Malaysian GE 2013: Last Word Before May 5th 2013

Approximately 2 months ago, I registered as a postal voter. I painstakingly crafted the email in Bahasa Malaysia to be sent to the ‘Unit Pengurusan Undi Pos’ (UPUP). Albeit a few lines, it was an accomplishment on my part as I have not read or written in the national language for years now. Also, I could have very well written the entire email in English but chose not to. Email as follows:

Tuan/Puan,

Sila lihat borang 1B yang telah lengkap diisi and dilampirkan pada email untuk memohon mengundi secara pos dari luar negara.

Sekian, terima kasih.

Yang benar,
'my legal name'

I was very surprised when UPUP wrote back a day after, informing me that they have accepted my application and was processing it. However, two months later I have not heard from them despite the fact that our ‘bro’ has announced that the parliament has been dissolved. I have to admit that I was not diligent in following up on my status and it was my beloved dad that kept track for me. One fateful day, I received an email from my dad informing me that I am eligible to vote as a postal voter. That is good news but I was confused.

¹ Few months ago, we did not know when the election was. So to not waste my chance to vote for a better Malaysia, I registered as a postal voter. At the same time, I wanted to go home to Malaysia for vacation. Time and tide waits for no man especially when there is so much to do. Sitting around waiting for ‘bro’ to own up was not the correct answer. As such, I booked my plane tickets to come home in May.

¹ Election should be held on the same date every five years. Why complicate matters if one wants a consistent and clean system?

Two weeks after my booking, the Electoral Commission (EC) decided that May 5^th, 2013 is THE day. Since, there was no status on my eligibility as a postal voter, I could actually vote at home instead of traveling 2 hours each way from Philly to NYC exercising my rights at the Consulate.

A few days later, I received an email from my dad informing me of my status as a postal voter. I was eligible to vote as a postal voter on April 28^th at the Consulate of New York. This was where my confusion started. Should I come home to vote or vote at the Consulate?

As I looked closely at my notification, I realized that I have been assigned the Consulate as my voting location and ² I did not want the risk of being turned away on May 5^th voting in my home turf. After griping and getting annoyed, J and I made our way to the Consulate on April 28^th. I reached the consulate at approximately 2.00 pm and there were already those who had voted. The turnout may not be as great as those turning out to vote in Melbourne but we did our duty.

² Is the system that rigid that I cannot vote at home? Afraid that I voted twice? Make voting electronic. That will solve the problem. Electronic voting has a better chance of ensuring that election is clean and it eliminates human errors.

Walking into the Consulate, I was first greeted by an agent who was sitting just right outside the entrance to the voting room. I handed him my identification card (IC) and he struck my name off his list. Following that, I was escorted by another agent to the voting room and there I met another agent who asked for my IC while he looked through his list. Only this time, the list had additional information i.e. my voting constituency. The agent again struck my name off the list and I was handed a brown envelope. I was told to open the envelope and ensured that the details on the contents of the envelope were accurate.

I opened the envelope and found a letter with my name, IC number and a serial number. Along with that is the ballot paper with the same serial number. They have also provided me with two envelopes; one to contain the letter and the other the ballot paper. What I had described is merely the first set of documents. There were white and meant for the parliament seat. The second set of documents was almost similar to the first. They were pink and they were meant for the state seat.

My ballot papers were clean. However, what struck me as odd were the serial numbers on the ballot papers, letters and the envelope. They were all similar. I almost had to pinch myself awake to make sense of this. Unless, I was on another planet in a different solar system with a different voting system, I remember recalling voting to be ANONYMOUS. Apparently, the word ANONYMOUS does not exist when you vote as a postal voter for Malaysia. Without hesitation, I asked the agent why serial numbers on the ballot papers and envelopes were also printed on the letters that has my name and IC on them.

The agent explained that the letter confirms that I have cast my vote at the Consulate. The explanation provided by the agent did not answer my question at all. Hence, I went on to say that while I understand the intent of the letter, I still did not understand how the serial number serves the same purpose. If anything else, the serial number should NOT be present on the letters or the envelopes. Perturbed, I went on to say to the agent, ‘I thought voting was supposed to be anonymous. Apparently, this is not’.

