Yo people!

Baillieu is open till 3am now! Woohoo! Let the NERDING begin! Bleah anyways posted below is our first ever blogpost submission! It's about the recent Sarawak elections... so those of you who are not from the BEST state in Malaysia *grin* may not know what the hell she's on about. Well, in short SUPP (Sarawak United People's Party) the state's Barisan National component party got a massive wake up call.

By the way, if anyone is interested in blogging for us on anything from current issues to their hometown to food to... aiya whatever lah, please mail it to us at club_momu@yahoo.com.au =) Many thanks to Patient for her submission!

August - Proud Mirian

Dear Malaysians in Melbourne,

Last Saturday marked an important date for Sarawak Elections. Opposition party – the Democratic Action Party (DAP) garnered 6 seats out of a possible 12 setting the BN coalition branch of Sarawak United People Party (SUPP) back in a 11/19 finish. This is SUPP’s largest loss since.. well.. forever. To put it in terms of our language, the outcome of the Sarawak Elections consisted of an SUPP ass-whooping lash by DAP. Chinese majority constituencies - Batu Lintang (KCH), Kota Sentosa (KCH), Padungan (KCH), Bukit Assek (Sibu), Meradong (Bintagor), Kidurong (Bintulu) and Pending (KCH) were captured by DAP and Keadilan.

An extra victory for MoMU-ans :

Presenting Violet Yong (Pending), 29 year old law graduate from Melbourne University managed to defeat 63-year-old BN seasoned veteran and Assistant Minister Datuk Sim Kheng Hui by a whooping 4,372 votes in her first ever electoral debut. Violet also garnered the highest amount of votes - 11,632 in the whole State.

I truly applaud the actions of the Kuchingnites who dared to voice their frustrations with BN by voting for the opposition parties. It's hard enough that our state government is not doing its job, but to have them confused as to why we have lost confidence in them is downright scary. God help us.Pictures taken from http://sarawakelection2006.wordpress.com/

First he's smiling

And then he's stumped.

It is a concern however, that sentiments shown by Kuchingnites are not shared by fellow Mirians. The only difference seems to be a reasonably moderate gap between DAP candidate Fong Pau Teck who lost by 1,370 votes to SUPP’s Andy Chin in the new constituency of Pujut. Understandably, Mirians have been getting the better end of the "development" as promised by the government and mainly because George Chan has been a prominent figure in what used to be a sleepy town for as long as I can remember. Ask yourselves this question : Has SUPP acted upon our concerns within BN?

Here are some of the points I would like to raise:

1) I wish Mirians are not blinded-sided by the "Miri Resort City" theme. Which part of the town seems like a resort city to you? Believe me, it isn't just a game of numbers or memorable dates that the declaration of this town as a CITY coincides with 20.05.2005. What do you know? A year and a day later, it's the General Elections! And the Marina Bay is no where near completion.

2) What happened to Miri Oil Town? Why replace it with RESORT? Well, where's the oil? Or more specifically, where's the bloody low oil price? 30 cents hike when Sarawak procudes one third of the country's oil products? Everyone, start sniffing around in Petronas. There's something fishy going on.The government can’t explain where the revenues have gone!

3) So you're thinking, what did we have to gain? Think carefully. A petroleum museum? Some building a hotshot was invited to declare open? The new Lutong bridge constructed so quickly that no one's hardly even had the time to whisper "the elections are approaching"?

4) Baram Bridge - this has to be the most expensive bridge in Malaysia and it costs RM20 to get to and fro, and you want to talk about promoting tourism in Miri? Penang bridge is only RM 7 one way for 13km. How long have we waited for the completion of this project and where is the suspension bridge as proposed?

Arguments, yes. But the opposition needs to find stronger representatives!

In Miri, I must say, I am disappointed about the alternative choices of candidates. The opposition must groom and send candidates worthy of the people's trust. Otherwise, why do you think so many Mirians stuck with BN instead? NO OTHER CHOICE! <-- Could this then explain the low turnout of voters? Because people simply couldn’t decide?I did not get a chance to vote this time round since I only turn 21 in August, however I find myself asking, IF I had the chance to vote, who would I have voted for? DAP just because it is not BN? Or BN because I've seen enough of George Chan's face to get "familiar" with his presence in Miri?That's BN's advantage I guess. As long as the opposition candidate does not :

(a) have more experience (that’s why we must not hold everything at face value)

(b) have enough funds to carry out an impressive campaign

(c) provide a convincing enough platform

Then, BN is home free.

