Reading the Quran Translation

Al-Fatihah

1. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. 3. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 4. Master of the Day of Judgment. 5. You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help. 6. Show us the Straight Path. 7. The Path of those whom You have bestowed Your Blessings, not of those upon whom be Your wrath, nor of those who go astray.

I've been meaning to read the Quran translation for years, but never really got round to it. Even bought the Translation by Yayasan Restu about 2 years ago but kept putting it off.. This Ramadhan, I told myself that it was finally time.

And now I realize how much I have missed all these years. The Great Book has clarified a few doubts that I had in my mind about certain issues. It makes many things so clear. I love reading about the Prophets. The stories of the prophets and their struggles made me realize how difficult it was for each of them before in their quest to spread the magnificence of Allah. And yet they persevered despite being tortured and shunned, some even by their own immediate families. The challenges that they had to endure were really frightening and beyond imagination. I feel so, so small and insignificant in comparison.

It is time to learn more about my Creator and the reason why I am put on this earth.. I am so blessed by Allah in so many uncountable ways that saying Thank You and Syukur Alhamdulillah seems so utterly understated...

Ya Allah, please show me the straight path, the path of those You have bestowed Your Blessings.

Last words

A friend's husband passed away on Saturday morning. He wasn't feeling well the night before, and after a trip to the clinic, he came home to sleep, as he normally did. He never woke up.

There are no words to comfort Norita. She didn't have the opportunity to say goodbye. To say sorry, to say thank you, to say words of love and affirmation to the person who was closest and most important in her life. It was too sudden. There were no signs. His last words to her were not significant.

Norita is now left with 4 young children to care for. The eldest boy is only 12 and the youngest is merely 3. It's hard enough being a mother, but to have to shoulder the responsibility of bringing the children up all alone seems most unbearable. It's so traumatic and I couldn't stop crying. I pray that Allah will give her the strength and will to carry on..

Being with her on Saturday made me think of how precious life is and how we take many things that we have for granted. How we take the people that we love for granted. I cannot imagine not having AZ or any of my kids in my life. I don't think I will have the strength to go on and face life without any of them. It makes me think of my own mortality. I so fear that my last words to them will not be ones of love and encouragement. I want them to always remember me as someone who love them utterly and unconditionally. That I am their biggest fan and most ardent supporter.

I pray to Allah that when my time comes, I will be given the opportunity to say sorry, thank you and goodbye. To say to AZ that he is the most important person in my life and how I love him so fiercely; to tell my kids how absolutely precious they are and how proud I am of each of them; to tell my family how special they are in my life and how much they each mean to me.

Death is certain. Every day is a gift from God. Use it wisely and spend it with the people that you love, doing the things that you love. Never go to bed angry. Make amends with your loved ones. Say sorry even if you know it's not your fault. Tell them you love them, every day. You never know if those words are the last ones you will ever hear or say.

Occupational Hazard

Have been having too much on my plate these past 2 weeks. Too many meetings & deadlines. Having to solve problems faced by others, some of which were too complicated for words. Been spending some time in KL High Court & Melaka High Court for Hearings. Clients pressing for Agreements, one of which is a mind-numbing Shareholders Agreement of unfriendly parties. 

Why do people get themselves into such complicated business relationships and situations? Then they look for lawyers who have too think of how best to solve their predicament! It's been affecting me quite badly this time that I find myself awake in the middle of the night not being able to go back to sleep. I guess this comes with the job.. Sigh.. 

I just feel I need a holiday REALLY badly.. Just need to get away..

Of Love and Betrayal

A close friend just discovered that her husband has a second wife, who is now pregnant with their 3rd child. Needless to say, she is extremely devastated. There are no words to say to make her feel any better. I cannot think of anything to say. So, we just both cried while i held her hand when she poured out her story. About love and hope. About trust and betrayal. About what life has been for her and her 4 children. Her husband must have been married for at least 5 years: All 5 years of lies, deceit and betrayal. It's terrible.

I cannot imagine how some men could live a double life. I've been informed by a man who is living a similar situation that he didn't want to hurt his first wife, whom he loves, by telling her about his second family. How can you love someone and lie to them on a daily basis? How can you say you love someone and betray her trust in you? A Husband is the closest person to a Wife, the person she trusts most with her life. He is her protector, her ardent supporter, her lover and her best friend. Well, that is what I feel a husband should be to a wife. And vice versa.

So, what do you say to a person who discovers that her best friend, her protector, the person closest to her heart & soul, has betrayed her for the past 5 years? There are no words. It goes far beyond pain and hurt; it is affecting her self esteem and self worth. She feels she is a failure. That she has lost everything that she had carefully built all these years. She has lost her best friend and soulmate to someone else. It's just too painful to bear. 

