"I met Nizar at breakfast...."

I was on my way to KL sometime last week and stopped at the Ulu Bernam rest area for breakfast around 730am. I noticed this familar face walking in. I am not sure if I smiled but this gentleman walked up to me and said " Cho Sun"......I was trying to figure out where I had seen this chinese gentleman (well he looked chinese to me at that time) when I suddenly realised who he was....

our new Perak MB..Encik Mohammed Nizar.....we exchanged greetings...abit of small talk..he asked me where i lived in Ipoh ...and silly me I asked him where was his house...? Reply: the MB's residence.....heck I knew that..just that I thought Tajol Rosli still didn't want to move out.....

Anyway I requested if i could take his photograph......which of course he obliged...."thank you sir!" ......

So many chief ministers have gone through Perak for the past 50 years and I have never spoken to any of them let alone a hand shake...but this new MB..baru satu bulan boleh jumpa juga...wooah!..MB baru, parti baru... apa maksudnya?.....Satu Sama Rakyat!!!??

kk

DAP's first ever "Meet the People" forum....in Ipoh.

The DAP Ipoh team held their 1st 'Meet the People Forum' at the Chin Woo Hall last night April 12th. The Perak team together with Uncle Lim were on stage and was the first of more forums planned to have regular interchanges with the rakyat.

The night started with the playing of the negara-ku and the party song. Below are some points I picked out that might be of interest.

The first speaker was Mr Ngeh who thanked the people of Ipoh for voting in the party.
- This new government was "from the people ,for the people, by the people". Ngeh mentioned that the DAP was a social democratic party (actually this was the first time I heard him say this) similar to the countries like Australia and New Zealand.
- We are all 'anak malaysia' and 'multi racial'
- almost 700,000 Perak rakyat are working in other states and around the world. The new government is going to create opportunities for them to come home and be prosperous and rich again. He mentioned that overseas investors from Australia , Taiwan, Singapore and China are already knocking on his door to invest in Perak. In fact he had just come from dinner with a China investor...."

The next speaker was Mr Kula..." Maakal Sakthi"...thunderous applause.." as you can see we have a lot of Yang Berhomat on stage"..laughter.."we asked you to Jom Ubah and give us 2/3 majority but you gave us 5 states...thank you.." This new government will be accountable and transparent...and will be a humble public servant to the rakyat.." On the topic about buying over PR team..."since money won't work there is mention of using " spiritual forces" to get the PR members to 'katak"..laughter again..

Next speaker...Mr Nga..but my mandarin is really ##@!!xx so i will refrain from mentioning anything.

The last speaker ..Uncle Lim.....

- " tonight is the first of many more 'meet the people' forums..it has taken 42 years to create a government but we are here....'
- 'we are not here for 1 term but for the long term.."
- Malaysia is a great country with great resources..we must restore our place in the world..to be better or on the same level with the worlds best...
- his immediate goals
* to restore the independence of the judiciary
* create a 1st world parliment
* create a 1st world civil service.
Q: " Do you the rakyat agree to the coalition of DAP, PKR and PAS
A: an affirmative Yes by a show of hands
Q: Those not in favor of an Islamic State and Hudud law please put your hands up.
A: The whole hall had their hands up.

The last item was Q&A....Below is a shot of the rakyat that queued up to pose their questions to the team...

the questions ranged from education ( Mr Kula would meet with the education minister on Monday), puspacom damaged my car, indah water billing their charge together with the water bill...and this senior gentleman..Mr William Balasingam....

..he can't pay his quit rent because he can't find the land office. The previous government transferred the land office to a new location which is at Kg Manjoi..an unplanned kg tersusun ...to boost development in that area..however finding the office can be a big hassle even for the young residents and is a valid concern by all the rakyat..the last date for settling this payment is 30th April...
Mr Ngeh responded that he would initiate a short and long term solution.

I didn't stay till the end....but it was a good start. The crowd , as usual, was mainly chinese with a smattering of indians. Guess they have begun to "walk their talk"

Uncle Lim mentioned that tomorrow 14th April 2008 the 5 chief ministers of Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor would be having a gathering at Stadium Perak at 8pm. Sound like another interesting gathering...and somehow its all happening in Ipoh....just great!

kk

Good Friday,Hot Cross Buns & Stations of the Cross

Good Friday makan for me is a light fast..ie eat but in small amounts..we had 'Hot Cross Buns' ..that was the only food at meal times yesterday....

