THE TABLE IS BIGGER THAN THE GUN

It is our hope as human beings that somehow in our fractured, tortured and mixed up world the negotiating table will eventually prove to be more potent and successful than instruments of destruction and violence.

Of all the extraordinary images we have been shown these past days was the enormous table at which a retired president and a supreme leader had sat facing each other.

When they got off the table after three and a half hours, the two families of two ladies had their prayers over one hundred and forty days answered.

No doubt not every problem has been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. Problems and issues remain. But the path ahead may have subtly turned the corner and sitting down at the table may have become more possible and worthwhile than before.

When human beings sit down to talk, there is hope that some form of accommodation if not hard solution to serious disagreements and differences may be arrived at.

Across that giant table in Pyongyang, sworn enemies were able to talk to each other face to face. Of course that was preceded by a lot of behind the scene sitting and talking. (In my mind, I could “see” numerous tables of various sizes leading to the one big table.) The task must have been enormous and tireless. A lot of effort and initiative was expended before the one success was accomplished.

One small step courageously taken could yield benefits of great value. One small bomb could shatter limbs and rob human beings of ambition, dreams, life.

Talking is better than shooting.

In Pyongyang, West Bank, Jerusalem, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching…

 

THE PARABLE OF THE RAIN TREE – a personal experience

 

While some watch birds, I have always preferred trees myself. The best break I ever have always involves sitting where my eyes can behold the wonders of trees, unfailingly and truly a sight for my tired eyes, mind and heart.

Coming from Taiping, my favourite tree is the raintree, tall and sprawling. At the Taiping Lake Gardens, the branches of the raintree majestically bend down towards the water forming a manificent canopy of green archways over the road. You haven’t been to Taiping without cycling or driving under those archways, a singular sublime experience to cherish for a very long time.

As a matter of fact, raintrees do last a long time. In Taiping, they were there long before I was born and no doubt will be there long after my time on this earth.

What better symbol therefore for the status of Perak democracy than the humble raintree!

Derogatory talk therefore of the extraordinary session of the Perak State Assembly convened on Tuesday 3 March 2009 at 10.20am under the raintree across the road from the Perak State Secretariat Building is completely misplaced, shortsighted and shallow.

Barred from their normal home by the FRU, the State Assembly conducted its session under the raintree. As I walked towards it, I was recognised by some drivers/bodyguards and given access finding myself suddenly no more than thirteen feet from the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) and just five feet from the Speaker of the Assembly surrounded by full-suited state assemblymen. The business was conducted in an orderly, solemn manner and even the large crowd forming the outer circle quickly caught the mood and followed the proceedings in a reverent and respectful manner. For an outdoor environment, this was no small achievement.

Elsewhere this proceeding may have been much maligned and pronounced illegal but being there I saw nothing that was in any way discrediting to the august assembly.

In fact, this was very much a people’s parliament. As the rakyat, common people had access to the State Assembly proceedings. They came from all walks of life, dressed properly but without having to don formal (and expensive) clothes. As many who wanted to observe the proceedings had access to it. Despite the absence of the usual forbidding uniformed security personnel, neither myself nor the countless others sensed a security threat. The agenda was to the point and understandable to those present.

If this was not exemplary of what democracy should be, what is? It was people-friendly, accessible, pro-rakyat, responsible, responsive, orderly but welcoming. A kind of going home to the kampung or home-town feeling. Before my eyes, a grassroot state assembly session was taking place.

It was an intensely uplifting reinvigorating experience for me; a lesson in grassroot democracy. In one extraordinary moment, we see that democracy is by the people, of the people and for the people. Its symbolism is full of meaning, encouraging much imagination and dreams. YES WE CAN!

For all these weeks, the people could see only blockages, their wishes denied at every stage. By-elections for the three seats deemed to have fallen vacant with the presigned resignation letters; “No!” says the elections commission. Dissolution of the state assembly to pave the way for fresh elections; “No!” says the Ruler. Extraordinary session of the State Assembly; “No!” says the High Court. Entry into the State Assembly Hall; “No!” says the Federal Reserve Unit.

We saw only the negative, prevent-at-all cost strategy of the “new government”. Conscious or not, the message which comes out to the people is completely straightforward and unmistakable: “We just want to form the government without having to face elections by the people or having to prove our majority status by facing the state assembly; our claims to legitmacy is sufficient proof.”

Among its virtues, the humble raintree is resilient, durable, weather-hardened, withstanding years upon years of abuse of every kind. Without dedicated care or favour, it survives on its own. Left on its own, it thrives and grows. Human intervention and interference on the raintree is for human convenience not necessarily for the sake of the raintree.

After fifty-one years of independence, we Malaysians are now on a daily basis clearly seeing the strong arm of interested parties dismantling the pillars of democracy and the blatant attempts at bringing about the alchemy of the separation of powers. The signs are ominous and the times are very worrisome.

If not under the raintree, with all its comforting symbols of peace, hope, persistence, perseverance and durability, where else should I take my stand? Where else may I find shelter from the ruthless elements?

