CHINESE AND MONEY

There’s always a particular smell of burning incense when one walks through the gates of a Buddhist temple. The smoke looms around in a mist-like form. The air is difficult to breathe and some of the people’s eyes burn from the ashes around. The faithful continue to add more to the already huge amount of incense of all shapes and sizes—the little flames on the top of the incense glows through the misty smoke. Before these incense lays the deities, to whom some ask for divine guidance for their cause. 
Today, a girl was burning something else in the temple. I looked down at what she was burning—some form of paper money? It appeared so. She was dropping them into the flames one by one. I had seen something like this before—somewhere in a Chinese movie, a man was dropping paper money in a makeshift grill for his brother who had died. Curiously, I approached the girl.

“May I see one of those?” I asked
“Of course,” the woman replied.
I looked at what the paper money said. “Hell money,” it read on the bottom.
......

I remember reading about this in the Novel; Taipan by James Clavell. The girl, his consort, was burning paper money and praying for something. The Taipan asked the girl what is she doing. She tell him that she was praying for their family's prosperity and the money was offerings to the gods. When asked whether the money is real, the girl looked incredulously at him and shushed, "Do I look stupid? Why should I burn hard earned real money?"


Then the Taipan understand what is money to chinese. Money is everything, prosperity is honour. Good business is pride. Everything revolve around money. A chinese would do anything, even cheat their gods for money.


So you half witted Malay deperados willing to do anything to woo chinese votes, please heed Sultan Sharafuddin's advice. Dont sacrifice what you have for what you will never have. Remember the the Pak Pandir Chronicles; Ayam Menang Kampung Tergadai. Dont disgrace yourself and your race just to be in good books of these mahjong players who are all too well verse in poker faced, double meaning, double handling, willy dilly maneuvres learned in thousands of years of trades with money as their gods. If you think you can best them in their own playing field, you can never be more cow dung brained than this. 

INSPIRA WITH A SMILE

Now the inspiration has arrived and named Inspira; the 1.8-2.0 litre Waja replacement Model dubbed the best from the Proton Stable by the salesman who was too eager to show all the virtues of the newest from Proton and most upmarket in terms of technology. Wheter inspiration or copy_ration, it is up to one's own judgement. However, I like good economy. This model of Mitsubishi has been on my 'Wish List' for quite sometimes. I love its good sizing; proportion of length, width and height. The boldly aggressive styling of the actual Lancer model is not everybody's cup of tea, that is for sure. I had dreamed of a toned down front end as my ideal car... When this dream came up in this version of a long promised Proton model (only the front was revealed), I just know that I had to have this car... So, there goes my Rm1,000 for booking fee with a smile.

Prior to the launching of 10th Nov, I read of 1,800 bookings. Mine must be one of those in the register. After the launching, the figure rose to 2,500, and I smiled yet again at my shrewd thinking. My Waja must definitely go away.. I cannot afford another cut of my salary when the Waja still has another 1 year plus to go under finance loan. Anyway I need the money upfront for the deposit before the rest coming from financing agreement. Now that the full car is officially revealed, is it any surprise that the rear end is SOLID LANCER??? No... I had already suspected that. In fact that was the pivotal factor in my decision; a full blood Lancer with LOTUS Touch at the price of a Proton!!! I suspect that latter on there will be more local contents for the next production. Maybe the power window will be replaced by the infamous Proton Power Window!!!!

On top of that the Price which before hand were published at RM95,000+ is now Rm91,999.. Another cause for a smile. When I saw the small chop at front and rear screen.. the 3 diamonds of Mitsubishi, anothe smile appeared. Next production will not have those, I was told; another reason to go for this model that certified its real stable. And at home, my wife was giving me that SMILE ..... "Nih nak kena charge penggunaan nama". My puzzle frown was soon followed by another BIG SMILE... OMG!!!! The first three letters of Inspira were that of my wife's NAME!!!!! That's a cause for another SMILE; a painful one... Now I have no claim of it as MY Car; she'll be caliming it as her's for taht use of her name on the first three letter.. :-))

Whatever, I am really looking forward to this car. Come Tuesday, I will be taking back my Waja for good to be put at 2nd hand shop. There will be about 3 weeks period of agony (so I was assured) before a huge SMILE be chiseled on my face. The Silver Metallic color is not so glaring as the red, but that is exactly why I chosed it. I dont want too many eyes focussing on it as I drive the first of a few of the model on the road latter.. I just want to keep that SMILE and hope the good feeling will be very lasting...

SMILE.

