malaysian tour: southbound (prt 1)

dear emilyn...

so i continued my malaysian tour today...southbound...to johor...it was killing 2 birds with 1 stone actually...coz i volunteered to help out at a medical mission under mercy malaysia...we provided standard outpatient treatment n primary medical health screening to the orang asli seletar...at kampung teluk kabung in johor...past johor baru n port pasir gudang...right to the sea...heh

so we left mercy hq in ampang at 5 in the morning...no kidding...coz it's a 4 to 5 hour journey...n we had to b there by 8...so s it already was...we were late...but seriously tired...getting at 4...slept a bit...except for the 2 stops in between for subuh prayers n breakfast...was really nice talking to the doctors about life s a medical student n officer...they were really cool n sporting n all...it was nice...

arrived there...at 11...heh...guess we overstayed on our stops...heh...so the crowd was quite small by then...n we handled the stragglers...heh...me being a non-medical volunteer...couldn't do much except help out by feeding deworming medication to children...it wasn't that hard...coz i've experienced it before when i helped out with gleneagles hospital...

anywayz...the place there is really beautiful...teluk kabung...it's always windy with the slight tinge of salt in the air...the houses of the orang asli...they being fishermen...were built on the sea...some floating whilst the rest were anchored to the seabed...was really interesting to have n insight into their livelihoods...living in peace with the sea...

after the healthcare service was over...the penghulu treated us at his seafood restaurant...oh my gosh...we were presented with a feast fit for kings...fried rice...mee...prawns...squid...lala...crabs...fish...n coconut water to top it all off...we ate like there was no tomorrow...heh i'll b looking forward to the next mercy malaysia event...heh...

oh n guess what?...i witnessed something which reminded me both of koi fish n prostitution...of course the restaurant was on the sea too...so there were a group of orang asli kids in the sea...who grab the attention of the restaurant's patrons...who fling coins into the sea for them to catch or look for on the seabed...all for the amusement of the patrons...

well...of course it's extra pocket money...but don't u think there r better ways of earning it...then to sell yourself to other people for their entertainment?...now i'm wondering whose fault is it?...the kids who sell themselves or the patrons who encourage it?...hmm...

so anywayz...after that...we headed back home...with full bellies...naturally goading us to sleep on the way home...but we stopped by a few houses along the way to drop off the doctors...we stopped by johor baru for some shut eye first coz the doctor driving the 4 wheeler couldn't take it...what with waking early in the morning...n then driving home with a full stomach...

n much later...on our way home...we stopped by a minangkabau kampung in negeri sembilan to drop of kak yatie...who treated us to a typical malay dinner...which meant sitting cross-legged on the floor n having to eat with my bare hands...but surprisingly...i didn't find it unusual anymore n it just came to me naturally...heh...guess my previous excursion to the northeastern states with my other malay friends left n indelible mark...heh...

after that...they dropped me off...at home...was about 10 i think...can't remember clearly...coz i was completely knackered...let's c...17 hours overall...yeesh...although the travelling part's exhausting...the experience was nonetheless priceless n worthwhile...really enjoyed myself...heh...like i said...killing 2 birds with 1 stone...heh

anywayz...that's it...oh n guess what?...i finished harry potter's half blood prince in a day...guess that comes from doing nothing except bumming around the house...hmm...looks like i'll b ravaging all my books until i fly i guess...heh...now reading telling tales weaved with coelho's the devil n miss prym...heh...

happy hols from
k

ps sorry no pics...damn cam ran out of battery...n there were so many beautiful scenes there too...damnit...but i have myself to blame...for not charging it...

constitutional contradiction

dear emilyn...

remember i told u about the discussion i was having with my x-classmates the other night?...well...it was regarding the following statement...extracted from this article:

"Significantly, the High Court also concluded that Malays could not renounce Islam at all as they were defined by the Federal Constitution to be persons of the Islamic faith."

basically...it states that under the federal consitution of malaysia...all malays r considered to b muslims...n they cannot change their religion...because the constitution recognises them only s such...

i find this rather disturbing...because our constitution is suppose to guarantee our freedom to practise any religion we desire...but how is this possible?...considering the fact the malays r already categorised under islam...n not having the right to change it when they come of age...

despite discussing it all night...we could not come to a conclusion...because we do not even know our own constitution well enough...but if we r correct...then there must b a contradiction within our constitution...n i find that rather troubling...considering the fact that our constitution is the highest law in malaysia...

but here's something interesting which i read somewhere...according to the hudud law...any muslim who renounces islam...will b sentenced to death by the syariah court...but here's the catch...it seems that in malaysia...a country claiming to b n islamic country although it does not execute the hudud law...if a muslim were to renounce islam...he/she is no longer bound to the hudud law...thus, he/she cannot b sentenced to death by the syariah court...cool huh?...

anywayz...that's about it...a nice little brainteaser for u...that should keep u occupied for a while...heh...but the thing about malaysia is...it's claims to b n islamic country...n yet...it doesn't adhere to certain characteristics of n islamic country...but then again...it's malaysia we're talking about...period...heh

cheers
k