I just wish all men would realize how deeply they affect the women in their relationships. A husband is almost everything to a woman. He is her strength and her weakness. He is her source of joy and happiness. His being with her boosts her confidence and self esteem. He is a part of her. She needs him to be with her and to reassure her that he will always be there for her when she needs him. To love and trust. This is the whole basis of a marriage, to a woman. When this trust is crushed, what is left is an empty shell. 

To my dear friend, may Allah give you the strength during this difficult time. I pray that Allah will guide you to the correct path as you make this very important decision in your life. Take care, and hang in there.

My journey through the Blogworld

It has just been over a year since I first started my blog. Looking back, I wrote my first posting on 4th March 2008. It seems like so long ago! I had posted exactly 100 postings since then & this is my 101st. Wow. How time flies.

At the start, I certainly had some reservations about  putting my thoughts into digital form for the world to read and criticize; I was so afraid of being judged. But as days turn to months, I realized that the blog is actually one of the best ways to keep a record of the events that happen in my life. I begin to understand that the blog is for me first, and then for others.

Danaukaseh is my life journal. It documents special occasions, and not-so-special occasions; Some fears and anxieties that I choose to share; Some triumphs and tribulations; Thoughts about people whom I care about; Lessons learned; Proud & Happy moments; Some concerns as a wife, a mother, a sister and a friend. It allows me to document my feelings in digital archives, as a reminder to me and a story for my children when they grow up. 

And I feel lucky that I have family & friends who have given me a lot of encouragement and support through danaukaseh. Giving motivation when I'm down; Sharing happy events and proud moments; Offering thoughtful advice - all through comments made in danaukaseh. Thank you, to all of you for making the time to visit, and for sharing your thoughts. I made some new acquaintances and renewed lost friendships through my blog. For that, I'm truly grateful.

I have learned so much in the past one year in my journey through the Blogworld. About me, about people and about the virtual community. I will share more about this one day.

Happy 1 Year, Danaukaseh (^_^)

Datuk Shah Rukh Khan

It is with deep regret that the State of Malacca has found it fit to confer the award of Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka which carries with it the title of "Datuk" to someone who doesn't even know the exact location of this State in the map of Peninsular Malaysia. It is just so unimportant and insignificant to Shah Rukh Khan that he didn't even bother to attend the acceptance ceremony last Saturday. 

When I first heard this ludicrous news last Thursday, I seriously thought it was a joke. Then I later realize that this tragic news was true. I felt so angry and disappointed. How could this have  happened?

I know of so many more deserving Malaccans who have sacrificed so much of their lives for the State & they have not been given any award at all, let alone one which carries the title Datuk. I personally interact with some respectable people who have spent more than 20 years of their lives in the civil service or working in the State agencies, who had contributed so much in enhancing Malacca both socially & economically, and none of these people have been recognized for their tireless efforts. It's a real shame.

It is also unfair to the real-deserving people who have been conferred the award on merit as the title now seems so meaningless. As a Malaccan, I just feel so sad with the situation.

What is wrong with the powers that be in Malacca?

To be a True Malaysian

What does it take to be a true Malaysian?

The events of the past few months in the political arena in Malaysia have prompted me to ask this question over and over again. 

Being a lawyer by profession, my first instinct would be to go back to basics and submit that the Federal Constitution provides a clear definition of Citizenship under Article 14 which states that "every person born before Malaysia Day (16/9/1963) who is a citizen of the Federation by virtue of the provisions contained in Part I of the Second Schedule; and every person born after Malaysia Day and having any qualifications specified in Part II of the Second Schedule" are citizens of Malaysia. So, after 16/9/1963, you just need to be born in Malaysia and comply with the qualifications as specified to be a citizen of Malaysia. 

But this is merely a provision of the law. The real question is: What does it take to be a true Malaysian, in your mind, heart and spirit?

Do you have to be Malay by birth to be a true Malaysian? Can't the Chinese or Indian or Iban by birth be a true Malaysian? Do you have to be Muslim to be a true Malaysian? Do you have to be living and working in Malaysia to be a true Malaysian? Do you have to be a government servant to be a true Malaysian? Do you have to fight for Malaysia in a war to be a true Malaysian? What do you need to contribute to be a true Malaysian?

What about someone who has a Malay father and a Chinese mother? Are they less Malaysian than someone who has both parents who are Malays? What about the person who is born a Malay, educated in England his whole life and decides to work in England and only come back to Malaysia on special occasions? Is he still more Malaysian than his Chinese kampung friend who lives in Malaysia all his life and never went out of the country a day of his life? 