At this point, I was agitated as the agents clearly could not do anything about it and the system was truly flawed. It was either I vote or walk out. I chose to vote. I chose to vote knowing that our voting system is corrupt. How is it not corrupt when the Electoral Commission (EC) is hardly independent?

Hence, what is the point of this write up?

For those that did not even bother registering to vote either in Malaysia or overseas – You f**ked up for you have just wasted your birth right.

For those sitting on the fence debating to vote or otherwise, my ‘cue’ to you is this – Get your lazy ass out of your house on May 5^th 2013 and vote. If you are present in Malaysia, eligible to vote and your plans do not involve life or death situations, go cast your vote. Your parents did not give birth to you in Malaysia for you to waste every little bit of your privilege as a Malaysian by sitting on the fence and not vote.

For those educated ones out there – Vote wisely. There have been many arguments about what the primary driver should be when voting i.e. voting for the candidate that you are fond of regardless of party OR voting for the party regardless of who the candidate is. I sincerely do not want to impose but at this point I will.

Look at the bigger picture and vote for the party that holds your ideals at heart. While the candidate may have done great things for your constituency, he/she ultimately represents what his/her party stands for. If he/she does not represent the ideals of his/her party, he/she is clearly confused and probably need to switch parties or perhaps he/she is not bright.

By voting for the candidate, you ultimately vote for the party. The party dictates what and where the country will be, in the next five years. Do not be naïve to believe that one man can change the tide. It does not take one man; it takes the entire army with the same mindset and ideals.

This is resonant especially when the system and the group of people that is running the system are exceptionally flawed. Revamping the system is not easy but it can be done. Our system is flawed and it can be repaired. Revamping people on the other hand is almost close to impossible. Therefore, it is important to put the right people for the job to run this country. Placing selfish, greedy and corrupted individuals for this important role spells disaster. They can only run the country to the ground and it has been for the past decade. While some are clearly not happy with how things are, there are others who clearly believe that things should stay the way they are.

For those that want things to stay the way they are, wake up. Wake up although reality is hard to swallow. The reality is that the world has moved forward. So must we. We cannot sit on our laurels thinking that we can ride the wave by just staying in one spot. The country will eventually fall behind. In our scenario, we already have; to a destitute state.

This brings me to a final point. Again, for those that do NOT want change, I cannot stop you but I sincerely hope that you stay home and not vote as childish as this may sound. Swinging the election results towards the status quo is detrimental to the country. If this happens again, you will only see more of us trying every possible way to leave this beloved country in exchange for a better system and government. We will not be like Daisy who remained with Tom in the Great Gatsby. This country will only experience more brain drain. In time to come, you who do not want change will be left with nothing but a country weighed down by corruption, crime and talentless individuals. 

Valley Isle : The Road To Hana

Our bodies were not yet adjusted to the time difference hence, we woke up really early on Day 2. It was almost unheard of when I woke up at 5.30 am in the morning as I normally do not wake before 10.30 am on the weekends let alone on a vacation day. Since I was up, I perused some brochures that I grabbed from the airport. From the activities listed on the brochure, I decided that J and I should take the road to Hana stopping for breakfast before.

An hour later, we were on our way to a breakfast joint recommended by a contributor of the brochure. When we got there, we had to wait as the line was long. Long line gestures good food worth waiting for and ½ hour we waited before we were seated. Fortunately, our order came 15 minutes later.

The Restaurant - Breakfast


Long line












Pog Juice

While we were excited about how the food looked, we were all too quickly disappointed by how the food tasted. Everyone raved about it but we beg to differ. I have had better pancakes and omelette from the mainland. Sprinkling macademia nuts on the pancakes does not make it a Macademia Nut Pancake. Put some in the batter when cooking it on the griddle! Judging from J’s face, I knew he had better fried rice on the mainland too. The only consolation from the meal was the coconut syrup, pog juice and the view just outside the restaurant.

