Teropong Dunya Aki Andan: May 2007

Dear readers

All are welcome to leave comments.

In Dayak Iban system of belief there is no Aki Andan but only the legendary Ini Andan. Aki Andan is deliberately used here merely to denote a male counterpart and not in any way to be construed as her spouse as there being none. Ini Andan occupies a very special social and spiritual station. She is also in possession of many special skills, which among others, the ability to foretell with accuracy what is to come in the near future and also often the saviour of the wounded and downtrodden. Not specifically endowed with such skills or abilities, hence her modern male counterpart has to use the 'teropong' to look into the distant future.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Liberty Equality Fraternity/Liberté, égalité, fraternité

The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Enlightenment principles of democracy, citizenship, and inalienable rights.

Many of us were students of European history in our secondary school days. The catchwords of the French Revolution "Liberté, égalité, fraternité", which means "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" therefore were nothing new in both our understanding and their origin.

I am not asking any of us to stage a revolution now or in the future. What I am trying to drive home is the fact that our people (Malaysian voters) have to be paid in cash or in kinds in order to exercise our democratic rights that are well set out in our Constitution. On the other hand, the French had to exchange democratic rights with their lives for posterity to enjoy as manifested in the above mentioned catchwords.

Why must we be induced with sewing machines, the cleaning of blocked drains, the repainting of mosques and churches or temples, bicycles, checking of health status, zinc roofing, etc to vote for someone to represent us in the legislature. It's a real mockery of parliamentary democracy. The Ijok case is really a joke of the decade to all lovers of democracy and social justice. I would have given the winner a heroic salute had it been the germane to real democracy. But the way it had taken place I can never be a proud Malaysian voter.