It is inevitable that every time the issue of the rights of a Malaysian is raised, it becomes a racial issue. Are you Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban? It seems that your right as a Malaysian differs in accordance with your race, contrary to the expressed provision of Article 8 of the Federal Constitution on Equality which clearly states that "there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing pr carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment."

For Malays like myself, could it be that we have been so indoctrinated by the fact that we were the original owner of the Tanah Melayu that we see ourselves as being more Malaysian than the other races? But most of the people from other races have been here for 3 or 4 generations or even more. Some of their ancestors had made Tanah Melayu their home since the 1400s. Today's generation have only Malaysia to call their home. Are they not as Malaysian as the Malays?

I was born and bred in Malaysia. My whole family is living in Malaysia. I am building my life with my beloved in Malaysia. We raise our children in Malaysia. We do travel abroad once in a while but it never crossed our minds to ever leave Malaysia and live elsewhere. Our future is in Malaysia. Malaysia is our home. We love our country. 

And I believe the same feeling is shared by many other Malaysians, regardless of race or religion. I believe the time has come for the Malays to face to the fact that Malaysia is made out of people from different races, religions and cultures. We have to embrace the fact that the place we call home must be shared with others who love this country just as much as we do. We are all Malaysians.

I will end by sharing with you what, to me, was the most compelling image of the Beijing Olympics 2008: In the Badminton Men's semi-finals, after an exciting match and a tremendous fight, Lee Chong Wei won over the Korean player. As soon as he won, he kissed the Malaysian flag embroidered on his jersey twice. Then, he immediately rushed to his coach Misbun Sidek & embraced him, like a son to his father. Misbun literally carried Chong Wei. When I saw this on TV, tears welled in my eyes. This is what being a Malaysian is all about; and it transcends race and religion. 

Negaraku. Tanah tumpahnya darahku.

The Historic Debate

I was one of the millions of Malaysians who was glued to the TV this evening to watch the Historic Debate between Anwar Ibrahim & Shabery Cheek on the Rise in Fuel Price in Malaysia. Did you watch it?

Wow! What a Show! Glad I didn't miss it. So, how would I judge the Debate from a purely objective point of view?

To me: Anwar won the Debate, hands down. 

Shabery was no match to Anwar. Seriously.

Anwar was truly in his element: as gentleman as ever, he was cool & composed as he clearly argued his points, supported by data, facts and figures. He explained his proposed mechanism to reduce the fuel price, all in layman's terms so that it could be understood even by pakciks in the kampungs. He resisted the temptation of using the forum to explain his personal issues even when goaded by Shabery. He didn't even waste any time responding to any of the personal attacks leveled at him by Shabery. He continued to stick to his point on fuel price & the management of the Economy. He gave credible and practical solutions. Hats off to Anwar. I give him full points.

Shabery, on the other hand, was only interested in leveling personal attacks on Anwar from the word go. He kept on going into history, not to make any point on the fuel price, but to criticize Anwar's past actions, even mentioning demonstrations led by Anwar as far back as 1974. What has that got to do with the recent fuel price hike? At this stage, especially in this Debate, Malaysians are not interested to hear about Anwar or his past. We want to know about the Government's plans to ease the burden of the Rakyat following the escalating food prices due to the rise in fuel price. Unfortunately, Shabery failed to explain this convincingly. He didn't answer much of the questions posed to him. He didn't clarify the Government's position clearly. By the 2nd session of the Debate, he had lost all credibility & most of his speech was off topic. Even by standards set in Secondary School level debating competitions, Shabery would have lost. It was quite disappointing.

I felt that the Finance Minister should have represented the Government instead. Why did they field Shabery for the Debate? He was clearly not equipped to face Anwar. I guess no other ministers dared to rise to the challenge.

But credit must be given to the Government for allowing the Debate to be aired live on TV for all Malaysians to see. This would never have have happened in the previous government.

Well, that's my take on the Historic Debate.

Let's hope that this will be the first of many more to come!

RM2.70

Unbelievable. RM2.70 per liter. Petrol was only RM1.92 per liter yesterday. Increased by 40.6% overnight! What is Pak Lah thinking? And that is not all. The petrol price will be reviewed every month! It is expected to increase up to RM4.00 per liter by August 2008. This is just too outrageous! More than 100% increase in just 2 months!

