The Ultimate Motivation
You just gotta learn how to make it work for you.
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The Sad Stage of the Malay Idol
(Image credit)
Unfortunately, if you happen to switch on to the free-to-air channels, you just cannot escape the constant annoyance that is the Singapore Idol.
Somehow it even manage to have slot inside the nightly news, much to me and the madame’s great distress. Inescapably, my realm of knowledge now involuntarily covers the fact of one of the two finalists for this singing contest, one of them is a Malay.
This is the third season for the show; bear in mind that both the first and second seasons’ winners are also of Malay ethnicity (or at least have Malay names).
Now, lurking in local internet forums, I have the impression most of the local internet community seemingly expect a Malay winner for the third season.
An insecure clan
Personally, I think it is a surprise. I previously thought the makciks, Malay teachers, students, and almost everyone else have spent a considerable amount to secure the triumph of the previous winners. Apparently I am mistaken. They are willing to spend a lot more to have third.
To be frank, I am really worried about the state of the Malays. Singapore Idol is just one in a long list of entertainment-based channels which our youngsters are so desperately trying to conquer.
Sometime May this year, Suria, the local Malay TV channel, hosted a tryouts for the Malay talent show Anugerah. I was told the eager participants queued up as early as 4:30am to get in line. Switched on the TV on New Year’s event or some F1 party or National Day concert, and I can see that the majority of the crowd are Malays – at least those in front of the camera. (But hey, just how many camera views can you dominate?)
Even more so, try the Hari Raya season. Most do their visits in throngs, kids in tow, late at night. It is good to visit relatives and friends, but I draw the line when the kid has school the next day, even more so if exams are looming around the corner.
The ones with common sense will plan their excursion and excuse themselves early for the sake of the child’s education. Unfortunately, it is also common to hear the justification “it’s only one day of school”. Seemingly, there is just no emphasis on the importance of education. So what if Hari Raya is just once a year? Family excursions can always be scheduled to another time.
While I agree that Singapore Idol is culturally divisive (we need to ban clan-like behaviors), the sad root of the matter is that culturally, Malays (1) does not place lack emphasis on education, and thus, (2) will almost always gain ethnic support if it involves entertainment.
Please, think of the children!
Perhaps widely-circulated article by Nur Dianah Suhaimi got it right, Malays see themselves as being the least favourite child, and are doing anything they can to gain some sort of recognition.
But Singapore Idol is not the type of recognition we’re looking for. Rarely do we see the same fervour and support being there where education is involved.
For the greater good, please show the young ones that a singer is not what we Malays need right now. We need more doctors, engineers, lawyers, economists, and scientists. We need to stop being a perpetual slave to the entertainment industry and at least have a collective consciousness that realizes the need to churn out knowledgeable people. To show our kids that not only can they achieve anything if they work hard, but also, telling them to make the right decisions.
And to start doing that, please don’t vote for another Malay Idol. We don’t need us another entertainer.
For the greater good.
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Cross-Cultural Influence
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Background:
Compared to most other languages, Malay is a very easy language to learn. No gender distinction, meaning no he nor she, just a dia suffice to refer to both male and female.
Arabic meanwhile, according to some, is one of the hardest languages to learn. Not only is there the gender distinction such as he/she, but also a dual form of nouns to make the categorization effectively singular-dual-plural.
So, there are specific pronouns referring to two of he, or three of she, and so on.
In essence, there are 8 pronouns for English (I, he, she, you, etc.), vis-a-vis 5~ for Malay. Compare this with 14 for Arabic.
This is a real conversation had in an Arabic language class between a teacher and a student. The student is a foreigner who understands very little Malay.
Teacher: …The gender distinction in Arabic makes it quite a challenging language to be learnt, unlike, for instance, Malay.
Student: But I heard that some of my Malay friends using gender-specific words sometimes.
Teacher: Really? In Malay? How?
Student: Usually when they receive bad news… Or shocked or surprised.
Teacher: Hmm, I’m a native Malay speaker, but can’t say I’ve heard of that. How does it sound like?
Student: I cannot remember exactly. Something like, “na-jo-go” for a girl. If it’s a male who is shocked, he will say something else.
Teacher: Really? I’ve never heard of that before. Then what does the male say?
Student: (Sounding pleased) Ah, I remember! my friend taught me that the male will say “na-jo-boy” if he is shocked.
