Do you speak the Universal Language?

I attended TEDxUSCI recently and found the event pleasant but not exactly stimulating. But the fact that somebody is bringing "Ideas Worth Spreading" to Malaysia can only be a positive development. No thanks to several generations of brain-deadening education designed by bureaucrats in line with an utterly myopic political ideology, Malaysia is in desperate need of creativity and innovation. Not just empty talk and hollow slogans from doublespeaking forktongued ministers!


This captivating performance must rank among one of the most entertaining TEDTalks ever.


Bobby McFerrin never fails to inspire and impress. His is precisely the kind of energy, intelligence, and pure talent we urgently need to breed amongst our zombified population!

Meanwhile over in West Papua...

I've never given much thought to West Papua. In fact, I had almost forgotten it exists. Recently I've been receiving links to news items and videos that once again reveal the grim consequences of human greed and hypocrisy.

In the end it matters not whether it's the Indonesian government, or the Australian government, or Malaysia, or the USA or the CIA that's orchestrating the oppression, colonization, exploitation and murder. The root cause is all too familiar: a misplaced sense of priorities that puts corporate profits ahead of human and environmental well-being.



West Papuans are demanding their freedom and autonomy. They want Merdeka (Independence). Who doesn't?

AVATAR REVISITED ~ The Anil Netto Review

On 28 December 2009, while I was enjoying an unplanned 2-week vacation at Bamboo River (aka Sungai Buloh hospital), Anil Netto wrote a superb review of James Cameron's blockbuster movie Avatar and dedicated it to me. I read it in mid-January and again today - and decided it definitely warranted a wider readership, since it addresses issues fundamental to our continued existence as a species...


Avatar: Beyond the 3D, another dimension

This post is dedicated to blogger Antares, who I understand is seriously ill with a malaria infection. Antares knows all about the inter-connectedness of Nature that the movie Avatar depicts so beautifully. Wishing him a speedy recovery. [Thank you so much, Anil!]


A couple of days ago, I thought I would check out the movie Avatar after a couple of friends tipped me off about the story line.

Of course, the special effects in this movie by the director of Titanic [James Cameron, pictured right] are spectacular and the unorthodox love story, compelling. But looking beyond these, I was pleasantly surprised by the powerful and rich underlying messages in the movie.

In the movie, the earth is dying as humanity has destroyed the environment. Humans are colonising another planet to extract minerals and other raw materials from a site where an alien tribe lives. Corporate greed is alive, this time focused on exploiting the untapped resources of the alien planet, while science is being used to serve the corporate agenda.

The movie has a strong anti-imperialistic message that will resonate with many former colonies and native communities in Asia, Africa and the Americas. The colonisers (the humans) try to use diplomatic means to achieve their goals, by hoodwinking the local population (the alien natives) with promises of “development” – roads and schools – but all the time, their over-riding goal is to extract resources from the alien land.

Corporate Geek and Empathetic Scientist

The human corporate predators try to infiltrate the alien native community and win over the confidence of their leaders using agents in disguise (avatars). This message could also apply to neo-colonial situations where local elites have taken over the colonialists’ role in exploiting the land belonging to natives and trying to buy over their leaders using intermediaries within their communities.

To the humans, the alien natives are savages and “roaches” that have to be driven out of the forests. If ‘diplomacy’ (more like trickery and deceit) fails, then force would be used to evict the natives. It is easier to use military force when the natives are portrayed as terrorists (“we have to fight terror with terror”) and anonymous sub-humans. The human corporate predators thus think nothing of carpet bombing or incinerating the forests (shades of Vietnam and Iraq here?) to the horror of its inhabitants.


Apart from the anti-imperialistic overtones, the film contains a powerful environmental message. The forests and its creatures are all inter-connected. The natives are heirs to an ancient wisdom that the corporate predators simply cannot comprehend. Like in many parts of India or even Sarawak for that matter, the forests and land where the natives usually live are treasure troves of rich natural resources. These lands are thus the targets of corporate predators that want to extract minerals (or build dams or open up plantations or what-have-you).