This bell will be very popular in December - Whale season

After a somewhat disappointing breakfast, we made our way to Hana. We were going to have a stress free vacation by taking a leisurely drive to Hana stopping along away to enjoy the view. The beginning of the drive was definitely easy. We made our first stop along the highway to visit the Twin Falls. It was a fun hike until nature called. What bad timing but one has got to do what she has to do. J

Walking/Hiking to get to the falls


Crossing the stream to get to the other side


Responding to the call of nature...hehehe


Tiny crawfish peeking through

Once we were done with this waterfall, we continued our journey on this highway. It was no longer stress free. In fact the drive was stressful. The road was so narrow it could barely fit two cars. Some stretches required drivers taking their turns. Otherwise, it could either be a deadlock or worst, a collision. The other unfortunate consequence of this journey was feeling green around the gills especially the passenger. Coincidentally, I drove the first part of the journey hence I was spared from this unpleasant side effect. I cannot say the same on the way back as J took the wheel.

The Beatles may not be literal but this is definitely a long and winding road.....


Vehicles to take turns on this one lane bridge


The view was spectacular however




Stopped here for some snacks and the infamous banana bread - it was delicious

Maui is paradise when it comes to its natural beauty. It puts you at ease, relaxes you and can even sometimes challenge you. Regardless of what this breathtaking place can do to you or for you, one should always remain sensible, all the more so when travelling on this highway to Hana. A couple decided to go against the grain by travelling to Hana on race bikes. It was raining, wet and the road was narrow and busy with vehicles. Theirs was an ill-fated decision to begin with. As we passed them, we had to carefully avoid clipping them and the oncoming vehicle. We saw them alive when we passed them. Hopefully it stayed that way. That very spot does not need anymore crosses or furry soft toys.

Another reckless episode that we witnessed was when a teenage boy foolishly sat in the middle of the bridge holding his head in frustration because he dropped his iPod in the falls. Since the falls was off limits, there was no way he could retrieve it. Again, I had to avoid him on this narrow bridge while keeping an eye for oncoming vehicles. As if the drive was not stressful enough and it was further exacerbated by dimwitted tourists.

J pretending that this plot of land is his....big dreams




Going towards the pools at 'Ohe'o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools)


Warning says no jumping into the pools but some decided to do it anyways


At Waimoku Falls


The outer pool






Mountain view just outside the Haleakalā National Park

Nonetheless, we were more than happy to leave Hana. It was sunset when we left and the narrow, steep road was ours. There were no cars at all. After a long day, J and I were more than happy to chow down, rest and relax. Making the journey to and from Hana is no small feat. J and I were wiped out.

For those planning on going to Maui, I would recommend Hana even though I personally would think twice before making this harrowing drive again. For first timers, this will definitely be an adventure, experience and a memorable journey.

To be continued.........

Valley Isle : To Paradise and Relaxation

The last time I went to the State of Hawaii was 2008 and the first island we visited was O’ahu (Gathering Place). The trip was fun, food was great and the weather was even better. After my first visit, I vowed to return to this state and a different island each time. Hence, after 4 years J and I made our way to Maui. Just like the previous visit, some of our activities were planned out while some were impromptu.

Nonetheless, we took off from the Newark Liberty International Airport on an early Tuesday morning and transited at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport before finally reaching Kahului Airport in the early afternoon. We were welcomed by the cool breeze when we deplaned walking towards the baggage area. It was very peaceful so much so it reminded me once again why we wanted to come back to these islands. Once we gathered our luggage, we made our way to Hertz and secured a swanky ride.

Swanky ride

Swanky ride - interior

Now, the time difference between the East Coast and the State of Hawaii is 6 hours. J and I had not eaten proper food since we boarded the plane. To put it rather candidly, airline food is atrocious. Is it free? No. Must one pay for it? Yes. Is the food decent? No. Hence, we stuck with our snacks from home. By the time we drove out of Hertz’s parking lot, J and I were famished.