Teacher: (Confused) Na-jo-boy for male? Sounds like English to me.
Student: Yes. My Malay friend taught me to say that in Malay if I’m shocked.
Silence ensued.
Teacher: Only if shocked or surprised? Na-jo?
Student: Urmm, or an-jo.
Silence.
Teacher: Of course!
Student: What?
Teacher: Anjat-boboi and anjat-gegerl!
Student: Yes! That’s it!
Teacher spends the next hour explaining the different usage of Malay slangs, and its bastardisation, including among gangstah-aspired Malays.
Never underestimate the influence of black-attired, trucker-hatted, tapered pants (still?), swearing-suffixed speech patterns of the mats and minahs on the Foreign Talent.
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Further reading:
Benefits of Solat aD-DuHa
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What is the DuHa prayers, you ask? Sunnah prayer done in the morning, consisting of 2 rakaats at least. The benefits are, I would humbly point out, tried and tested, maa shaa’ Allah.
وعن نعيم بن همار رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: يقول الله تعالى: ابن آدم، لا تعجزني من أربع ركعات من أول نهارك أكفك آخره
“Allah Ta’ala says: Son of Adam, don’t neglect four rakaats of the start of the day, I will suffice you its end (i.e. end of the day).
- aT-Tabrani (Sanad)
Also:
عن أبي الدرداء وأبي ذرِّ ( رضي الله عنهما ) عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ” عن الله تبارك وتعالى أنه قال : ابن آدم، اركع لي أربع ركعاتٍ من أول النهار أكفك آخره
“From Allah Tabaaraka wa Ta`ala, He said: Son of Adam, bow to me 4 rakaats at the start of the day, I will suffice you its end.”
- adh-dhahabi, et al. (Sanad)
And, following the sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ:
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أنه قال : أوصاني خليلي بثلاثٍ : صيامِ ثلاثةِ أيامٍ من كل شهر ، وركعتي الضحى ، وأن أوتر قبل أن أنام
“From Abu Hurairah, he said: My khalil (the person most loved, i.e. Muhammad ﷺ) advised me three (things): Fasting three days every month, two rakaats of DuHa, and to perform witr before I sleep.”
-al-bukhari (Sanad)
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Further reading:
When Can One Pray Salat al-Duha? (sunnipath.com)
Salat Ad-Duha (by GF Haddad)
صلاة الضحى (saaid.net)
صلاة الضحى وفضلها (islamadvice.com)
Trolling on Religion
Especially in online forums and comments, religion-bashing is not uncommon. And when it happens, they make sure you hear about it.
There was news recently about a father who killed his daughter over cigarettes.
A Singaporean man has gone on trial charged with murdering his 23-month-old daughter in a fit of rage after he caught her playing with his cigarettes, court officials said Tuesday.
Sallehan Allaudin, 26, is accused of fatally beating his daughter Nikie in January ahead of her second birthday, causing her to die of a ruptured vein. If convicted, he could face death by hanging.
Clearly, the name alludes that the man is Muslim. But more than that, as to his religious practices, observances, adherence to Islamic law, etc., is only speculation. But if one can base on the fact that he smokes, it may somewhat give an indication of his level of observance on the Islamic scholars’ ruling on smoking.
Nevertheless, news like these spread fast in forums, especially when an ethnic or religious group can be pinpointed for blame. But to blame a religion for the act of one really can be testing at times. Such as this one here:
Culprit with an Islamic-sounding name? Blame it on the religion of course! (Source)
Try as you might, you may find that logic doesn’t dictate this kind of argument. More likely than not, your argument is valid. But come to think of it, I don’t even think retorts like these can be termed as argument; “abuse” is a more correct terminology.
Still, you find that your opponent’s over-generalization, stereotyping, selective quote and blatant disregard of reason endlessly bugs you to no remorse.
Perhaps it’s time to detach from the emotional ad hominem and simply disregard the troll.
(Image credit)
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The (Long) Road to Racial Understanding
Forget about racial/religious harmony. To reach that pinnacle of give-and-take, basic understanding must take place. This, one assume, is basically a given in Singapore; most people from other groups know that the void deck is being used by Malays to hold marriages, Chinese for funerals, and Indians to hold birthdays and other gatherings.
But we are in trouble if that is all we know, especially if we are part of the organizing personnels involved in multi-racial multi-religion events.