The natives, however, have a strong bond with the creatures of the forest and they are in tune with the Spirit, which infuses creation with its breath. The chief scientist in the human team discovers that the biodiversity of the forest is almost similar to the intricate nerves of the human brain – something that the corporate types scoff at (“Come on, a tree is a tree!”). The whole of creation is inter-connected.

I won’t spoil the movie for you: it’s worth checking it out, if only to see how it persuades audiences to identify with an alien native tribe (the good guys) against their human predators. In the process, you get to marvel at the breath-taking beauty and inter-connectedness of creation (albeit in an alien world) at a time when our own world is facing environmental chaos. Might not this be what our own world was once like (as in the “Garden of Eden”)?

Anil Netto
28 October 2009

Four Fathers at a Class Reunion

Four friends, who hadn't seen each other in 30 years, were reunited at a party. Several drinks later, one of the men had to use the rest room. The other three started talking about their kids.

The first guy said: "My son is my pride and joy. He started working at a successful company at the bottom of the barrel. He studied Economics and Business Administration and soon began to climb the corporate ladder, and now he's the president of the company. He became so rich he gave his best friend a top-of-the-line Mercedes for his birthday."

The second guy said: "Wow, that's terrific! My son is also my pride and joy. He started working for a big airline, then went to flight school to become a pilot. Eventually he became a partner in a new airline, where he owns the majority of its assets. He's so rich he gave his best friend a brand new jet for his birthday."

The third man said: "Well, that's really terrific! My son studied in the best universities and became an engineer. Then he started his own construction company and is now a multimillionaire. He also gave something nice and expensive to his best friend for his birthday: a 30,000-square-foot mansion!"


The three friends were congratulating each other just as the fourth returned from the restroom and asked, "What are all the congratulations for?"

One of the three said: "We were talking about the pride we feel for our sons' wonderful success. Hey, what about your son?"

The fourth man replied: "Ha ha. Well, my son is gay and makes a living dancing as a stripper at a nightclub."

The three friends said, shaking their heads: "Oh dear, what a shame... what a terrible disappointment."

The fourth man replied: "Heck, no, I'm not ashamed of him. He's my son and I love him. And he hasn't done too badly either. His birthday was two weeks ago, and he received a beautiful 30,000-square-foot mansion, a brand new jet and a top-of-the-line Mercedes from his three boyfriends."

[Courtesy of V. Cornelius]

Tunku Abdul Aziz on Anwar Ibrahim as PM

The only Malaysian politician, who can, without making a fool of himself, stride the world stage with the right combination of strong intellectual credentials and honesty, is not to be found within the serried ranks of the BN, but in the person of Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s iconic liberal democrat.

As I saw here in Brussels, he had the European parliamentary leadership, figuratively speaking, eating out of his hands. Many have already put the champagne on ice; they clearly see this victim of a rotten political system as the next man to lead the country.


For all our sakes, I hope they are right. Malaysia needs a thorough overhaul and Najib - whom we need like we do a great big hole in our head - is unlikely to understand the dynamics of change for the great leap forward.

He is not only busy watching oversized baggage, but also his back with the sort of loyal friends he has had foisted on him. There simply isn’t much time for anything else while the ship of state springs more leaks by the day...

[Read the full essay here.]

Why Islam And Democracy Are Destined to Coincide
Keynote address by Anwar Ibrahim, Parliamentary Opposition Leader of Malaysia at Brussels, 28th September, 2010

'March to Putrajaya' now online!

Click here to download and read!

Kim Quek's explosive book The March to Putrajaya – Malaysia’s New Era is at Hand, recently banned by the Malaysian Home Minister, is available online. By clicking here, readers can view as well as download the uncensored contents of the book.

This is as it should be. Citizens of a country should not be deprived of free access to information by the government simply because such information is deemed unfavourable to the regime.

[Read the rest here.]

A starry portal opened wide today...

... and two dear friends went home...

