WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS FUGLY F1 CAR?!

In true meme-of-the-week style:

Full story about this fucking ugly sonofabitch of an F1 car here. Original photo from here.

The whole story about “WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS” meme, here from Topless Robot.

Seriously though, who the fuck is responsible for this abomination?

My Brother’s “Kami Anak Malaysia” Entry

My younger brother and a couple of his friends entered the Kami Anak Malaysia video contest, which was held by Tourism Malaysia and the Ministry of Education. His group from SMK Putrajaya Precinct 9 (2) won the 2nd prize (it was the third place actually).

The grand prize (1st place) was won by SMK Sultanah Asma, a premier non-SBP all-girls boarding school from Alor Setar. I told my brother earlier on, that there is no way that his group can beat a boarding school in these competitions.

It’s not necessarily because of they produce better quality entries. It’s just the way the system work.

I went to a premier boarding school too, so I know full well how it goes. Against a boarding school, especially a famous one, a public school has almost no chance of winning. The world is unfair, like.

This is because the ministry prefers the boarding school to win. By winning, it’s a solid proof that the boarding school system works, and the ministry is doing a good job. Can you imagine how shoddy the ministry’s image will be if a public school can easily beat an elite school?

In any case, I am proud of his work and his steadfast effort to prove me wrong. Well, he did win an iPod Shuffle.

He said he wanted to make more films as he gets older. So, I’ll give him a start by putting his winning entry here:

Oh Malaysia, When Will You Be Free?

Salam Merdeka, Malaysians. Here’s to our forefathers and the freedom fighters. We might be independent, but we are yet to be free.

We can’t even get our information freely—it doesn’t matter that information by itself wants to be free. The government wants to put a firewall and filter our internet out so that we can only read what they want us to.

The newspapers are blatantly controlled by the ruling parties: their news is our news. Whenever we try to speak our mind, when we try to dig for the truth, we will get silenced. Enter the sedition act.

I dread the days where they get their ways, and bloggers would have to be registered and profiled, just like sexual offenders.

We are not free to watch films we want, much less make the films we want. Films arrived on our shores badly-mangled with various cuts, despite the fact that we paid to watch over-18 films.

We can’t make films about mat rempits, about cross-dressers, about transsexuals. We can’t even make films about supernatural any more, lest we want to get admitted to a counselling seminar.

Last Friday before Merdeka, sermons were given so Muslims will strive to be free from the enemies of Islam. Ask me, and I will tell you that “Islam” and “free” had no business being in the same sentence, at least not in Malaysia.

Everyone with the slightest authority in Islam will try to dictate on what you should or should not do.

They will tell us that just because some of us are women, our opinions do not matter. Just because our principles are different from theirs, we’re deemed heretic who should attend rehabs.

It’s haram to do yoga, it’s haram for women to “look like men”, it’s haram to swear. For reasons so vague and ridiculous.

Don’t like something? Just complain to the National Fatwa Council. They have been so kind to grant fatwas forbidding the smallest of stuff just because “the public demands it” or “the public is confused”.

The simplest form of joy, music is restricted to us. Numerous artistes surely had refused offers to perform in our country in frustration over the silly decency rule. Muslims are banned from attending certain concerts just because the sponsors happened to be in the alcohol industry.

A little mention of concert sends them into a berserk, no matter that the band is harmless Michael Learns to Rock.

Muslims can’t contend in pageants. Muslims can’t do this. Muslims can’t do that.

It’s discrimination, that’s what it is. Only it’s worst since the prohibition comes from the same group getting the bans.

Why are you so bothered with what every soul will or will not do? If you’re saying that Islam is the religion of the free and willing, you’re not convincing me. Not when you’re prodding and crushing people into submission.

God forbid that you’re an infidel, then! You can never get a house of worship in peace. They will try to impose their morals on you whether you like it or not.

All these are just a small slice of the liberty we’re denied of. We are not even free from the shackles of racial-centric attitudes. Every race is paranoid of each other.

I am grateful for the efforts of our forefathers and every freedom fighters who had shed their blood, sweat and tears since time immemorial to make our country sovereign, but it’s time we move on from that. Individual rights and civil liberties should be our next target.

Am I proud though? Of being Malaysian? Not really, no. Not this year.

I won’t pretend to be merry for this year’s Merdeka. There’s nothing to be happy or proud about.

We love you so much, Malaysia. Why won’t you love us back?

Are enjoying this year’s Merdeka? Do you think that we’re doing okay and I’m just a depressing bugger? Leave your comments.

Putrajaya’s Floria Festival 2009 is Back!

One thing I love about living in Putrajaya is that there are always things happening around, This weekend and the week after this belong to the very impressive Floria, a floral and garden festival not unlike the Chelsea Flower Show in London or closer in spirit, Floriade in Canberra.

The poster says Friday - Sunday 9-12 pm. It's actually 12 am.

On behalf of the people of Putrajaya, I’d love to extend my invitation to this festival, especially to the ladies and photographers who’d definitely enjoy the floral showcase. There are corporate gardens with gorgeous and colourful landscaping, dominated mostly by seasoned participant MARDI and giant Sime Darby. Other big participants include Kementerian Wilayah Persekutuan, DBKL and Perbadanan Putrajaya.

MARDI's Corporate Showcase: Celebration of Colours

Sime Darby's Corporate Showcase: Forest & Palm Plantation

One can also see some landscaping done by students, as there are two areas for universities and schools. Among participating universities are Lim Kok Wing University, UiTM and UPM. A huge tent has been set to house some indoor exhibitions and outside it, you can take a ride in a hot-air balloon during weekends. Besides the floral exhibitions, there are numbers of stalls selling plants, arts and crafts and of course food.

Lim Kok Wing's Showcase

So what are you waiting for? Entrance is completely free (unlike Floriade). To get the most out of it, I’d suggest coming early since the condition of flowers will obviously deteriorate in Malaysian abusive weather towards the end.

While you’re at it, why not take the chance to use the excellent bus service in Putrajaya? If you park your cars in Putrajaya Sentral, you only need to pay 50 cents for a direct-to-festival Nadiputra bus. Much better than tearing your hair out finding parking spaces.

You can get more info about Floria here. More teaser (amateur) photos by me here.

Kementerian Wilayah Persekutuan Showcase

Najib Goes All Out on LRT to Improve Public Transportation

Earlier today, Prime Minister Najib Razak assigned six ministers to lead and achieve six different key result areas (KRA) in order to deliver his promises to the people.

Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat will be in charge of the KRA to upgrade public transportation, which includes (only) these two targets:

Increase the number of public transport users to 25% by end of 2012 from the present 16%.

Add 35 sets of four-car-trains to operate on the Kelana Jaya LRT track by the end of 2012.

More trains for Kelana Jaya LRT?

How about making sure that KTM Komuter trains actually fucking turn up, and then work on them turning up on time?

If ever there should be more trains, it should be on the Seremban line of KTM Komuter, packed almost everyday and barely rideable during peak hours.

Do they really expect that users will increase to 25% just by adding 35 sets of car-trains? In Kelana Jaya line?

What do you guys think should Ong Tee Keat really do in order to increase the usage of public transport to 25%? Let us know in the comments.