I defend Ng Yen Yen!!

" And here I am in my cheong-ju with matching handbag"

I am death warmed over by a killer flu but I just had to come out in defence of our cheh-cheh (big Sister) Minister of Tourism Ng Yen Yen (no need for all her other big titles since we are sistahs, hokay?).

There were some criticisms (from the opposition wouldn't you know it?) over some itty-bitty minor mistakes such as some spelling errors that the PRINTER MADE in the tourism brochures distributed fr May to Oct at our Pavillion at the Shanghai world expo

"I checked the final draft, there were no mistakes. The errors are by the printer in Shanghai."

The ministry had come under fire for distributing millions of brochures with spelling errors such as Taman Nerara (Taman Negara), ctry (city), nulticultural (multicultural), decelopment (development), beautuful (beautiful) and visitous (visitors)

She was not aware of the mistakes until two days ago when two MPs brought this up in the Dewan Rakyat.

"Yes, I agree it is a mistake.

"We will not hire the printer anymore," she said

As long as you know - I have nothing but the deepest respect for Yen2Cheh2, in my limited >20yrs experience - which invariably had something or other to do with the print media, I would just like to point out some little minor details which are:

1. No printer would touch / amend any word from a soft copy. At least not those I have dealt with from Malaysia, Singapore, Sydney, Africa, UK, Germany, California , Hong Kong, Shanghai & Beijing.

2. Prior to printing, a final draft copy must be emailed/presented to the client for a sign-off. Or there again, I could be real wrong.

3. It's called "REJECT" if there were bloopers made by the supplier. As the client, even if you had printed a million copies for me Mistah Printer, I would NEVER accept the finished product. Amend it or don't get paid

4. And really, if this printer can't correct his mistake & deliver, & even if I am out of time, Yen2Cheh2 should know that printing millions of colored copies is no longer limited to a special few printers with special equipment manned by rocket scientists to do the job

With the technology nowadays, even little old ladies can sit there to press a button & the printing will be done.

But like I say, I don't blame Yen2Cheh2.

Who on earth picking up those travel brochures is gonna pick up on those spelling mistakes? After all aren't 90% of the visitors Chinese? What do they know about the English language huh?

Ok. Be picky. Say it's 10% (10% of 700million is only 70 million) of them. WHO cares? After all our predominant richest visitors are from the Middle East. Now. If our Arabic travel brochures were to contain bloopers, THEN we are talkin'!

So please stop pickin' on my Sistah Yen2 huh?

Why is a con man like Ellie Najeem still running around?

Yesterday I was in an unusual place. Unusual for me.

Chinatown on a rainy Friday is not my thing. But I was bringing some visitors to see the Sri Mariamman temple in Jln Tun HS Lee. As it was raining & I was the designated jaga of shoes, I was outside at about 3-30pm & saw an Iranian man & his family come out. I was just wondering "Why would anyone (the man) be wearing a full suit to visit Chinatown when I am sweating buckets?" when who should pass me by?

2 other persons in full suit. So weird.

Ofcourse I took a good look. Unmistakably so. 1 was Ellie Najeem of Lebanon (clean shaven) with the curly toussled hair & a brand new reddish brown document case. I was so stunned I did not even take a photo although I was holding a mobile phone.

Wasn't this man (known variously & vicariously as "Lord Ellie") arrested for possessing something like Rm66million ringgit of fake notes in Jan this year & for falsely declaring he was donating a BILLION ringgit to charity 2 yrs ago?

So why is he strolling casually in Petaling Street? Towards the general direction of Jalan Bandar (High Street) Police Station?

Malaysia's sense of justice sure beats me flat.

A known foreign con-man with an arrest for funny money just walks our streets a free man. Who also conned a young lady into marrying him (even if she or her parents are greedy & naive, there's no reason to wish ill on them!)

We have a justice system who arrest students for being politically active, people for lighting candles & singing our national anthem, & just about anyone else for saying/ writing / thinking the wrong things...but??

And in case you think foreign spouses have an easy time being allowed to live here..you know you are wrong! For 1, Ellie got a divorce from his Malaysian wife, for 2 he was arrested, for 3 we know he's wonkers..so WHY is he still here?

The mind boggles! I think we need to re-allocate / rotate more immigrations & law-enforcement officers around !

I am NOT a Pendatang

First off. I beg to differ with Rockybru's post on Oct 10th Sunday. Rocky says the Chinese should not be too bothered by what politicians spew from their mouths in calling us Pendatangs.

For me, the problem is 2-fold.
1. When the Bosses can talk like this, & we allow them to continue, then everyone will think we are fair game. I read some comments from Rockybru & I have shudders.

2. If the needle does not cucuk you, you won't feel the pain. So until you have experienced the needle Rocky, you have not walked a mile in our shoes.

So I am categorically saying this. I am not a Pendatang.

Although (merely) 2rd generation from 1 side (and even that side was born in Singapore) & 1st generation from the other, this land, its people & culture is the ONLY one I know. I don't know if the number of years spent in Malaysia (Malaya) counts but in case it does, then my family has been here since 1915.

So the only land to whom I pledge my undying & utter allegiance is Malaysia. Warts & all.

My family is now on its 4th (or is it 5th?) generation & they are every bit as Malaysian as any Malay family. I don’t recall – even for a mere second - when I had ever harbored any thoughts or feeling of not wanting to be Malaysian. Not once did I hesitate in refusing citizenship or PRs in more affluent countries.

China? To me, China evokes no feelings. Less than no feeling. China is a foreign country where when I visit, evokes much of the same feeling as when I visit Europe or Australia. Foreign. No tinge of familiarity.

But I admit it. It’s fascinating to see all those wonderful museum pieces & arts & culture of the Chinese & then feeling awkward about how I should feel.

Should I feel proud that some parts of my makeup is from China?
Am I really Chinese when all this Chinese-ness evokes feelings as familiar as that experienced when viewing a beautiful Schloss in Germany?

I only end up feeling embarassed. Embarassed I am so un-Chinese despite looking like one.

But then, I don’t think there would be many Chinese in China who would think nasi lemak for breakfast, curry laksa (with kerang please) for lunch, an assortment of kueh-mueh for tea, & sambal belacan with everything is the best possible meal there is in this world.

And I am not unique. All my friends & family are Malaysians, from the sarong we use at home to the meals we eat to the Malay expressions we sprinkle into our conversation.

So yes.
I do hold GREAT offence if anyone is to throw names like “Pendatang” at non-Malays like me.
Or tell me to balik Cina.
Or say I am raping their country.
Or say I am unpatriotic because of how I look or the faith I hold.

I feel no less Malaysian than the next bloke whose family has been here 100 years.

Just today, a market seller asked me if I am Japanese (I look Japanese for some strange reasons) but I was speaking fluent Malay.

I answered “Bukan”. He then said “Oh. Anda cina ke?”. I again answered “Bukan. Saya orang Malaysian”

Then with a twinkle in his eyes, he said “Ah. Itu lah Satu Malaysia kan?”
Little does he know, he is (to me) far more couth & cultured than someone who don’t know me & would throw the word “Pendatang” at me.