For instance, I’ve been to events which were supposed to provide lunch and dinner for the participants, of which include Muslims. The organizers know a bit about Muslim diet; we aren’t allowed to consume pork. So they prepared chicken wraps and salads. In such cases, the chicken is avoided, and the salads usually come to the rescue.
No Pork No Lard ≠ Halal
True, Muslims can’t eat pork, and it’s no rocket science that chicken isn’t pork. Unfortunately, another aspect of the Muslim diet which most people do not know is that all meats must be slaughtered in a specific manner, thus the term halal meat. Alcohol should also not be served, and that includes tiramisu.
The importance of details in planning such events are so vital that most attendees just assume that their needs are catered to. Here in Singapore, organizers are usually aware of the particularities of those involved, and just choose to conveniently cater from halal-certified providers, or go vegan.
By the look of things in Singapore, I would say most passed the food test, except for the tiramisu which I really suspect isn’t alcohol-free. But, they’ve still got a long way to go.
Firstly, the “no pork no lard” phrase has just gotta go. It may work well for someone who has allergy or adverse reaction to pork, but it is sometimes confusing for those who doesn’t understand that “no pork no lard” ≠ halal. Though one may not entirely fault the shopowners (usually bakeries which doesn’t use no pork/lard but uses non-halal sausages etc) as they are merely stating facts, the Muslim consumer should also be more aware of his decisions.
“No pork no lard” ≠ halal! Religion is not to be dictated by the rumbling stomach. (Image credit)
Such diluted understanding is prevalent here in Singapore, but apparently in other countries. Take this biscuit produced in Korea, sold here in Singapore.
The highlighted part actually translates into: Free from pork products and its derivatives. While this may put some hearts at rest, other may question does the E-4xx emulsifiers contain gelatin from non-halal beef? Here’s what the local religious body’s got to say on the matter.
Food claims such as ‘No Pork, No Lard’ do not necessarily imply that the food is truly Halal. Halal food must not contain and/or come into direct contact with non-Halal items. Examples of these include alcohol, pork and meat deriving from sheep which are not slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic Law.
Calendar and Events
Besides food, some religion also possesses their own calendar system. Nothing too hard to ignore, as major religious events are widely reported here, such as the Deepavali, Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, and Thaipusam. Event organizers should therefore take note of the dates, else the targeted crowd may not come.
This is a banner of what is supposed to be “Racial Harmony Sports Day”. At first glance, all seems to be okay; everyone from all races are invited to participate – a wonderful thought.
The true test of endurance: Sports + fasting.
One little issue though, the date 13/09/2009 is the final week of the fasting month of Ramadan, prior to the Muslim Hari Raya celebration.
One may point out that I’m being too picky by pointing these out, but in reality, a fasting person would do as much to conserve his energy as even a drop of water is not allowed. Furthermore, for the event organizers to call it “Racial Harmony” is unfortunately oxymoronic if it is not suited to the racial groups’ observances.
And here’s a reader’s letter from today’s paper on Deepavali. I share his thoughts on the issue.
Diwali is essentially known as the festival of lights, as it marks the return of King Rama to reclaim his throne after a 14-year exile in the forest, and his victory over Ravana, a legendary evil king who abducted his wife Sita, and lights were put up in celebration.
It is also celebrated by Sikhs, who commemorate the return of Guru Hargobind, who had been imprisoned with 52 other princes at Fort Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir.
It is a major symbolic festival, but the proper greeting should be simply ‘Happy Diwali’ or ‘Happy Deepavali’, and more good times ahead, not ‘Happy New Year’.
While I do appreciate the nice gesture from my non-Muslim friends when they send me greetings on Hari Raya, it slightly bugs me that most of them choose to greet by saying “Happy New Year”. Hari Raya is not a new year. It falls on the 10th month of the lunar calendar. That’s like wishing someone a happy new year in October.
<Given-Name> <Family-Name> <Father’s Name>
Each culture also has their own name structure convention. Chinese and Western names usually have a <given-name><family-name> convention (or vice-versa). Malay and Indian names (at least in Singapore) meanwhile doesn’t include family names, their names consist of <given-name> <father’s name>.
I had naively expected this to be common cultural knowledge, knowing that the word bin and binte in the Malay/Arabic naming convention correlates with the Indian s/o and d/o. Well, I thought wrong.
Here’s a passage from the local daily, which mentions a politician’s name. The politician, a Malay, is Hawazi Daipi. According to the Malay naming convention, he should be called by his first name, and not his last name; his last name is actually his father’s name and not his family name.
