What A Life!

Sent by: Chin Kong Chong

HINDRAF Against The Colonial Government

Socialism and Democracy

Invitation to Memorial Service for Comrade Tan Jing Quee

Date: 27th August 2011

Time: 2:00pm

Venue: 1st Floor, KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

Organiser: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRD)

Tan Jing Quee, a prominent lawyer in Singapore, was actively involved in progressive politics throughout the 1960s. In 1961/62, Jing Quee was President of the University of Malaya Socialist Club. In 1963, at age 24, he stood for elections representing the Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front) and narrowly lost to S. Rajaratnam (PAP) by only 220 votes in Kg. Clam. In October of that year, he was arrested under the ISA in Singapore for leading a 48 hour general strike called by the Singapore Association of Trade Unions. His detention lasted for 3 years. Upon his release in 1966, he went to England to study law. In February 1977, he was detained again without trial for 3 months for alleged involvement in the campaign to expel Singapore’s PAP from the Socialist International.

Despite the white terror in Singapore, Jing Quee fearlessly visited ex-ISA detainees on both sides of the causeway to help them reconnect to one another and to society. He broke the culture of silence in Feb 26, 2006 during the public forum on Detention-Writing-Healing where, for the first time in Singapore, ex-political detainees publicly identified themselves and presented their alternative historical discourses.

Hence, Jing Quee is outstanding in his contribution to documenting Singapore and Malaya’s political history from the perspective of the people. Despite battling blindness and cancer in the last years of his life, he co-authored and co-edited works such as Comet in Our Sky (2001), The Fajar Generation (2009), The May 13 Generation (2011), as well as The Mighty Wave (translation) (2011).

On 14 June 2011, Jing Quee passed on at the age of 72, leaving behind a catalogue of unfinished works that he had been so determined to produce. His passing is a great loss to us all.

Come this 27th of August 2011, let’s gather in memory of Jing Quee. Among the speakers on that day are: Poh Soo Kai, Syed Husin Ali, Tan Kai Hee, S. Arutchelvan and Chow Sing Yau.

Movement for Change Sarawak - A New "Ambiga"

Ambiga said the MoCS have made it “very clear” that the rally will be a peaceful expression of public opinion and that she hopes “the authorities will facilitate this peaceful rally”.

The civil society supports her statement without a doubt.

This Saturday (13 August 2011) will see the Sarawakians march for the good of the state and country.

Ambiga is Now a Malay word

This is really funny, take time to read especially the examples.

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Ban on BERSIH extends to Dewan Bahasa

Kuldip Gangaram, News Network, 19 July

Kuala Lumpur, 19 July. Dewan Bahasa dan Perkasa (DBP) today confirmed that the word ”BERSIH” will be banned and taken out from the Malay lexicology. The chairman of DBP, Tan Sri Faizal Suresh Abdullah announced the decision at a press conference held at DBP’s main campus at Jinjang, north of the city.

“We are only following the Government directive. They said BERSIH is illegal, so we also follow lah. We are part of the same government, you know. From today onwards, nobody can use the word bersih. Anyone caught doing otherwise can be fined RM 5,000 or jailed for two years

or both”, stressed Tan Sri Faizal.

When quizzed by newsmen what alternative words the public could use instead of bersih, Tan Sri Faizal added “we are not stupid. We have already thought about the inconvenience this ban might cause to the public. So, we had a lab, chaired by none other than Datuk Idris Jala,

which studied the problem closely. And we came up with a brilliant alternative”.

To a question by MNN correspondent, Lattalilat Thamplom, Tan Sri Faizal said “since this problem was started by that freakin Indian woman, Ambiga, we have decided to replace the word bersih with ambiga. Very clever isn’t it”.

According to DBP "since this Indian woman started the problem, we are going to substitute bersih with her name. Clever isn't it ?"

DBP has released guidelines for this change of terminology that advises the public the right way of replacing bersih with ambiga. Extracts from the guidelines are appended below :

Contoh ayat menggunakan perkataan ambiga

Contoh 1

Cara lama

Murid-murid perlu menjaga kebersihan bilik darjah masing-masing

Cara baru

Murid-murid perlu menjaga keambigaan bilik darjah masing-masing

Contoh 2

Cara lama

Pantai itu sungguh bersih

Cara baru

Pantai itu sungguh ambiga

Contoh 3

Cara lama

Kamar itu dibersihkan oleh orang gaji saya

Cara baru

Kamar itu diambigakan oleh orang gaji saya

Contoh 4

Cara lama

Cuci bersih

Cara baru

Cuci ambiga

MNN has been reliably informed that many Local councils are now

considering using the AMBIGA rating system for assessing cleanliness

of restaurants. Instead of the conventional A, B and C or star

ratings, restaurants may be rated 1Ambiga, 2Ambiga or 3Ambiga.

Sent by: PC Tan.

Kampung Railway Sentul