Still Mad about Dimples

Oh, yes, dimples, again...*sigh*

Can't get over them. I see them everyday. In the mirror. On my mum's face, and on my girlfriend's face.

Yes, that's me and her up there.

Anyway, every now and then i notice someone who has dimples and, regardless if they are guys or girls, i try to make eye contact with them and try to smile, hoping that they will smile back... maybe to create a dimple connection of sorts... hmmm..

I feel it to be a pity for some one to have dimples but not smile at everyone they meet. Dimples are a gift, meant to be shared with all. If you have dimples, your smile will probably brighten someone's day...or at least that is what i like to think..

then again i am just being overly perasan...

ahaha!

fortunately for me the more important women in my life have dimples (mum, grandma, gf) so whenever i need a little happiness, i can always look for them...well, not grandma lah...she is all the way in Kelantan... though i can always look at her picture.

Or worst come to worse, i can always stare at myself in the mirror...(again, overly perasan!)

anyways, u can check out my gf's blog at



and google my mum's name (she's everywhere!): Raja Maznah

Dimples rock!

What is a Malay?

What is a Malay?

Really, lets ponder that for a moment....hmmmm...a Malay....

Well, according to the constitution, a Malay is someone who:

1: Speaks Malay
2: Practices Malay Customs
3: Practices the Islamic Faith (is a Muslim)

Well, ok... following those conditions, is it possible for my Indian/Chinese friend to be come Malay?

Apparently it is!

Yeah, considering how most Malaysians speak Malay (with varying degrees of ability) and assuming they grew up in Malay communities (which means they practice Malay customs/culture to a certain extent), all they need to do is convert to Islam and voila, they are Malays!

Yes, it IS that easy... (since we know how easy it is to become 'Muslim' in this country).

oh, wait, i can hear the UMNO strongmen shaking their keris, braying for it to be bathed in my infidel blood... claiming that there is no way i can be right...

well, ok, i am by nature non-confrontational, so emulating my favourite Malay politicians, i thus retract my statements (with fingers crossed).

So, lets take another look at this term, this Malay/Melayu term...

Historically, the term 'Melayu' has been used to refer to locals who inhabited the Malay Isles (Kepulauan Melayu). Generally this included the greater part of the southeast asian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsula.

The Kesultanan Melayu Melaka, as all good SPM students know, was started by an Indonesian (Palembang) Prince. So, obviously the term 'Malay' was quite widely used.

So using this rather simple definition 'Malay' being those originating from the Malay Isles, one can say that the Kadazans, Ibans, Melanaus, Bajaus, the Orang Asli and even our Indonesian, Phillipino (Descendants of the Sulu Sultanate) and Thai (the descendants of the Kelantanese Sultanate) are sub-ethnic groups which fall under the umbrella ethnicity of Melayu.

Whoa...heheheh, that keris looks really sharp...

Ok, ok, lets rethink this, hmmm...

What is Malay? Hmm, lets see...considering that our Malay culture and customs stem from Hindu, Chinese, Islamic and Siamese practices... its a bit tough to categorise i guess.

Here is my personal (unsupported) theory:

The Malays as we know them today are descendants of the citizens of our sultanates of long past who intermarried with the various traders who came from the Indies, China, Middle East...etc... As our Isles were popular stops for traders from every corner of the globe, it wasn't rare for traders to intermarry with the locals so as to make their stay easier everytime they came around.

Which would explain why Malays look so different from each other.

Some have Chinese features, some have more Indian features, some look Arabic and even adopt Arabic surnames.

Think about it....

How do you (physically) tell if some one is Malay?

Here in Malaysia its pretty simple: If you don't look very Indian/Chinese/Foreign you probably are Malay.

This theory of intermarriage would also explain why the offspring of Chinese-Indian marriages often look very 'Malay'.

Anyway, there you have it, three different definitions, given from a legal, societal and historical point of view...

Ok, one last final definition, which i think is probably the most accurate.

The Malay are a Political entity. A group of settlers who came here before the Indians and the Chinese who decided to put aside their differences and band togther as a 'race'.

As a political entity, they effectively control Malaysian politics and those deemed unsympathetic to their plight are squashed.

So how do you become a Malay?

Simple, step forward, profess Islam and claim to stand for the rights of all Malays.

So it doesn't really matter if you are of Chinese/Indian/Arabic/Caucasian/Afrcian heritage. As long as you claim to be Malay, you probably are. Notice how a lot of UMNO politicians are of Indian descent?

Malay Culture? Malay Language? They are a result of the mish-mosh of cultures which came to settle here earlier. Heck, even the keris, which we so proudly brandish at UMNO general assemblies are traditionally an Indian (Hindu) weapon. Google 'Kris' and you'll see what i mean.

Honestly speaking, Malays have and will always be a political entity. As long as we can stay united that way, our rights won't be challenged.

Without the presence of a political entity, we would become divided due to our inherent cultural and physical differences.

So, am I Malay?

Yeah, Politically anyway ;)

The Return

Alas after an absurdly long hiatus, i have returned to my blog.

Apologies to those who have come here, seeking my two sens worth and finding nought.

Truth be told, i was stricken by a serious bout of lethargy after coming back from raya. And exams are next month, which means i should be studying too as well.

Although, i would like to think that i have a firm excuse for not updating my blog, i think a more reasonable explanation is that, im too busy playing games on the PC than for me to be updating my blog.

*sigh*

And yes, according to my previous posting i do know that i have pictures to upload as well.

But other than that i am glad to say that i have awoken myself from my bout of lethargy and am back with my brain switched on.

To flog a dead horse, i feel the subject of corrupt leaders is quite interesting... interesting in the sense that we know these leaders are corrupt, yet we, the people sitll vote them back into power...well, maybe not directly, but indirectly, by voting for people who will put them into power.

I think the problem lies with the fact that most people are disillusioned with the fact that they have the ability to change the leadership, to take charge of their destiny..to a certain extent.

Most Malaysians of voting age have not even registered to vote. Those who have, often rank voting as a very low priority. Often i wonder, what is required to stir these people from their non-chalance...

Well, now that corruption has been exposed, thanks to this new bout of freedom that we are currently enjoying. It shows a lot of things, things which are not pretty, ugly things. It is much like ripping a bandage off a healing wound. It looks really ugly, hurts like hell, but it heals better without the bandage suffocating the wound.

So now that the bandages are off, let the healing begin.

The elections are coming soon. If you are above 21... register to vote.. and vote for the betterment of our future!

Back from Binging

Wow, it has been one week since Hari Raya. I haven't been updating for that long.

But then again, there isn't really any real reason to come back an take a look here. Nothing much going on right now.

Apart from Dato' Zakaria's fall from grace and some Singaporean whining about elitism and what not...hmm...well... nothing much to talk about really.

As for myself, i have gotten fatter. Yes, though it may not seem obvious, but i have. Yes, fat. F A T. Bleagh. Even doing yoga is a chore. Mainly due to my sore shoulder. Must be careful not to aggravate it. Careful...

Lately my poetic/creative streak has been stagnant for a while... a general lack of inspiration i guess, or it could be due to the worrying caused by my upcoming exams... i am starting to twitch involuntarily...first my nose, then my forehead, my neck...etc...

It starts to get really bad a few weeks b4 the exam.

*sigh*

here is hoping that i get better