next on...

the point is?

article about being 'the least favourite child' by nur dianah suhaimi and my two cents worth...

i don't think i want to comment on everything she wrote... i'll avoid the stereotyping issue and how cynical and not forward looking it is... as an article for national day, it's quite a whimsical rant... but i'll touch on something quite close to my heart...

But one thing these stories had in common was that they all revolved around the Police Academy in Thomson. As I got older, it puzzled me why my Chinese friends constantly referred to NS as 'army'. In my family and among my Malay friends, being enlisted in the army was like hitting the jackpot. The majority served in the police force because, as is known, the Government was not comfortable with Malay Muslims serving in the army. But there are more of them now.

hitting the jackpot? she has got to be kidding me... assuming by 'hitting the jackpot', she meant a good thing... i know plenty of people (chinese included) who would rather serve in the SPF or SCDF for their national service... she is obviously as she stated clueless about ns... i thank my lucky stars every day that i didn't have to go to tekong for my ns... not because i won't defend the country... i will... i do it regularly infact... but my concept of defence takes on a much wider scope than wielding a SAR 21 ... i carry different things... damn... i hear more people whine about their time in the army than any other departments of national service... yeah sure, we all reminisce the good old times... but seriously... the question you would have to ask is... "did you think that your time in the national service was a waste of time of what is essentially the most potentially productive period of your youth where you could be out there attaining higher forms of education or starting to make your way in the working world?"... and see what kind of answers you get... and i am surprised that she is getting away with the statement of the government not being comfortable with malay muslims serving in the army... i bet you the government would deny that... for them to acknowledge such a fact would imply racist terms... oh... but her saving grace... "but there are more of them now..." (rolls eyes to back of head)

Sure, for the entire 365 days I spent in Primary 1 in 1989. But my parents paid for my school and university fees for the next 15 years I was studying.

It seems that many Singaporeans do not know that Malays have stopped getting free education since 1990. If I remember clearly, the news made front-page news at that time.

hell yeah i got free education all the way to junior college... or at least i paid a very small sum... i don't know what the big fuss is about... i mean... i didn't choose to go to particularly expensive school... i didn't go to a neighbourhood school either but if parents want to send their child to an expensive school , then don't bitch about the fees... i would think normal school fees are very decent indeed... i seriously don't see why people want to start whining over what is essentially a small amount...

Secondary Education

School fees after subsidy: $5.00
Standard miscellaneous fees: $8.00
Second-tier miscellaneous fees: $8.00
Autonomous Schools collect Autonomous School Fees, ranging from $3 to $18 per month, on top of second-tier miscellaneous fees

*i'll leave the fees for independent schools out...

anyways, i still maintain that the free education issue is really something that was done to honour the fact that singapore was part of the malay sultanate... we are after all actually in a part of the world referred to as the malay archipelago... and that it was done to maintain the welfare of malays... nothing wrong with that... nothing to be envious about... but hey... i have no qualms about malays not getting it either... it's an arcane thing best kept out of the way... have it or don't have it, there will always still be malays who don't give much thought about getting a proper education... the issue of abuse doesn't really really come into the picture...

I said if not for family ties, I would have no qualms about leaving the country. Someone then remarked that this is why Malays like myself are not trusted. But I answered that this lack of patriotism on my part comes from not being trusted, and for being treated like a potential traitor.

i'm sorry if i couldn't make it in my home country and left it to make a living elsewhere and hence developed a sense of bitterness with regards to my home country... anyways... i don't regard our surrounding neighbours as home countries... singapore is still where i call home... explains why i didn't go to an overseas university... and seriously... i do miss the multi-racial aspect of singapore when i am abroad and in a country where the racial make up is largely singular...

ok... this is taking way too long... but to sum it up... i think that once you go into the profession with religious considerations in mind instead of going into the profession hoping that the profession will consider your religion... secular country here... can't do it? don't do it...

yes... i did vote for taufik and hady but i do not know of any malay who frowned upon another malay if the person voted for other competitors... if you suck, you suck... i don't vote for you... simple eh... too sweeping a statement...

malays in bad light... why not... we are not idiot proof... oh the number of times i've seen malays in unfortunate circumstances... (shiver)

oh and finally... the top PSLE scorer... very happy for her... wish her all the best in life... but i don't recall thousands of malays celebrating the news... (i didn't miss the party did i? huh? huh?) i bet the people who were more happy for her were her close friends who most probably comprised of people from other races... and seriously... i had no part in her success... why would i laud it so much so that i owe her celebrating her success? nope... no way...

oh... and for the record... i have never hung a flag outside my house... but that diminishes nothing... nothing....

lauding without truly understanding... oh well...