Women' s power in Sichuan earthquake relief

What touched and moved Uncle Ng in our exchanges of observations on the terrible Sichuan earthquake was the massive and impressive participation of women in the rescue and relief operations, especially as PLA soldiers as well as doctors and nurses. He recalled that in Old China, many women could not even run for their very own lives when natural disasters struck because their feet were physically bound. Of course, he also remembered that in Old China, even warlords' and/or KMT's soldiers joined the bandits in looting orgies in disaster-ravaged areas and one of the looters' most sought after 'treasures' to be taken homes was women who could not run because their feet were bound. After that, according to him, opium traders and all types of 'holy men' would move in to operate their businesses among the poor survivors, especially orphaned youths who were malleable and illiterate women who were too old to be 'looted' by bandits and/or soldiers and carried back to their homes or camps, or sold to wealthy families or brothels.

Overcoming superstition in developing China

Selangor sends relief team to quake-hit China

According to Harakah Daily, the Pakatan government in Selangor has sent a team of humanitarian relief team of medical and paramedical personnel to quake-hit Sichuan to help the people of China. At 3.00 pm on 21 May (Wed), Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim also led a delegation of the State's EXCO and Pakatan's Assemblymen to the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to sign the condolence book and express deep sympathy to the government and people of China. Let us wish the team members selamat jalan and selamat bertugas.

Humanitarianism knows no borders or skin colors

Overcoming superstition in developing China

Early this morning, I went to yam char with my friend Beng Ching and his family in downtown Kuala Lumpur and the earthquake in Sichuan naturally became a hot topic of our conversation. According to Beng Ching's 85-year old father, now that New China has progressed - as compared to the yesteryears in Old China when he was born as a poor boy in a peasant's family - in science and techonology, the post-quake people over there should be much less susceptible or psychologically vulnerable to "attacks" of superstitious ideas and rumours as well as fatalistic 'teachings' that thrive on fear, sadness, helplessness and loneliness as well as the refusal to believe or inability to explain the abrupt, surreal and devastating changes in the living environments. He also opined that besides the scientific and technological budgets, instruments and personnel, the drastic reduction of illiteracy rate and also popularisation of science-based modern education at all levels in China have also contributed to the progressive improvement of the systems of psychological defence against superstition and fatalism. Uncle Ng has not forgotten how one of his male relatives during his childhood days in Old China became an opium addict to escape from unbearable realities after a flood had destroyed his house and farm.

No looting reported so far in quake-hit China

No looting reported so far in quake-hit China

Observing China from Melbourne, Lucia has just called and asked me if I have so far come across any reports, whether from Chinese and non-Chinese sources, about thugs and goons looting in the quake-hit areas in Sichuan. My answer is simply no but I may not be right. So, those who have read such news reports, feel free to email me a set.

American recalls quake experiences in China

M' sian ban on Karen Armstrong' s book lifted

According to a report in Bernama, the Home Ministry has lifted the ban on the book A History of God: The 4000-year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam authored by a British scholar on comparative religions Dr. Karen Armstrong who was invited by Foreign Ministry's Institute of Foreign Relations (IDFR) to give public lecture in Kuala Lumpur last year while the book was still being publicly banned but has always been privately available in many bookshops in Malaysia. There are also Chinese and Indonesian editions of A History of God.

Court in M' sia to decide name for One True X

American recalls quake experiences in China

According to lucky Donna Murphy, an American tourist and panda-lover who personally experienced, eyewitnessed and survived in the earthquake in the Sichuan province in southwest China recently, there was "no looting" and "no anger" among the Chinese people she saw in the immediate aftermath. Murphy and her husband Dale as well as ten other Americans were stranded in the quake-jolted area for two days before they were rescued by the PLA.

Psychological aids for quake-traumatised kids

Psychological aids for quake-traumatised kids

China does not seem to be only good at doing 'big and tangible things' like pouring 130,000 troops into quake-hit Sichuan within three days for the rescue and relief operations but also not too bad in providing 'small and intangible things' to children traumatised by the calamity. The communist government in China has also pledged to bury all the dead, take full care of all survivors and support all orphans until they have grown up and completed education at the post-secondary level. As I said earlier, given the proven resilience of the Chinese people in confronting natural disasters of all types throughout its very eventful history, hope would soon prevail again over despair, and the human energies for reconstruction, over all the destructive forces of nature.

To share sorrow & grief with people of China

PAS MP challenges distorted history in Dewan

Newly elected PAS MP for Kuala Selangor Dr. Zulkifri Ahmad argued in the Dewan Rakyat on 20 May (Tues) that “contemporary destructive communal politics might have originated from distorted historical literature”. Earlier in August 2006, the same Dr. Zulkifri Ahmad also published a very historic as well as ground-breaking commentary in Harakah, reaffirming that " history cannot ignore the fact that the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) had also played a role in fighting for the independence of this country" and that "CPM had been active in its campaign for independence since its formation in May 1930". Dr. Zulkifri Ahmad, 52, holds a doctorate degree in Medical Science (Toxicology) from the Imperial College (St. Mary Hospital) in Britain.

