Believe it or not

By Aaron Rao

Two years ago, before entering into varsity life, I believe us students’ live normal lives that believe in an ideal world where countries will be governed with good governance, and cultures and religion are something that are of naturalism. But guess what, taking mass communications, learning what we learn; I believe kind of makes it hard for us to believe in anything anymore. Let me give you readers a clearer picture.

The new dawn racists do not want

By Ng Eng Kiat

March 8, 2008 will be a date forever recorded in the hearts of a few Malaysians who voted against a dominant racial ideology in favour of justice, equality, accountability, and freedom.

My emphasis: a few.

Post election drama

By Yeoh Li Ying

Enough is enough. The Rakyat has voted for who they think is able to lead them. So why all the fuss of having all those waste of time demonstrations, like what happened in Penang last Friday by the UMNOs. Wait, a minute, I thought that the UMNO leaders once said that Demonstrations is not our culture when BERSIH and HINDRAF had their rallies, then why are they doing the other way now. Irony?

Why are all the fuss of the new Penang government abolishing the New Economic Policy (NEP) aka Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) and have an open tender on Projects? Is that wrong? Government is supposed to be accountable, transparent in their work. And one step to be transparent is to have open tender on getting a project. I thought it was a good move. You see, even with the NEP, how many poor people have benefited from it? And there is still so many poor people. And NEP is supposed to be achieved in 30 years time (1971-2001). Sadly, it’s been 7 years and the objective has not been reached. This is already a failure.

So why not look at the bright side of open tender. First, if you know you will not get the project by your crony or other cable, you ought to have to work hard and proof your ability to get the project. With this, aren’t people becoming more productive.

Secondly, regardless of any race, we are Malaysians and everyone stand an equal chance and opportunity to get what we want. Isn’t this fair?

And lastly, let’s give the newly elected representative a chance. They have not even started working on the core problems and you people holding this demonstration are creating problems already. Afterall, they have 5 years to prove it. If not we elect for other representative next time and this is how democracy work.

Sex and the people of the city

By Syarifah Hadli

It was one of those normal nights where I happily surfing the net and at the same time busy managing my personal blog when all of the sudden an uncivilized person, a man, I believe, left me a very disturbing and petty sexist slur. I was taken aback by it. It’s not as if I am not used to dirty words or whatsoever. But the fact that I have left this childish name-calling game years ago about the same time I left my pre-puberty days, made me feel like soo old fashioned when an incredibly anonymous man came in and posted a sexist slur that includes the female private part. Anyways, you are not really anonymous lah Mr Babisayang (as he named himself and no I didn’t make this up). I know you’re from some ceruk in Puchong, Selangor. 60.48.186.# is your IP address and (smirk) guna dial-up ke bang? Pathethic. Thank you technology. Anyways, I gotta thank him for being childish because if he didn’t, I will still be scratching my head right now, wondering what else to write for kasikampus.

Narrow Band

By Yeoh Li Ying

Narrow-less Band

Broadband Internet in Malaysia should really be named “Narrow Band” because the service provided by our beloved TMnet is so slow it is only less painful compared to Malaysian Dial-up Internet. It is painful nevertheless when we look at the excerpt from TM Net’s website …

A beautiful election campaign

By Shamala Suresh Kee

“Malaysian Newspaper Forced to Shut Up” (by Jed Yoong, Asia Sentinal, 22 February 2008) truly made me feel appalled at the recent state of Malaysian press. Cited as an endangered species by Jed, independent newspapers are now extinct with the purchase of The Sun daily by business tycoon, Vincent Tan, whom currently is involved in V.K Lingam trial, a trial that pertains to justice brokerage by the senior lawyer. According to the report, an extensive change in the main line-up of The Sun was made, soon after the purchase. Ho Kay Tat is now being replaced by a new editor-in-chief Chong Cheng Hei and Zainon Ahmad is now the ‘consultant editor’.

