Critical Thoughts

To cut a long story short, here is the evidence.

What my plans for PPS are will only be detailed once something that is currently in the works has been implemented, so I am not going to divulge my plans for PPS at the moment. But to answer some initial questions raised by PPS users:

No, I am not going to be “stricter” than Aiz, but there will be some “ground rules” of decency. No, the “status quo” will not remain for long either, but the only reason it is going to be that way for now is because of the limitations of the MT system I inherited. Until that has been changed, I cannot do much about it. No, I am not going to censor PPS, if at all. That will go against the spirit of PPS as envisioned by its original founders. No, I am not going to “censor all those food blogs that contains pork”, that would be nothing short of ridiculous. And no, I couldn’t care less if someone wants to “leave” PPS for another “ping site”. Yeah, I wonder what other “ping site” is out there for Malaysians, anyway? Do kindly inform me!

Well, I did get a taste of the tear gas….but not even half as bad as some of those in the video did. Seriously.

The dogs in red helmets, enforcing their master’s will.

Yes, I was at the protest and I just got back. I am alright, even though I had to contend with a chokeful of tear-gas during the march, causing most of the participants to disperse. Getting the gas into your eyes and lungs is not something which you want to do. Seriously.

But I was proud to be there and battle-weary as I was, I think the GMP protest march did manage to meet its objective: to show the Western-influenced Barisan Nasional government that their implementation of the policy to teach English in Science and Mathematics is rejected by a significant majority of the masses.

I will be at Istana Negara tomorrow to attend the Gerakan Mansuhkan PPSMI gathering. It is a real insult to my intelligence if someone were to tell me that improving your command of English and scientific progress can only be done via the teaching of English in Mathematics and Science. Countries like Russia, Japan, France, Germany and South Korea have been doing otherwise, and you don’t see their status as scientific powerhouses to be affected. Such excuses is one promulgated by those who never understood the fundamentals of the English language in the first place anyway. I have a good command of English and today I work from home via my internet company. And I was the product of the Bahasa Melayu education system, plus I was in Science stream too.

Exactly four years ago, I woke up that morning and decided that I was not going back to the measly NGO office that I was working for at the time. No 24-hour notices, no resignation letters, nothing. I just made a conscious decision to leave without informing the “boss” about it. Since I was not paid about two-months’ worth of wages, I was certainly not obliged to “inform” her about any decision to resign. It was already as good as working for free on a purely voluntary basis and so I had the right to leave if I so chose.

Which I did.

Today is the anniversary of the day where I officially dumped my boss and I have no regrets in doing so.