..Good Friday service was in the evening ..the below shot is the priest prostrating before the altar..the shot isn't clear so click to enlarge..also note the bare decor and covered cross..a sign of mourning....

nowadays I enjoy the stations of the cross..like a story being retold every year which is what it is...hence i'm putting this online ..the shots of the stations were taken off the wall of St Michaels Church parking lot..

1st Station: Jesus is condemned to death...
a mock trial and he is condemned to death....."through his wounds we have been healed"(1 Peter 2.23-24)

2nd Station:Jesus takes up his cross..
"his state was divine but made himself nothing & became as men are.."(Phil.6-7)

3 rd Station:Jesus falls the 1st time.

4th Station:Jesus meets his mother. ..
Mary's mission was to give Christ to the world.. "Love is as strong as death"(the song of songs 8.6)

5th Station:Simon helps Jesus carry his cross...
a cross is a burden ..but not when two carry it.."Carry each others burden and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6.2)

6th Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus...
Veronica had courage..in spite of all the soldiers ..despite what people will think or say..she wiped the face of Jesus.."Your face Lord, I seek.Do not hide your face from me" (Psalm 22.8-9)

7th Station:Jesus falls the 2nd time.
"..my palate is drier than a potsherd and my tongue is stuck to my jaw.I am lying in the dust of death" (Psalm 22. 16)..Remember you are dust and to dust you will return.

8th Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem."
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but for yourselves and your children" (Lk.23:28)
..the women & children of Jerusalem come out to comfort and thank him..he had broken all kinds of social and religious conventions to connect with them

9th Station: Jesus falls the 3rd time.
..Jesus can barely make it to the end..his executioners help him so he can make it up the hill of
crucification.."In my own body I make up what is still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body,which is the church"(Colossians1:24)

10th Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments "..they divide my garments and cast lots for my clothing" ( Psalm22:17-18)

11th Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross..
"Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke23:43).. Huge nails are hammered through his hands & feet..

12th Station:Jesus dies on the cross.
"Father into your hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46)

13th Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross.
..Jesus body is laid in the arms of his Mother.."I am the Lords servant,let it be done as you have said"(Luke1:38)

14th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb.
..your work is done.. you have redeemed the world..


15th Station:JESUS RISES FROM THE DEAD.....

Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday.......

..Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the day when "...Jesus knew that his hour has come". Thus " ..on the night he was betrayed " he held his 'Last Supper" ...he 'broke some bread..said a prayer and handed the pieces to his disciples saying "this is my body..do this in remembrance of me"..then takes a cup of wine , offers another prayer ..."this is my blood...do this in memory of me"..and its been practiced ever since...."I give you a new commandment..love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another". John 15:12

and when supper was ended he rose , laid aside his garments, took a towel poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet...and wiped them with a towel...


after he had washed their feet he said to them..."You call me Lord and Master ..If I am your Lord and Master and have washed your feet...you too ought to wash one anothers feet"

Jesus and his disciples then retreated to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray...



Jesus was very..".grieved and distressed" ...before going aside to pray alone he had asked his disciples to "remain here and keep watch with me"

keeping watch at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church..

..keeping watch at Our Lady of Lourdes Church....

..keeping watch at St Michaels Church

..later that night Jesus is betrayed , arrested and taken away......

and in the UK Queen E attended Maundy Thursday service in Northern Ireland and it was attended by representatives of the "Jewish, Muslim and Hindu faiths"...man is that fantastic or what.....

Palm Sunday...the start of Holy Week.

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week...historically it was the week that Jesus was wellcomed into Jerusalem to..."fullfill his Passion and Resurrection".....

.. in ancient Jerusalem the palm was a 'symbol of triumph and victory'...

when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt..the Jews waved palms and also carpeted his path with palms..

in our local churches ..the palms would then be blessed...before entering the church...

..the " vestments for the day are also a scarlet red, the color of blood.....


..the congregation then walk in procession into the church.....


....the next holy day this week will be Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday..the day that Jesus washes the feet of the disciples before he has his 'Last Supper' and also the day that he is betrayed by Judas Iscariot..then followed next by 'Good Friday' the day when Jesus dies on the cross ( the start of the Easter Tridium) and culminating on Easter Sunday....' on the third day Jesus rises from the dead'.....sounds like a movie scene huh...but its been replaying every year for the last 2000 years....

cheers!