Patronage

“The root of our country’s problem is patronage. That ‘chin chai’ easygoing attitude we Chinese hold in high regards as the noble pillar of a good person. It is this trait that clouds our judgement each time we were asked to pick between two outstanding leaders when clairvoyance fails us. Patronizing is a word which nondescriptly stays submerged while we finger point others as the root cause of our country’s failure. What that means is if our country does fail, we are also a party to be blamed due to this trait of ours that we carried too far thus compromising our own belief.
Remember those times when your printing orders came wrong and you still accepted it? When your carpenter changes your design without permission and you let him go? And those times you were obliged to pass a failed student because he is your friend’s son? Or when your boss instructs you to do something you knew was wrong but still does it because he’s your boss? Then delegated you as a signatory to his company’s cheque and you did it to please him? And gave a rapist a chance though he was caught red handed? And turned a blind eye even though you witness a discrepancy committed by your boss for fear of losing your job? And kept silent even when your rights were infringed with? There are umpteen instances where we patronize others and there are too many to list them here completely not forgetting those times when we seek favors.
Historically speaking, it is this very attitude that bugs Tunku about lky. The lengthy bouts in parliament wears Tunku thin because lky never compromises neither does he patronize. And that’s the reason why he was sacked because he was gradually seen as ‘the’ thorn that is not going to go away without a fight.
So the question is did we patronize because of us being a multiracial country and patronizing became a way of tolerating? Or we patronise because that’s simply the way we are- trading in third grade products while our top grade timber went abroad?
We have failed to recognize the fact that we can be harmonious without being intimidating so long as we have more gentlemanly discourse over anything under the sun. Thus we compromise. And thus, this is what’s happening right now in our country today.”

Hell and Back

After a night of drinking, Brian crept into bed beside his wife who was already asleep. He gave her a peck on the cheek and fell asleep.

When he awoke, he found a strange man standing at the end of his bed wearing a long flowing white robe.

“Who the hell are you?” demanded Brian, “and what are you doing in my bedroom?”

The mysterious Man answered, “This isn’t your bedroom and I’m St Peter.”

Brian was stunned “You mean I’m dead? That can’t be! I have so much to live for, I haven’t said goodbye to my family and, you’ve got to send me back straight away!”

St Peter replied, “Yes, you can be reincarnated but there is a catch. We can only send you back as a dog or a hen.”

Brian was devasted, but knowing there was a farm not far from his house, he asked to be sent back as a hen.

A flash of light later, he was covered in feathers and clucking around pecking the ground.

This isn’t so bad he thought until he felt this strange feeling welling up inside him.

The farmyard rooster strolled over and said, “So you are the new hen, how are you enjoying your first day here?”

“Its not so bad” replied Brian “but I have this strange feeling inside like I’m about to explode.”

“You’re ovulating” explained the rooster, “Don’t tell me you’ve never laid an egg before.”

“Never” replies Brian.

“Well, just relax and let it happen.”

And so he did and after a few uncomfortable seconds later, an egg pops out from under his tail.

An immense feeling of relief swept over him and his emotions got the better of him as he experienced motherhood for the first time.

When he laid his second egg, the feeling of happiness was overwhelming and he knew that being reincarnated as a hen was the best thing that had happened to him ever!

The joy kept coming and as he was just about to lay his third egg he felt an enormous smack on the back of his head and heard his wife shoutin..

*”Brian, wake up you drunken bastard, you’re shitting on the bed!”

(Author Umknown)

New World Order

All of us needed a new world order. We need to think of redesigning vehicles that causes much death, we need to bar weapons, we need a new form of government as countries and peoples needs grew too complex to be managed singly. Government and human rights may need to be reexamined. We just can’t sit down and be complacent while others determine the monopoly of crops, utilities, medication and health standards, financial standards, road standards, housing standards etc against our tolerance and happiness index.”

Endanger

I don’t know what else men have not done to earth that endangers themselves and everyone and everything around him.”

Oooooh George!!!

Little Billy came home from school to see the families pet rooster dead in the front yard.

Rigor mortis had set in and it was flat on its back with its legs in the air.

When his Dad came home Billy said, “Dad our roosters dead and his legs are sticking in the air. Why are his legs sticking in the air?”

His father thinking quickly said, “Son, that’s so God can reach down from the clouds and lift the rooster straight up to heaven.”

“Gee Dad that’s great,” said little Billy.

A few days later, when Dad came home from work, Billy rushed out to meet him yelling, “Dad, Dad we almost lost Mom today!” “What do you mean?” said Dad.

“Well Dad, I got home from school early today and went up to your bedroom and there was Mom flat on her back with her legs in the air screaming, “Jesus I’m coming, I’m coming” If it hadn’t of been for Uncle George holding her down we’d have lost her for sure!”

Replica

Don’t erect a replica to replace that which had been demolished. Leave that sculpture in your memory as a reminder of some better times. Print limited edition copies of its image to fund raise an artist collaborative so called an artist Union where concerned artist can join and unite to keep watch, address and confront issues like this.
Personally, I feel that without the personal supervision, consent and approval of the rightful artist, we are only erecting a new sculpture that has no soul in it.
And you’re only giving DBKL leeway to commit more hideous defacements in the future.

(In memory of Puncak Purnama by Syed Ahmad Jamal.)

Corporate Commissioning

“Corporate commissioning, patronage and sponsorships must not be seen as an intrusion or incursion to commissioned works or its meaning related to it. In its purest form, sponsorships should be viewed as a necessary facility in which without it, art in the public domain can never materialize. There are always limitations in commissioned works. Funding, space availability, objective, approval from authorities, the go-ahead still depends very much on the versatility of that entrusted artist to deliver a convincing proposal. And as long as it fulfills it expectations and works well within the timeframe and budget, it is set to materialize, the interpretation of its existence from then on will evolve through generations of debate, depending on the quality of its viewer, the social mood of that period be it tumultuous or serene done with mutual respect. That said, when viewing commissioned works, one should not be cynical or cling on to a miniscule viewpoint questioning the existence and it’s purpose or the influence the sponsors has infused onto the artwork itself thus demeaning the work of the artist. There always exist mutual understanding, agreement and a liking before works can be executed.”