Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Malaysiakini : Personal development, not material goods
Some
senior politicians in Umno-Baru, PAS, and other variants of Umno-Baru,
like Bersatu, have embarrassed us with their poor English at
international events. They were ridiculed on social media and became the
butt of many jokes.
Both Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, and UK’s King George VI
received speech therapy coaching. Our politicians waste taxpayers’
money on their luxurious lifestyles. Why not divert this money for
personal development instead of material goods?
Our
teachers say that “practice makes perfect” but our politicians avoid all
opportunities to speak English with as many different people as
possible. Are they too lazy to try, too shy, or simply cannot be
bothered?
As a result of the Putrajaya crab mentality, the nation is forced down to their level. Jaguh Kampungs are not just happy with regression, they are also jealous of others who want to discard the tempurung and aim for excellence.
For many Malaysians, observing this back-door PM announce his policies is like watching a car crash in slow motion.
He
is making yet another big mistake of his life, and we are convinced
that the nation will not benefit from it. In the end, he is just another
Malay politician who thinks short term. Ignoring English will have
long-term consequences and these politicians appear to ignore the
mistakes of the past. History does not appeal to them.
Priorities
Similar
daft policies of former PMs, like the race-based affirmative action
plans and the NEP, weakened Malaysia. They said it was to unite the
country when in reality, they were merely fishing for Malay votes.
Ismail
Sabri could have tackled urgent issues like the cost of living crisis,
the rising cost of food, energy and petrol, the plight of the B40 group,
poor educational standards, environmental destruction, and endemic
corruption, but instead, he chose to focus on the Malay language. When
will he learn to prioritise our needs?
Ismail
Sabri’s confusion shows. If language was supposed to unite us, he
cannot even decide if he’s promoting Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Malaysia.
He keeps swapping the terms.
Calling it Bahasa Melayu
as opposed to Bahasa Malaysia will isolate the non-Malays. Some of them
may think that the language is the special preserve of only the Malays,
and may find difficulty identifying themselves as Malaysian.
If
Ismail Sabri is honest with himself and keen on promoting Malay, he
should ditch using Umno to refer to his party, which is the English
acronym of the United Malays National Organisation. He is probably aware
that using the Malay acronym of Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu
(PKMB) does sound rather clumsy.
Closingone door, opening another
Malaysians
should be aware of the dangers of the Malay politicians’ crab
mentality, in particular, downgrading the use of English in Malaysia.
Restricting
English usage will isolate Malaysians. Those who are content to be
jaguh kampung may be envious of those who want to compete on the world
stage. English will be the ticket for those who aspire to do more.
The
Putrajaya crab mentality may prevent Malaysians from working together.
Jaguh kampungs may feel insecure or threatened because of their lack of
proficiency in English. On the other hand, those who are comfortable
speaking English may feel that their progress is hindered.
With
a good working knowledge of English, curious and adventurous Malaysians
who relish a challenge can enter various fields such as economics,
academia, research, science, diplomacy and trade. When the kampung door
closes behind them, the door to the rest of the world is opened.
The
Putrajaya crab mentality will lead to a divided and unpleasant social
environment. It also evokes negative emotions such as greed, jealousy
and insecurity.
Those with a crab mentality waste
other people’s time because they prioritise the things that have no real
importance. Observe the child-like mentality of some politicians who
make a big fuss of how Malay letters were sent to foreign world leaders
and their delight that their correspondence was "appreciated". Why would the foreigners risk a diplomatic blunder by being direct?
We
were also told that on trips overseas, translators would accompany the
civil servant, even if he was fluent in English. The Putrajaya crab
mentality is good at job creation. It is also a drain on vital
resources.
By all means, promote Malay as the national language but do not ignore English.
Perhaps, the emphasis on Malay is a clever distraction from the more important issues plaguing Malaysia.