Indian martyrdoms for Malaya's independence

Indonesia' s Marxist Oey Hay Djeon dies at 84

Oey Hay Djeon, the full-text translator of German thinker Karl Marx's three-volume masterpiece Das Kapital and other theoretical writings into Indonesian language, died recently in Jakarta at 84 and he was laid to rest on May 19 (Monday). One of his old friends and comrades Suriani Abdullah nee Eng Ming Ching would like to express on public record her deep sympathy and condolence and those of her husband Abdullah CD as well as their children and grandchildren to the family of the deceased. Suriani, who now lives in southern Thailand, added: "As the first full-text Indonesian/Malay translator of Karl Marx's Das Kapital and many other writings, Oey Hay Djeon's contribution to the enrichment of intellectual thinking in the Indonesian/Malay-language world is certainly very great and his departure is a loss to all of us".

Remember victims of Suharto' s White Terror

Farewell to friend, ex-CJ Anuar Zainal Abidin

My wife Po Chin and myself would like to extend our very deep condolence to the family of Tan Sri Anuar Zainal Abidin, a former Chief Justice (CJ) of Malaya, who passed away on May 18 (Sunday) at 76. I remember Tan Sri Anuar fairly clearly as a very amicable, knowledgeable and also broadminded character who participated with me and many others in the The 4th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights held in Jakarta City on 12-13 July, 2001.

We remember Tan Sri Anuar, then a Suhakam Commisioner, staying in the same hotel, sharing meals, touring in and around Jakarta for sightseeing and also enjoying keroncong Bengawan Solo as well as a stage performance of Ramayana with us and many friends from other countries. My love for otak-otak or Indonesian/Malay-style fish paste did not escape his discerning eyes. Most important of all, I remember him as a fair-minded person with integrity. Rest in peace, Yang Arif.

Rustam Sani' s books launched with memorial

To share sorrow & grief with people of China

There will be no blogging in Clare Street from now on for three days as a mark to share the sorrow and grief of the Chinese people on the massive destruction of lives and properties in the quake-hit Sichuan.

Sharing Pak Said' s very happy moment in life

Besides Rustam Sani, Pak Said is another private teacher (as well as good neighbour) of mine since we first befriended each other in Kuala Lumpur in 1996. Professor Dato' Dr. Abdul Rahman Embong, among others, was also present to share the joyous occasion with Pak Said as well as his anak-anak, cucu-cucu and cicik-cicik but we all certainly missed Makcik Salmah who made coffee for us whenever we visited Pak Said in their USJ 11 house for serious or leisurely conversations. Before the birthday party began, we all observed a minute of silence to share our soorow and grief with the families of the victims of the powerful earthquake in China as well as massive cyclone in Myanmar.

Dr. Syed Husin Ali shares joy with Said Zahari

Dr. Syed Husin Ali shares joy with Said Zahari

University of Malaya's former professor of sociology and antropology Dr. Syed Husin Ali also joined the party today to celebrate Pak Said's 80th birthday. Dr. Syed is now the Deputy President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) which is now the single largest opposition party in the Parliament and in power in four states, namely Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor. He still habitually wears short-sleeve shirt and slippers.

Pak Said celebrate 80th birthday with friends

Pak Said celebrate 80th birthday with friends

Pak Said has always been a very sociable man with many good friends of different cultures and languages. Well-known businessman Mr. Tan Kai Hee and the legendary Dr. MK Rajakumar are among those of Pak Said's kawan-kawan lama, and three of them also share the common experience of being jailed without trials by their political opponents.

Chinese Studies professor salutes Said Zahari

On behalf of all of us, Dr. Chia Oai Peng (above) not only wished Pak Said happy birthday but also salute him as an extraordinary man with praiseworthy idealism and a steely determination to uphold political principle and personal integrity. Dr. Chia, who once lectured at the University of Malaya and Peking Unversity, is an Associate Professor of the Centre for China Studies at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Rustam Sani' s books launched with memorial

Celebrating Said Zahari' s 80th birthday in KL

I just came home from downtown Kuala Lumpur after attending the 80th birthday party of Pak Said. Besides Pak Said's anak cucu, about 150 friends from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand as well as Hong Kong gathered at the Royale Bintang Hotel to wish him Selamat Hari Jadi.

Said Zahari confident of a better M' sia for all

More miraculous survivors rescued in Sichuan

There are indeed exceptions to the general observation that human beings cannot survive for 72 hours without any food and drink under adverse external environment or circumstances like being trapped in debris and rubble in the powerful earthquake that has jolted Sichuan.

PLA' s women in rescue operations in Sichuan