Apparently the reporter doesn’t get it, and reported here:
…Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Hawazi Daipi in Parliament on Monday afternoon.
Mr Daipi was responding to questions by MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Baey Yam Keng who asked what help do bosses who can’t afford to pay the full medical bills of their maids get. He also asked if the Government would consider capping the maximum liability of bosses.
Mr Daipi said to reduce the burden of these large medical bills…
Sloppy, as a quick google would have produced his CV and given clues to his ’surname’.
But this example is not a rarity. I have been many times, in situations when formality ensues, called by my ’surname’; I don’t have one, so they were actually calling me by my father’s name. So much so that I got used to it.
In fact, my previous workplace requires the work email address to be a combination fo the first letter of my first name, and my last name in full. Which in this case will be x_FATHERSNAME@xxxxx.com. It truly was irritating. My request to have it changed wasn’t accepted. I do not mind if I actually do have a surname, but I simply don’t.
And it sounds really idiotic to have my email address based on my father’s name instead of my own. Just what can I do then?
Understanding, then Harmony
Until we have these issues being understood by everyone of different racial and religious background, the word “racial/religious harmony” will amost always be viewed like some propaganda horn blown by from the top. True, to an extent is does coerce a nervous and artificial form of tolerance, with the main objective of avoiding trouble and confrontations, while gulping down the occasional uneasiness.
But when one look closely, these trivial issues are not really so trivial, they form the very basis of harmony. How can a society truly achieve this “harmony” if it doesn’t even know what to call its neighbour? Or what to serve when hosting them? Or when to hold meet-ups or gatherings?
Culture is deeply rooted for generations. Religion is a way of life. They influence names and name structure, possesses their own calendar system, practices, and rituals.
In the end, one must remember that religion and culture is not just all about food.
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An Idiot’s Guide to Ramadan
Yes, Ramadan just passed, but this is still good.
Excerpts:
Ramadan, What does this mean?
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. It’s when Muslims all over the world spend 30 days observing fast and bettering themselves in principles of faith.
Observing fast? Is that something to do with running, then?
No.
Oh, what is it then?
Observing fast, or fasting, is when a person abstains (or keeps away) from eating and drinking.
Some people call it ‘Ramadam’, what’s that all about?
The month is correctly known as ‘Ramadhan’ or ‘Ramadan’, the latter being the more anglicised version. ‘Ramadam’ is incorrect and is mistakenly used. ‘Ramadam-dam-dam’, as pronounced by Ali G, is also wrong but you probably guessed that already.
Courtesy of the BBC (link).
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Excerpt 1:
Ramadan Really Means…
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Ramadan comes and goes. The month in which able-bodied Muslims are obligated to fast from dawn till dusk has passed, but will reappear in the next (lunar) year, as has been the cycle for the past 1,428 years. Yes, it’s 1430 years after the Hijrah now, but Ramadan was first obligated 2 years after the Hijra (some say in the month of Sya’ban, 2H/622CE).
For most people, when you ask them whether fasting makes them better, they’ll almost always agree. They will say that abstaining from all types of food and drinks makes them a better, stronger person. For others, it made them shed a few pounds (only to bulk up again with the Eid festivities).
But some of these answers may be quite vague, and especially from an outsider’s point of view, it is difficult to see the so-called spiritual benefits. But trust me they’re there.
If you’ve been fasting fasting for years, or just starting to get used to fasting, or trying to understand how not eating can make you a better person, here’s my take on what people mean when they say Ramadan makes them “better”.
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1. “Ramadan makes me empathize with the less fortunate.”
Very true, also very obvious. With millions around the world having difficulty to finding food, and even more so freshwater, the fact that you are not allowed to drink a single drop of water in this hot, sunny climate makes you appreciate that even more seriously.
And after one full month of not consuming anything during the day, Muslims also must give a mandatory sum of money (zakat/tithe) to the poor.
Philosophy:
You feel their suffering (through fasting), now do something about it (through donation).
Visually impaired Palestinian students read verses of the Koran, Islam’s holiest book, written in Braille. (Image credit)
2. “Ramadan helps me to focus.”
The line is not hard to draw for this one. Most likely than not, what is meant is the decreased focus on food (you can’t eat or drink during the day), makes for an exercise in objectivity; focus more on what you are doing, and not what you are feeling.
