January 2010

It is already the end of January 2010, and this blog of mine has not been given the treatment that it used to get.

I do not know how many times have I repeatedly write about how my busy life as a working person had sucked and steal my time from doing this one activity that I used to like.

I know very well the reputation of the Japanese working culture, and I have no intention to bitch about it.

I chose this.

But as I got used to the serious working life, I started to realize that my life is full of emptiness.

I started to feel bored with my unexciting life; coming back late from work to an empty room that have no life except electronics and furniture; material possessions that used to be my motivation when I was still a student.

It took me all this time to realize that my goals in life have changed, and currently I do not have one detailed purpose.

I am just in for the ride, and this is so not me.

Damn, I cannot see myself breaking from this tendency to write gloomy.

I wish I could write more about fun stuff, and weird Japan.

So unfortunate that work fatigue has cast a black shadow on everything.

What is YOUR motivation?

The Fuss About The Word Allah In Malaysia

When I first heard about this issue concerning Herald the Malaysian Catholic Weekly, demanding the rights to keep using the word ‘ALLAH’ to refer to their godly deity in their weekly publications, I knew that this will not end very well.

It will be problematic. Very problematic.

Non-Malaysians who have learned a thing or two about the basic history of Ancient Egyptian Empire-inspired religions like the Abrahamic ones would probably say:

“Why would this be a problem? The word ‘Allah’ has been used to refer to a godly deity among the Arabic language speaking people from various religious backgrounds, even before any of the Abrahamic religions ever started! Arab traders travel all around the world, and besides goods, they also trade language, expanding the vocabulary of many other languages where they made business.”

Unfortunately, things are not so simple; it will never be.

In Malaysia, religious blindness has always been a convenient tool for politicians.

The truth is that although Malay Muslims could be considered as quite religious and passionate towards their faith, it is a great irony that the same people are mostly NOT very well informed with their own religion.

The basic principles, its history and how it all started.

Opportunistic politicians know this very well.

People are not interested in meticulous facts about history, about who is right or wrong.

People just want to ‘appear’ to look like they are fighting for something great.

People want to vent anger and stress, pat themselves on the back, feeling good with the illusion that they're doing something good for their god.

Yes, this is problematic.

Because people don't know what they really want.

And people are too lazy to think for themselves.

They need opportunistic politicians to think for them.

When there are no trustworthy politicians in Malaysia…

Yes, this is problematic.

Clearly we need to revise our education policy.