 

  

  

 

“INSPIRATIONS” FROM PERAK

“BLESSED” ARE THOSE IN PERAK WITH BACKACHE for they will find relief in Pahang.

“BLESSED” ARE THOSE WHO GO MISSING for they shall return with more of what they desire for themselves.

“BLESSED” ARE THOSE WHO BELONG TO TWO PARTIES for one or the other will surely be in power.

“BLESSED” ARE THOSE WHO SIGN A PLEDGE OF LOYALTY TO ONE MB for they shall get a chance to pledge their loyalty to a second MB.

“BLESSED” ARE THOSE WHO TAKE AND KEEP PEOPLE INCOMMUNICADO for theirs shall be four more assemblymen.

“BLESSED” ARE YOU WHO DO NOT WISH TO FACE AN ELECTION for it is so much safer and convenient to win the vote of just one person than to have to go after the votes of thousands of others.

“BLESSED” ARE THOSE WHO DENY AND AVOID ELECTIONS for the government shall be theirs.

“BLESSED” ARE THOSE IN PERAK for unto them hast been given two MBs to serve their every need.

 “BLESSED” ARE YOU WHO BY YOUR DECREE CREATED A VACANCY for all the people will now know you a lot better.

“BLESSED” ARE YOU WHO STRIVE TO BE FIRST (HOWEVER AND WHATEVER IT TAKES) for your term of office shall surely be filled with the just rewards of your deeds.

But,

MOST BLESSED ARE YOU WHO HAVE LOST TO HIJACKERS AND THIEVES WHAT THE PEOPLE HAD CONFERRED ON YOU for you shall be returned to office with a two-thirds majority!

 

 

 

THROWING-the-STONE

Apart from the Shot Put which is an Olympic sport which could be traced back to the games of Ancient Greece, the art of stone-throwing is not particularly a special skill requiring loads of talent and practice. Small boys and girls can throw stones quite naturally. Where stones are in supply, all it requires is that they bend their knees, retrieve the stone/s and then throw it at or to whatever target they have set for themselves. Like most things in life, of course a little practice will help you hit the target with better regularity.

 

Speaking of targets, of course the larger the target/s, both in size and number, the greater the likelihood of hitting them. 

 

There is a saying: “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!” A glass house is a dream target for stone throwers. With glass houses, the level of stone-throwing skill can be reduced quite drastically. You could hardly miss doing harm to glass houses. Throw it any which way, the stone will do the damage. As many of us have unfortunately found out, an entire windscreen can be shattered by just one small stone which is catapulted from the wheel of the lorry travelling in front of us.  

 

These days, you need hardly turn the page in the newspapers to find that a lot of stones are being thrown in our country. In the ongoing XXIX Olympiad, no foreigner will be faulted if s/he misses the name of our country in the medal list. But we can point out to all who would listen: place one finger on the top of the medal list, run it down, turn the page and start again, slow down and somewhere in the middle you will find for real a silver medal awarded to Malaysia. However, any stranger in the land will in next to no time discover that the sport of Throwing-the-Stone is Malaysia’s favourite game played by a group of competitors divided into two teams: Team G and Team O.

 

Any follower of the game will soon see that in this game, Team O has fewer stones than Team G. The reason being that Team G has access to all the stones they care to have whereas Team O could only pass the hat around and afford to obtain and equip themselves with a few stones. But then, as the game progresses, any fair-minded spectator will cry foul against Team O as they see the gross advantage they have over Team G in the matter of targets. In fact, Team O seems to have an insurmountable advantage when it comes to targets. They could throw their much fewer stones any which way and bang they will effortlessly hit not just one but many targets all at once all the time. 

 

Under the circumstances, the team with fewer stones but a lot more targets will want to do less throwing but concentrate their game-plan on selecting from the large pool of targets a few choice ones to hit. Theirs must be a strategy of hit-and-run. That is, they hit their selected targets then they need to keep moving always aware (or beware) that the other side with excess of stones in their hands will keep throwing and will at times hit something. Thus, Team O must always work to reduce further the targets they present to the other side. Because it is never nice to be hit.

 

On the other side, Team G with so many stones to spare will invariably do a lot more throwing. Indeed, they throw their stones quite liberally and indiscriminately. Understandably, they adopt a throw-all-the-time strategy but being short of targets they will have to make the most of the few targets with the result that if at first they miss, they must still aim at the same target even if they had been targetting it for ten long years.

 

Thus, Throwing-the-Stone can be quite tiresome for the spectators who have to endure the spectacle of seeing one team re-inventing the same target over and over again but despite their endeavours never seem to succeed to hit their at times invented and imaginary target and win the gold. Despite having the services of a renown coach for many many years. They then tried out a new coach but their fortunes took a turn for the worse during the last major Games in March 2008. These days they look like they are scouting for a new coach. 

 

The moral of the story:  Some have more, others have less but every team has some glass waiting to be shattered. Don’t try to get the people to fix their eyes on your opponents’ wrongdoing which could not total the number of fingers on both hands, when your own faults cover the sky and block the sun from our fair land. The more you speak of other people’s fault, the more you draw attention to your own vulnerabilities. In other words, “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!”