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."
COMMENT - Greatest confusion lies not in symbols or celebrations By R Nadeswaran
Saturday, May 02, 2026
Malaysiakini : Now, even a water festival
in Kuala Lumpur has drawn the ire of religious czars, Umno has been
forced to join the chorus - brandishing its “religious badge” to avoid
exclusion - with Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Ahmad Zahid
Hamidi entering the fray.
But
then again, Malaysians have to be reminded that some politicians say
all kinds of things without respect for the law and common decency.
The Bon Odori festival in Selangor in 2022
Zahid
says Umno wants events to align with Malaysia’s cultural values,
religious sensitivities, and society’s norms, and to uphold local
customs and religious sensibilities.
He claims Umno took the concerns
of the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department and the Federal
Territories Mufti Department, saying they reflect the views of a large
segment of Malaysians.
“Our principles are clear - entertainment
is not wrong, but it must come with limits. Progress must continue, but
our values cannot be compromised,” he posted on Facebook.
Organisers, he added, should discuss future programmes with authorities to “preserve community harmony”.
Where
was this deep concern for sensitivities and decency when Umno leaders
were demonising opponents in the run-up to GE15? Where did these values
disappear? Now, like worms out of the woodwork, they talk about
community harmony.
Convenient shield
Then
again, Zahid and Umno had fought and continued fighting for someone who
stole billions and was found guilty, which reflects their interpretation
of values.
Some were busy enriching themselves at the expense of the state. Where was the respect for the law then?
Politicians
love to wrap themselves in culture and religion when it suits them.
It’s a convenient shield to control what people watch, listen to, or
enjoy - while their own conduct remains questionable at best.
If
Zahid truly believes in “limits” and “harmony”, maybe he should start by
cleaning his own house before telling musicians and concertgoers how to
behave.
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Respect
for the law and common decency isn’t just about entertainment - it’s
about those who make the laws and follow them. Until then, forgive me if
I take Zahid’s call with a truckload of salt.
At
the end of the day, the real confusion isn’t in kebayas, hot dogs, or
water festivals -it’s in the selective morality of politicians who
preach virtue while defending vice.
They clutch pearls over
Oktoberfest and Bon Odori, yet clutch wallets when billions vanish from
the state coffers. They warn of “limits” and “harmony”, but their own
conduct has been limitless in hypocrisy and discord.
Zahid’s
sermon on cultural values and religious sensitivities might sound noble,
but it collapses under the weight of his party’s record.
Where
was this moral compass when opponents were demonised before GE15? Where
was this respect for law when leaders fought to protect a convicted
thief? It is not festivals that erode harmony - it is the erosion of
trust when leaders bend rules for themselves while tightening them for
everyone else.
Behind the curtain
Politicians
love to wrap themselves in religion and culture when it suits them.
It’s a convenient cloak, shielding them from scrutiny while they dictate
what ordinary Malaysians can watch, eat, or celebrate.
Yet,
behind the curtain, the same guardians of morality are busy enriching
themselves, trampling the very values they claim to defend.
If
Zahid truly believes in “limits”, perhaps he should start by limiting
corruption. If he truly believes in “harmony”, perhaps he should
harmonise his party’s actions with the laws they claim to uphold.
Until
then, every lecture on festivals and concerts is nothing more than
theatre - a morality play staged by actors who long ago abandoned the
script of integrity.
Respect for law and decency isn’t about
banning kebayas or renaming Oktoberfest. It’s about lawmakers living by
the standards they impose.
Until that happens, forgive me if I
say that right-minded citizens will take Zahid’s sermon not just with a
pinch of salt, but with a truckload.
The next time politicians
warn us about “confusion”, we should remind them: the greatest confusion
lies not in symbols or celebrations, but in leaders who mistake
hypocrisy for values and propaganda for principle.