My dilemma : I wouldn't vote for the opposition if I don't believe in the candidate's platform. But I sure as hell do not want to vote for the corrupted BN. Maybe it's not the issue of not voting for the right party, it's not having the right people to vote for! I think the Kuchingnites have shown that given the right alternative candidate options like Violet Yong and Voon Lee Shan, Sarawakkians will vote for the right party!

Think outside the box my fellow Mirians. Think BIG and ask yourselves whether your voice is heard in the Government. Don't leave it till they have used our land for their own benefits. Show them we are not followers of 31st August independence. Let them know 13 September marks the rise of an equal state. Come Parliamentary Elections in 2008, vote for a MALAYSIAN Malaysia! Power to the people!

Signed,

Patient

Extras:

(1) Here's DAP's website for more info: http://www.dapmalaysia.org, particularly DAP's Manifesto for the Elections (see what made Sarawakkians tick!): http://www.dapmalaysia.org/english/2006/may06/bul/bul2998.htm

(2) Lim Kit Siang's (President of DAP) blog : http://blog.limkitsiang.com

(3) Of course, Kenny Sia has some good comments to make : http://kennysia.com , ( http://www.kennysia.com/archives/2006/05/sarawak_electio.php ) There are other links on his post too.

(4) Articles from Malaysia-Today which might be of interest : http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2006/05/message-from-voters-loud-and-clear.htm

http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2006/05/it-was-chinese-revolt-against-supp.htm

http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2006/05/ruling-coalition-lose-ground-in.htm

http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2006/05/supps-loss-is-daps-gain.htm

MoMU wishes
all students of Melbourne University
GOOD LUCK
for their upcoming exams !

Let me first post the answers to Exercise 2.
a) True
b) False, "ar" is just not necessary in this case - “I know that dog ! The stripes.. It is Scooby's dog!” *scratches head*
c) False, "ar" should instead be replaced with "lah" as we have learnt before - “I hate my lecturer lah! He smells like cow dung all the time!!”
d) False, once again, "ar" is just not necessary - “I bought my car from him. It is still quite new although it is fifty eight years old.”
e) True

Alright.. Now that the answers are done we shall go on with our very third lesson! Today's lesson shall be a simple one. Today we shall be learning how to use "eh"!

Now "eh" is a fairly simple term used when you want to call someone. It is used in front of the sentence. It could be a question or a statement as it is used when addressing someone.
eg. "Eh, do you want to go have lunch?" "Eh, your car damn nice!"

Sometimes though, Malaysians speak so fast that two "eh"s is mentioned. However, the most common reason two "eh"s is used is because you have not yet engage the other person or group's attention.
eg. "Eh eh, where are you guys going?" "Eh eh, you all finished your homework already ar?"

Other than addressing people, "eh" can be used when one is surprised and thus asked a question or pose a statement.
eg. "Eh? Why you skipped your lecture?" "Eh? I thought you said that you wanted to go for lecture. What are you doing here?"

So then next time you see someone you know just "Eh" them. I'm pretty sure that you would get their attention. However if that fails, that would just mean that that person is not Malaysian. So, do not come up to me and complain that it failed when you "Eh" a local Australian! Yes, do not "Eh? Why he/she did not answer me?" then "Stupid Pakcik Win!!"..

:P I shall not post any questions for this lesson as it is fairly simple to use. *Pakcik Win is also lazy!*

Came across something while checking MoMU's email just now. This link was sent to us in an email from MASCA, who have very nobly volunteered financial help to MSOs (Malaysian Student Organizations) in Melbourne. Have a read guys, it doesn't take much time and I found it extremely interesting, especially in the comments section.

Some quotes from the piece lah, in case you all lazy to click :P

"I am studying in University of Melbourne and a huge number of the International students are Malaysians.but guess what? At the Clubs and Societies Information Day there wasnt any Malaysian Student Society but there were other groups like Filipino Student Society when their number of students are way smaller. I checked up with the Singaporean Society about the Malaysian Society and a representative told me that she wouldnt be surprised if the society is now defunct. Mind you there are many Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam Scholars studying here, so what is the Malaysian Society doing?"

"Poor participation in activities organised by Malaysian societies and reluctance to assume responsibility. Always looking for freebies yet unwilling to contribute even a little bit of their time or effort. Even worse are those who happily nominate themselves for posts and disappear once they are needed to work. (usually referred to as Missing in Action) This phenomenon is embarassing and yes, I feel disgusted when I think of this. Thankfully there are still some who actively participate in societies and keep them running.