Thus, we punch in restaurants as our point of interest on our GPS and made a quick decision to go to a Thai restaurant. The restaurant was located in a strip mall. Walking towards the strip mall, we located Whole Foods and Genki Sushi; both of them my favorite place to go to. When we reached the Thai restaurant, we realized that it was closed in the afternoon. Hence, we ended up at a local joint called Maui Mixed Plate. If you are looking for nice ambience, this is not the place to go to. From past experience good food are normally found in simple joints. Past experience proved to be accurate when we finally ate our food. It may be simple but J and I were gratified.

After the nourishing ourselves, we walked around the mall for a short while and stock up on water before making our way to the hotel.

Genki - yums!

Whole Foods!

Once we checked into the hotel, that was pretty much our first day. We were tired and sleepy so much so we slept like a log until the following morning.

To be continued.....

**These days we pay for everything on the plane i.e. from luggage, food, drinks to movies. We were rather surprised when we were not charged for water, soda or tea. One would think that when you pay for something, service would at least be better. If you think that this is the case, you thought wrong..hah! In a nutshell, airlines in the United States is inferior bar none.

Savor It : Not Your Ordinary Juice

What do you do when you read a book written by someone that advocates drinking green juice? Not only did the author exclaim the health benefits of consuming green juice but also how scrumptious it can be when made at home. Will you first give it try by buying a bottle of pre-made green juice or embark on a lifestyle change by incorporating green juice in your diet?

I did the latter. Weeks after reading the book and researching for a good juicer, I bought the Omega 8006. When the juicer came, I was so excited. That very same week, I went to Whole Foods Market to get some red kale (red Russian), cilantro, apples, carrots, ginger and lemon. They are all organic by the way. Organic may cost more but if I am going to incorporate goodness in my body, I might as well go all the way.

The recipe that I put together called for an entire bunch of red kale, two apples, two carrots, half a lemon, a small bunch of cilantro and an inch of ginger. The preparation took 15 minutes. This includes washing the vegetables and fruit as well as slicing them up to be small enough to insert through the chute.

My new Omega 8006

Organic red kale, cilantro, apple, carrot, lemon, ginger

As I switched on the juicer, I was beaming with excitement. The sound of the juicer was actually rather therapeutic. The kale was the first to go into the juicer interspersed with cilantro. As cilantro is flimsy, it is easy for it to stick on the juicer without going through the entire machine. The red kale helps the cilantro through the juicer. Once the kale and cilantro has gone through the juicer, ginger and lemon were next. This was followed by apples. I saved the carrots for last as the fiber from the carrots is harder than most vegetables. The fiber from the crushed carrot will push any remaining vegetables out of the juicer.

 Vegetable and fruit remnants made into compost for our garden

Yummy! Green juice

The recipe yield two cups, sufficient for J and I.  J looked apprehensive and asked me if he was required to drink it. My answer was an obvious ‘yes’. As I drank the green juice, I was very surprised by how clean the taste was. It was actually very yummy. J begged to differ stating that it tasted ‘weird’. First of all, ‘weird’ is not a word that one would use to describe the taste of food. I figured his comment was due to the fact that he was not very fond of consuming vegetables in general. Nonetheless, I told J that as long as I am home this will be our morning regimen. Nothing goes into our stomach first thing in the morning but green juice.

I have been making green juice for a month now experimenting with different green vegetables. I have used dinosaur kale, green kale, Swiss chard and baby spinach. The base is always kale, apples, carrots, ginger, lemon and I will add baby spinach or Swiss chard to give it more chlorophyll as well as iron.

Dinosaur kale

While some loathe its color and the idea of drinking freshly made vegetable juice, I advocate that you should try it at least once. If not for the taste but at least for health. Or you can be like J who is made to drink it anyways. And each time the juicer starts you can hear him say ‘NOT juicy juice again??!!!’

**Feel free to leave word if you are interested to know recipes or personal opinion on the Omega 8006