Received an SMS this morning that stunned me for several moments. Justin Tan, who last visited me in November 2009 in the company of three gorgeous divas, had a motorcycle accident and died instantly. The crash happened in the vicinity of Ulu Yam Baru, so his body was taken to the Kuala Kubu Bharu hospital morgue.

Justin had recently turned 38 and was planning to formalize his marriage to one of the divas - a magnificent lady and blogging buddy named Janet.

I met this lovable couple more than 10 years ago when they were both active members of Food-Not-Bombs. Janet I kept bumping into at the Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival and was someone I enjoyed occasional evenings at the theatre with, followed by extended teh tarik and roti canai sessions. Justin usually stayed home. He was totally cool about his girlfriend pursuing a career as a singer.

The few times I met Justin he was usually quiet but very pleasant and jolly company. So I can't say I knew Justin very well - but I am profoundly fond of Janet and was glad she had found such a cool, solid guy as her partner.

I first noticed that Justin resembled a samurai during his November 2009 visit to Magick River. Okay, he could also pass for a master chef (just imagine him with a big white hat on). When I saw his lifeless body in the morgue today, he looked even more like a samurai in his full riding regalia, helmet still on. I could sense him hovering around, trying to reassure his friends and family that he was perfectly okay where he was...

It's virtually impossible to comfort anyone who has just experienced a sudden bereavement. Janet had arrived at the crash scene before the ambulance and she told me it was a surreal journey to the hospital, made even weirder when the ambulance had a flat and the driver had to get out and change the tire.

However, Janet was absolutely brave and held up remarkably. And so were Justin's parents whom I met for the first time today. It made me feel a momentary sense of relief that both my own parents have already gone and therefore need never make funeral arrangements for their own children.

There are times when I feel a tiny twinge of envy for those who have already passed through the portal of death and moved on to new adventures. The competitive games humans play to gain petty advantages over each other are ultimately so boring and tedious. Yes, the idea of going to sleep and never waking up again is sometimes a most enticing one...

As I took my leave of Janet, her parents and close friends, I felt a deep sense of gratitude to have been Justin's friend, albeit a casual one. I had no clue he was such a passionate biker. Now that he was on the other side I could clearly see his soul signature - and it was that of a samurai, a Zen master, a very noble, compassionate and wise being, a Jedi no less. Isn't it astonishing that we sometimes have no idea who our friends actually are... until they are no longer with us?

While I was at the the morgue, I received word that a friend from theatre days - someone I hadn't seen in years but whom I always thought of with great affection - had left the earth. I didn't even know Dicky Cheah was sick. He hadn't even reached 50. Whenever I saw Dicky he would be all smiles and affability. He was so fond of the stage he'd accept just about any role, whether or not he had any lines. Later he got into mime in a big way and gigged at children's parties and corporate dinners. All this while he was holding a day job in advertising. Apart from this, I knew nothing about Dicky's personal life - but I would say he was probably among the least malicious of all theatre personalities.

What prompted me to blog about the passing of two friends on the same day, both younger than I, neither of whom I can claim to have known intimately, was the serene feeling that accompanied one of the most glorious twilight skies I have seen in weeks. It was as if the spirits of my departed friends now permeated heaven and earth and I was picking up their relief at being unburdened of physical trappings.

I was reminded of the beautiful death of another dear friend more than seven years ago - a guy we called Chief because he saw the profile of a Native American chief while gazing at the rocks around Magick River. Thinking about my friends' sudden departure put me in an emotional zone between joy and sorrow, where celebration feels more appropriate than mourning, for I strongly sensed that these were bright, uncontaminated souls emanating from the Eternal and glad to return thereunto, inevitable though the emptiness their loved ones must feel looking at the physical traces of their brief sojourn in human form...

Justin, Dicky... thank you for blessing me with your friendship and I shall forever cherish your being an integral aspect of my ultimate self.

The proper use of synthesizers...

For want of something profound to say, I'd like to be dancing right now to this juicy stuff by British techno wizard Simon Posford...