I must say, The Sun is a staple read for me and most readers who want vivid and explicit reports especially on recent controversial cases and I am doubtful that we would not be denied that with the shift of ownership. Attempts again attempts are made to control and restrict Malaysian media under the flagship of national and public safety, especially post 13 May 1969 and later during the ‘reign’ of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad starting from 1981. The implementation of the Printing Ordinance in 1948 to curb communist activities posed as the stepping stone towards the control of print media content ‘for national and public safety also to handle sensitive issues regarding race and religion’, as chanted till today by the authorities even after the amendment of the Printing Ordinance to the draconian Printing Press and Publication Act, that does more than regulation of content but also, the ownership of the media.

Semua Ini

Oleh Siti Nurulzahra

Semua ini ada kaitan dengan aku dan kamu. Petang tadi kawan aku memberitahu berita-berita terbaru mengenai kawan-kawan kami yang berada disana. Disebabkan sudah lama kiranya aku tidak lepak bersama mereka aku ketinggalan cerita dan gosip-gosip panas mengenai apa yang berlaku dalam hidup mereka. Mereka semua kawan aku sejak masih ditingkatan 3 lagi sampailah sekarang. Walaupun kami mempunyai identiti dan personaliti yang berlainan namun kami saling melengkapi dan memahami.

Join “Youth Can Make a Difference!” Outreach Team

“Youth Can Make a Difference!” is looking for committed energetic fun people to help promote youth participation in political process.

Become a “Youth Can Make a Difference” Outreach Team member today!

As an Outreach Team member you become part of an effort that helps empower young people to participate in political process.

You will help to inform and empower your friends – letting their voices be heard on issues at stake in their communities, states and nation.

You will also have first hand knowledge of upcoming “Youth Can Make a Difference” events and issue campaigns!

AS OUTREACH TEAM MEMBER YOU WILL…

• Interact with voters at events, colleges, and universities and get the young involved.
• Participate in specially designed programs for “Youth Can Make a Difference”
• Meet fellow Outreach Team members and partners and learn issues of grassroots organizations.
• Engage young people online and on the ground to join Outreach Team.
• Get involve in drafting Youth Agenda for Change (YAC) process, product of National Youth Consultation Conference (NYCC), please go to http://www.nyccmy.org/ for further information.

This Outreach Team is a resource for anyone who wants to get involve ins politics and wants to make a difference especially as the General Election is coming closer.

You will have lots of opportunities to amplify your opinions.

Email YOUR name, email address and mobile number to Y4C secretariat at y4c2006@gmail.com NOW! For further information, please contact Lee Khai Loon (Y4C Convener) at 013-3970519 Chua Yee Ling (Y4C Project Coordinator) at 012-7355 025 or ring 03-7783 1164.

Website: http://y4c.seacem.com/

Valentine’s is in the air

By Shamala Suresh Kee

Sweet roses, now you would cost more, chocolates so would you. How far some would go to declare their love to their amour? Make girls dream for their knights in shining armor, to come and swoop them up on their horses (a kancil would be sufficient, though) and ride (or drive) away to sunset. That’s a cliché already, but then I wouldn’t mind being pampered that way on my Valentine. ‘Make me smile and laugh, encompass me with romance and love’. However, celebrating Valentine’s would be the very last thing on some people’s mind. Homeless people, beggars on the street, famish and poverty hanging over their heads, not unlike rain clouds.

When a columnist becomes a paranoid

By Syarifah Hadli

While reading a column published in a daily Malay newspaper last Thursday, my mind marveled for quite some time before I was able to finish reading up the whole column. I don’t know who the *fish* wrote that column and one word that best describes that specific column is: shallow.

The column is mainly about the remarks or the observation that the columnist had based on this year’s Chinese New Year advertisement. If I get to be invisible for a day, I would really like to go to this columnist’s house, mess with her coffee maker, throw away her entire wardrobe and pee on her laptop or PC, whichever she use to write, just so that she won’t write anymore. Oh, plus, I would really love to smack her on her head.