Unfortunately we do not have a good public transport system. In Melaka, the taxies are not even fixed with meters! Buses are scarce & most of them are not even fit to be on the road! So, the Government's argument that our fuel price is the cheapest in the region thus giving them the excuse to reduce the subsidies cannot be substantiated: Comparing to Singapore - yes, their fuel price is higher BUT look at their public transport system: It is world class. The MRTs are highly efficient & the buses are frequent & always on time. Comparing to Thailand - yes, their fuel price is higher BUT they do not have Tolls in Thailand. Comparing to Brunei - No, their fuel price is MUCH lower than Malaysia. They produce oil too, just like Malaysia. Comparing to Indonesia - yes, their fuel price is higher & look what's happening there: most cars are grounded as the car owners can't even afford to buy petrol for their cars - Is this what the Government want for Malaysians?

Everyone's worry is this: Transportation costs will immediately rise, which means that all prices for goods & services will also increase. Semua harga akan naik, naik, naik... Already Pak Lah announced that the electricity rate will increase by 18% for households from July onwards... sigh... :-(

Last night we thought of filling up our cars for just one last time before the price increase. However, as expected, every other car owner in Malaysia were also scrambling to fill up. All petrol stations we passed by had massive queues creating traffic jams everywhere. So, we drove away & told ourselves that it is time to really get used to the fact that we are no longer living in the good old days.

Today, all Malaysians woke up to not just higher fuel price, but also to the realization that worse things will come in the next few months.

Brace yourselves everyone! Be more prudent in spending!

Politics

When I first started my Blog, I never intended to turn it into a venue for political debates and forums. I still don't.

However, the events of the past few weeks have moved me to put up this posting on the political situation in Malaysia and my thoughts on this. Note that this is purely my take on the events from the outside looking in. I am no politician.

Let's start on the premise that most of us may think that the squabbling in UMNO & the pressure on Pak Lah to resign from being the Party's president doesn't affect us as we're not UMNO members. Unfortunately, the truth is, it does affect each and every Malaysian citizen. Why?

Because the fact is: the President of UMNO is the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

So, whether we are an UMNO member or not, whatever race we may be, we must be aware of what is going on in UMNO as it does affect our country and our future. It affects the stability of the country that we love so much. A weak leadership in UMNO means a weak leadership in the Federal Government, and this can't be good for Malaysia.

Personally, I feel that Pak Lah is not strong enough as a leader to lead UMNO and Malaysia during these times of uncertainties. He doesn't seem to command the attention of the masses. He doesn't inspire me when he speaks. He seems to be so out of touch with the sentiment of the people at large. He appears to be incapable of controlling even some of his cabinet ministers. He has managed to upset Sabahans who are now vocal about the seemingly unfair treatment by the federal government & they have threatened Pak Lah with a deadline for reforms. All these in the wake of escalating food prices, even for basic food items like Rice and infant milk. Malaysia needs a strong capable leader, now more than ever. I somehow cannot see it in Pak Lah.

His strongest critic thus far, Tun Dr Mahathir (TDM) has just announced his resignation from UMNO. This, I believe, will create HUGE waves in UMNO. UMNO members will need to take positive action to ensure the Party's survival. Its sad that UMNO's life member who holds registration #1 in UMNO register book, who had helmed the party for 22 years, who had contributed so much to the party, who was our PM for 22 years, has to take such drastic measures to make his stand clear and voice heard. Quoting TDM as he expressed his frustration:

"Dia masih berkata dia menang. Ini sukar diterima oleh orang Kedah, orang Pulau Pinang, orang Perak, Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan. Oleh kerana Dato Seri Abdullah buta mata dan pekak telinga dan tidak faham mesej ahli BN, oleh kerana ahli UMNO pun turut bersama, oleh kerana proses demokrasi tidak berjalan, oleh kerana UMNO yang ada sekarang bukan lagi UMNO yang ditubuhkan 62 tahun dahulu, saya berpendapat penyertaan saya sebagai ahli UMNO tidak bermakna dan tidak berguna lagi."

It is my hope that Pak Lah will stop being in denial. Face facts. Self-reflect. Soul-search. Bow out with dignity. It's not just for the sake of the stability of UMNO, but also for Malaysia.

It's a sad day for UMNO, for Malaysia. What will happen next? We can only wait and see..

The Maturing Electorate

The 12th General Election is just over. The result is quite shocking, both to BN & the Opposition parties. The people of Malaysia have spoken & their message to the Government is very loud & clear. We want a Government which is more transparent, accountable and more sensitive to the needs of the people. 

I feel excited about the election & the election results like never before. Maybe its the fact that I now understand better why and what I'm voting for. I now have expectations of the representatives that I voted into the Government. It's truly refreshing to actually care about who governs and what their policies and plans are for the rakyat.

To the Opposition parties forming the 5 state governments: your work is just beginning. 

The maturing electorate is watching.