By Arasy Tanjong Tuan

Bukit Gelugor sees a heart wrenched and bleeding son who is drowned in sorrow and has neither the time nor space to mourn over the death of his beloved father. The cruellest thing that one has to endure would be to witness the passing of a parent under such circumstances, which I would not even wish even upon my nemesis.

The throng of people who attended the wake is a clear and evident of how much he was loved and going to be missed. As said, he was not only a wonderful husband, father and grandfather but also which I am truly honoured of, and might I say that I may not be the only one with this view, father of the legal fraternity.

May his legacy continue to live and be carried out by not only his children but to all of us who believe for a much needed transparency in the administration of this government; fair judiciary and foremost equality for all.

Teluk Intan, offers a plot twist to the by-elections. A modern young lady, correctly put, a modern malay young lady, who upholds the belief that Malaysia is for all Malaysians which is deeply embedded in her soul and DNA.

On her nomination day for her candidacy in Teluk Intan, few quarters expressed hard core solidarity to the fore fathers and in turn condemned, fired and slammed her upbringing out rightly. This is all due to the fact that she stands out from the rest whom are so prone to accepting ideas, policies and thoughts fed to them without any questions asked, for being afraid to be labelled as a traitor.

In retaliation to that accusation, this young lady said and I quote: “ I rather be a traitor then to be a part of dirty politics”.

My personal favorite quote unquestionably would be that of her mother’s. Lesson of the month; never ever cross a mother, in this case a mother who is in the truest sense a liberator who has freed herself from the archaic chain of following the path paved by undisputed patriarchy.

I remember retweeting to a statement made by a renowned ex-minister who lectured parents and ordered them not to listen to their children when it comes to electing the government of the day. To that I again repeat and say that man kind has come a long way and on a daily basis has been subjected to the process of evolution.

Democracy on the other hand is much older than the parents today. Democracy and thought provoking evolution side by side will definitely result in children winning and almost at all times having the edge over their parents.

Strong family ties stem from, and is an essence of open communication practiced within family members. If one were to follow the free advice given by the renowned ex- Premier, our children will probably end up being individuals who would lack stimulating thoughts, humourless and at times dangerous, for they grow to be stagnant in their thoughts as a result of miss-fed ideologies.

Isn’t it enough that it’s happening right outside our door steps, now parents are insistent on to bring it into their homes. May I ask, in this age of millennium how will we be able to stand, let alone compete amongst the world’s “big gunners” when our children are not thought provocative and procrastinating in ancient old ideologies.

In line with democracy, it’s one’s constitutional right to speak one’s mind, and choose or formulate the ideologies so desired and stand by it as our guarded principles. Parents pertinent role would be to discover and explore their children’s ability to articulate and help to nurture it without allowing them being overzealous resulting in self destruction.

The young lady, is nick named as “a pretty face” by the “big leagues” who refuse to acknowledge her abilities and intelligence. Each and every one of the members of the “big leagues” started off as a “wannabe” at some point. There were some people, for whatever motives, agenda or reason gave them the relevant platform. If it’s not for that, those “wannabes” would not be where they are today. The famous phrase “melayu mudah lupa” is so very synonym with the Teluk Intan by election.

Giving a young and fresh mind a chance to embark on a journey that will set about tremendous changes to the face of politics in Malaysia would in itself prove to be useful to the modern women of Malaysia. It will open the floodgates of brave, independent and women of strong character to step up to the plate and to prove their worth in this dogmatic society.

How ill fated can this society be where this young lady can be made the subject of ridicule and “sexist remarks” by the so called protectors of the people. Our birth rights in this nation are exclusively ours be it Malay, Chinese or Indians. One therefore ought not be tied or to be even duped into believing in the existence of  a so called “social contract” with a certain political party or alma matter.

Race and religion becomes the sentiment of the day and are used as a “widget” to disharmonize the atmosphere and create disunity amongst the people. Youths display of wild and rowdy behaviour is justified by the man who resides in the Ivory Tower but if that ivory tower comes under threat, then all hell hath no fury like a womans scorn; the Sedition Act operates and applies automatically on individuals delivering a petition peacefully at the Parliament’s door step with no pre- meditated harm intended or conceived.

Pause and ask ourselves the reason behind this fiasco in Teluk Intan. Is it because she is a woman or a Malay woman who broke the so called tradition of being in a political party which is not endorsed by her community? Or that she opted for a non traditional choice? Isn’t it interesting that the younger generation is following, evaluating and assessing the political movement in all fairness.

The reason she is what she is today is probably attributed to our political scenarios, which never runs short of dramas. I truly believe that her decision in not compromising with norms was not taken overnight but after quite a number of years to be what she is today. Now in all fairness, why should she not be a Member of Parliament? I am all for it.

That young lady, via her actions and choice has sent a strong message of her standing, principles and ideologies. Come what may, she is standing by it with vigour. Petite she is but never underestimate the strength behind that pleasant smile as it is lethal as the words that she utters.

Her opinionated nature is displayed when she refuses to be bound by the ideas proposed by the dominant class of the society which is propounded vide an explicit system of thought. That is already “strike one”. Like it or not she is a pioneer to the rest who are going to follow suit.

By the next elections, we’re hoping to witness more gutsy ladies making their way to the Parliament. This is the empowerment of women, which is totally against the minds that harbour eccentric building of thoughts. To her adversaries, I wish them all the best.

To all women who wish to pursue a career in politics, rise and take up the challenge. Break free from the chain of tradition that has restricted your movement, ideas and thoughts. Be happy and bold about your decisions and embrace your individuality. If politics is your dreams then no mountain is too high, pursue it vigorously by using your voice and at all times maintaining and being aware of your morals and values. Welcome ladies, my advance salutations to all of you.

[Congratulations to Ram Karpal Singh for having won the Bukit Gelugor by elections with a comfortable lead. Stay strong, fair and just in fulfilling the promises that you have pledged not only to your constituent but also to the rest of us who you represent]

[To Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, you are an epitome to all young ladies who wish for change. You are going down history or might I say history in the making. If you have already won by the time this article is published, my heartiest congratulations but if not, there will always be another opportunity. Stand tall and proud as you have made a difference]

*The article represents the thoughts of the author and not necessarily the views of The Rocket.