Odds&Ends | Negaraku

1/1000s | f13 | 37mm | I may have inadvertently insulted Jalur Gemilang, the Malaysian national flag, for not photographing it in its full unfurled glory.

Malaysia has its fair share of enemies whom I thought, until recently, to consist only of foreigners like Michael Backman who indulge in Malaysia-bashing but secretly wish they're Malaysians. I had a rude awakening when I read about a Malaysian student studying in a Taiwanese University who insulted the national anthem and mocked the Government with a YouTube video.

I still can't grasp the idea of a home-bred dissident. Malaysia is, after all, a great nation in which, under the wise govern of the big G, all manner of corruption, racial-based economic policies and hypocritical politicians are bygones. I blame the Taiwanese; they're a bunch of defectors and they're teaching our kids to be turncoats too!

Granted, the video is funny (swear words in Hokkien always crack me up) but the lies about corruption are not! And to insult the national anthem too? Say sorry, Malaysian-student-who-has-been-brainwashed-by-Taiwanese-traitors for you have offended what is perhaps the best song in the world. Songs have feelings too, you know.

On a serious note, in case you're daft and do not recognise sarcasm when it's right in your face, have a cookie, go to bed and dream about fairies and incorruptible Malaysian traffic police. A big part of the video aforelinked does indulge in stereotypes; what pisses me off is the knee-jerk reaction as could be expected from our politicians who deem anything remotely anti-G seditious. Little wonder they're worried; they know for a fact that most Malaysians are easily swayed by the media which, before recent years, was mostly Government-controlled.