For those who say they can’t concentrate without food, or when they’re hungry, this is an observance especially catered to temper the physical body to such conditions. 14 hours without food is nothing extreme, but definitely gives you a slight boost especially when thinking of whiny people who can’t seem to stop munching.
Philosophy:
Mind over matter.
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3. “Ramadan makes me a better/stronger person.”
The most popular. Or a better phrase would be, “Ramadan shows me how much I can do, with less.”
I’m sure a lot of people actually lose weight during Ramadan (mine is around 5% this year, hooray!). And without any side-effects nor illness whatsoever, the loss of weight is a sheer example of how much we – as humans – are consuming on a daily basis.
Food: During Ramadan, the amazing body somehow manages to survive on 2 meals a day; one small one before dawn, and one during sunset.
Sleep: During Ramadan, just like many others, Muslims sleep lesser than normal. Even when going to sleep at the same every night, most Muslims wake up at about 5am to eat the pre-dawn meal (sahur) and perform the dawn (Subuh) prayers, then taking a 1-2 hour nap before going to work. The sleep pattern is disrupted, yet the body copes with it.
Exercise & Discipline: Less food, less sleep, and every night, Muslims are encouraged to perform the tarawih prayers. It takes less then 30 minutes, done every night during Ramadan, and burns the extra calories too. Also during Ramadan, most would read roughly 20 pages of the Qur’an daily, so as the complete reading the holy book in that month.
In addition, Muslims are supposed to be at the peak of spiritual health in Ramadan. Meaning, controlling the eyes from gazing at that lady with a low-cut dress, the tongue from gossiping, the ears from listening to mindless songs and idle talk, etc. It’s about getting the soul to control the physical body, and not the other way round.
If you observe Ramadan, you’ll see that everything is jam-packed; you do more, you consume less. In the midst of all these, it is easy for one to realize how much of their daily lives is filled with non-essential entertainment and pleasure.
Fasting does indeed make you stronger. Stronger to get off the lazy bum and do something worthwhile, or help others, or read more. It resonates more when the Muslim sees himself as a consumer, to eat little (and not waste), to reduce consumption of not only food, but electricity, petrol, and the world’s resources.
Philosophy:
If something as essential as food and drink can be controlled, the non-essential desires can be reined in too.
(Image credit)
4. “I fast because my mom/dad told me to.”
If you see Muslim kids fasting, it teaches them not to be a wuss when they grow up.
The perfect character builder.
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Singtel Ad in Mosques: Still there
This is an update from a previous post, regarding Singtel’s ad in mosques.
Apparently now they’ve changed the ad a bit, obviously in observance of the upcoming Hari Raya. Here’s what it looks like now.
Caption reads: “Celebrate happiness together. Connect with your beloved family this Hari Raya with Singtel.” The Qur’anic verse on the right now had been replaced with a hadith.
While it is relatively better, considering one of the ladies in the ad is properly covered up, the other is still not.
Nevertheless, my biggest annoyance is still: What is an advertisement from Singtel doing in my mosque? And I wonder who exactly profits from these billboards cropping up all over Singapore’s mosques.
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Kerubik? Kerupat?
“We come in peace,” declared Professor Rubik’s mutant relatives.
The green cube above was spotted on Dell’s flash ads in some local websites, such as channelnewsasia.com and Ebay Singapore. Initially, without context, one would think that it mimics some kind of Gamma-infected Rubik’s cube.
Alas, it is but a misrepresentation of the humble ketupat. What’s a ketupat, you ask? It’s that thing (read: rice dumpling) that my family weaves in the days prior to Hari Raya, for our own gastronomical benefit. Made of coconut (or palm?) leaves, it intricately weaved with no gaps whatsoever, filled with rice, and boiled for hours to produce a rich tasting main dish, accompanied with rendang, sambal goreng, and the such.
The real McCoys in action (Image credit 1, 2, 3)
In all my life, never have I seen a perfectly cubic ketupat, be it in the real or virtual world. Not only is it impossible to weave, but a symmetrically manufactured ketupat with exactly 54 squares on 6 precisely measured sides is not something you’d rush to sink your teeth into.
I can only imagine that the ketupat in the Dell ad was outsourced to some foreign company void of regional cultural understanding. That, or a Primary 2 school project of ketupat in 3D.
Here’s a screenshot of the ad:
But hey, at least they got the background ketupat correct:
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