In Melbourne Uni there was once a Malaysian society, but this club was blacklisted by the Uni. Why? The club was taken control of by a few non-Malaysians who pocketed the Uni funding. This happened because no Malaysians came for the AGM that year. The problem lies with people who expect the club to do everything for them, but contribute nothing in return. Even the recent Malaysian Cultural Society of Melbourne Uni (thus named to avoid being blacklisted) was a failure due to lack of support from Malaysian students. Activities were organised but the attendance rates were poor. And being Malaysian, what do we do? we blame authority. We must make an effort ourselves, as individuals to find out about the activities being held around Melbourne for Malaysians."

So there you have it...people scolding Melbourne Uni's Malaysian club for not being there/not doing anything, and an explanation as to why this has been so hard.

I don't know if any of you were here while MCS was alive, but although it is generally agreed that the MCS committee kinda sucked, it is not entirely their fault. Turnout and reception was almost always poor at events, which is one of the reasons the club went into so much debt.

There are shiploads of Malaysians in Melbourne, agreed. You could say that this is one of the main reasons why there should be an active Malaysian club in Melbourne Uni. But look at it from another point of view: there are so many Malaysians, and we are generally such a sociable bunch, that it's easy for everyone to go off and makes their own plans with their own group of friends. In fact, that's exactly what most people do. The thought of participating in something organized by a uni club probably doesn't even cross their minds. Why go through all the trouble of registering to go to a club-organized picnic with a bunch of strangers when you can go with your own friends?

I met someone interested in joining the Malaysian club during Orientation this year. In addition to expressing support for the club, she also lamented about the fact that she knew about 10-15 people who, instead of taking part in Orientation, hired a van instead and took their own trip up to Great Ocean Road.

I'm not trying to say that spending time with your own friends isn't great. When shit happens, you need your friends, after all. But at the same time, we have to discard this mentality that uni is just a place to study, and socialization happens only outside the campus. Uni is not just about lectures, tutes and assignments. It's about the only place that encourages personal growth through getting involved in campus life, whether through joining a club or joining a committee.

You might not think you can make new friends through going for club-organized gatherings. But you get to practice the essential skill of making small talk and being nice to strangers. Kissing arse is, after all, one of the most important abilities you'll need to have when you start working for a talkcock boss. >;)

You might not think you have time or skills for joining a committee. Truthfully, that is still what I think, even after being elected President last year. But I'm learning how to manage my time (or suffering the consequences - sleeping at 5am...*sniffle*). I'm learning how to deal with people, even those who might not respect or necessarily like me. I'm learning how to be a leader, or at least a team player. All the things I'll need to know when I finally get a job. It's not just about putting this on my resume - it's pratice, self-development and an experience.

Then again, you might think you're too cool to be involved in geeky uni clubs. I'm not even going to try appealing this one. There's just no changing your mind about it. If we look like geeks to you, so be it. We're the ones being deprived of your company. Boohoo.

(Hopefully this is not a majority of you, otherwise I'm screwed. :P)

Think about it. Once you graduate, you're going to have to work. You're going to be thrown into a corporate environment, no one is going to baby you through how to get things done. If you have to work with a bitchy team, you can't go to your boss and request to be excluded from the project. Uni is our last chance to still learn while having a crapload of fun before reality comes round to bite us in the ass.

So the next time you hear from MoMU and our activities, which we will be trying very hard to organize, think twice before forgetting about us. We're not trying to make money, or existing just for the sake of it. Our mission is to unite Malaysians, to get you guys talking to each other and *hopefully* coming away with new acquaintances, or just to see everyone enjoying themselves.

Not long to go before elections, I hope the constitution gets approved fast so we can organize it ASAP. I still need to type it out so will submit it tomorrow. Man I feel like a major makcik. My body is aching from like just one hour of netball practice. You see the sacrifices I make for the club?? Namely playing both netball and badminton for MASCA's Intervarsity Games? Grrr...exercise is overrated. PLUS I believe I will be trashed in badminton because I haven't played in yonks. Btw thanks heaps to everyone who registered to represent us in volleyball, basketball and pingpong...errr were there others?? Bah, basically everyone who is gonna be taking part lah. I would say Malaysia Boleh but we're all gonna be Malaysian =_=" MoMU Boleh just doesn't sound as snappy. Maybe if I'm feeling bohliao enough I should invent some cheers?