HILANG WARAS KERANA AMARAH

Sekali lagi kita mendengar berita mengerikan mengenai seorang lelaki bernama suami yang cemburu terhadap isterinya dan sanggup menggunakan Pedang Samurai untuk menyerang keluarga orang yang dianggap kekasih kepada isterinya. Satu keluarga tidak bersalah menjadi mangsa amarah seorang lelaki yang kononnya bertaraf suami

Perkara begini sering terjadi di dalam mesyarakat dan mengundang pertanyaan, "mengapakah tindakan sebegini ganas disasarkan oleh seorang manusia ke atas manusia yang lain kerana prasangka terhadap pencerobohan 'hak'nya?"

Saya merasakan bahawa tindakan begini adalah kerana kita sering disogokkan dengan ilmu bahawa isteri adalah `HAK' kepada seorang lelaki bertaraf suami. Benarkah begitu? Sudah hilangkah hak individu seorang wanita dek kerana dia telah diijabkabul dengan seorang lelaki sebagai suami? Sudah hilangkah haknya ke atas badannya dek kerana Ijab tersebut? Sudah hilangkah haknya untuk tidak disakiti dek kerana Ijab? Jika harta seorang isteri masih lagi miliknya di dalam islam selepas bersuami, apatah lagi badannya.

Seorang suami tidak harus sewenang-wenangnya menganggap bahawa isteri adalah miliknya seumpama barangan belian di supermarket, atau haiwan peliharaan seperti kucing dan ayam. Jika haiwan pun tidak boleh diperlakukan sedemikian rupa, apatah lagi seorang insan bernama isteri yang telah merelakan badanya disenggama oleh suami dan yang telah menjaga rumah tangga dan anak-anaknya demi suami.

Jika pun si isteri telah tersasar, ada jalan penyelesaiannya. Jika tidak dapat selesaikan dengan jalan baik, mahkamah adalah tempatnya dan talak adalah penyudahnya. Itu sahaja kuasa suami; TALAK. Mencederakan isteri bukan haknya. Di dalam perkara tersebut isteri adalah manusia yang dilindungi haknya mengikut undang-undang agama dan Undang-undang Negara. Tidak ada seorang pun boleh melangkaui hak-hak masing-masing, baik suami, baik ayah dan baik saudara. Seorang isteri adalah manusia berstatus warganaegara dan mempunyai haknya tersendiri. Suami bukanlah pemilik isteri. Dia hanya seorang yang telah dipertanggungjawab untuk menjaga isteri dan dibenarkan melakukan aktiviti bersama yang diharamkan tanpa ikatan ijab-kabul. Sebagai timbal balas, isteri berjanji akan setia kepada suaminya dan menjaga kehormatanya dan rumah tangganya.

Saya percaya dan yakin dengan sesungguhnya bahawa ajaran-ajaran keterlaluan mengenai "Hak Suami" di atas nama agama perlu dihentikan dan diganti dengan ajaran mengenai hak masing-masing di dalam rumah tangga dan hak masing-masing untuk merujuk kepada mahkamah jika percaya bahawa hak masing-masing sudah tidak diberikan oleh pasangan masing-masing. Sudah terlalu banyak saya mendengar tok-tok guru agama begitu ghairah mengajar wanita-wanita mengenai hak suami dan hukum derhaka tanpa timbal balas mengenai tanggung jawab suami terhadap isteri.

Perhatikanlah ajaran al Quran. Allah s.w.t tidak menyebut tentang Neraka tanpa dahulunya menyebut tentang Syurga. Ajaran mengenai dosa di timbal balas dengan ajaran mengenai pahala, balasan mereka-mereka yang menentang hukum di timbal balas dengan balasan kepada yang taat. Begitulah cara Allah s.w.t mengajar kita. Mengapakah cara ini tidak ikuti di dalam memberikan pengajaran hukum agama? Mengapa ghairah mengenai satu sudut sahaja yang menyeronokkan guru agama lelaki, tanpa mendedahkan sudut bertentangan yang kurang menyeronokkan? Allah s.w.t itu adil; adil seadil-adilnya. Setiap manusia adalah insan makhluqnya yang di dalam pentadbiranNya, dan diberikan hak masing-masing.

Di harap adalah pihak yang berani bercakap mengenai ini dan merubah keadaan. Ini adalah untuk kebaikan bersama, supaya setiap lelaki dan wanita mempunyai keyakinan bahawa hak-hak masing-masing adalah terpelihara di Negara ini dan ada mekanisma untuk menguatkuasakannya.