning minority government ever (while the Alliance lost the popular vote in 1969 the pursuant link up with the usurpers Gerakan, PPP (People's Progressive Party) and PAS made them a unity government). Quietly I admit it does endear to me seeing BN struggle, still I realise that the country will pay the price of the government of the day. Even now, the prime minister is unwilling to compromise his own intentions to stay as Umno president by undercutting the key strength of his presumed opponent, his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the race card. Four years of 1 Malaysia may have raised Datuk Seri Najib Razak to being a person markedly more popular than his party, but it has upset many inside the party. Muhyiddin's direct and simple race focus left him as the more Umno-like leader. And the day after winning the election, Najib went for the jugular by blaming them. No Umno leader is ever weak inside his party when he is attacking the Chinese community, and Najib knows it only too well because his father wrote the playbook. Najib does not hate the Chinese anymore than he hates Transformers toy sets, but he did not waste any time to get into his Umno election mode. So for all those who did vote for Najib because they did honestly believe he would change would be ruing the lost opportunity. Mind you, after retaining the Umno presidency he will revert to Mr 1 Malaysia without missing a heartbeat. Four more years, or maybe not Umno and the coalition it lords have four years, or they may decide sooner the present power equation is too annoying. There will be more permutations in the country as video streaming becomes more prevalent. The extent of what the general public can know, and then interact and hit out at government will spread. That and seeing Datuk Nazri Aziz as tourism minister, have we ever lived in more interesting times? * This is the personal opinion of the columnist. |
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