Mid-Week Thoughts - On "Sepet"

So Yasmin Ahmad’s “Sepet” will finally be on the silver screen, commencing tomorrow. At which cineplex, I have yet to find out.

But it’s a must see for me. Not because of the “battle royale” between Yasmin Ahmad and the Malaysian Censorship Board. Neither is it to show my solidarity with all who went to Yasmin’s defence when the screening of this film was at one time threatened.

It is because the film (as I gathered from the couple of reviews I have read) says it like it is – the ever-present prejudices, contradictions and what have you, that confront us, Malaysians, whenever we interact with one and other, especially if they involve crossing racial and social lines. Yasmin chose “ a love relationship” to highlight this. In an article in the Star newspaper she was quoted as having said, “Sepet is basically just a love story. The racial and social issues in it are really things that everyone goes through in any relationship or friendship. How the issues are handled is what interests me, and what I want to show to people.”

TV Smith in his review of Sepet commented that, “Ironically, the film - like its title - is a clever allegory of the narrow-mindedness afflicting present day Malaysian society.”

He added, “Inter-racial relationships were explored in previous local movies but usually within a palatable context for our fragile audience. In this genuine Malaysian film, Yasmin throws every stereotypes into the kitchen sink - a Malay scholarship recipient, a repressed Baba woman, a bigamous Chinese man, a Melayu Celup, a Chinese VCD peddler, a Tongkat Ali dependent - and even a road safety message. The only person missing is the Bhai guy. Out of it, comes an honest and brilliant film woven around a tragic love story.”

If at all, I think watching a movie like Sepet would be like looking in a mirror, only in this case the reflection would be more than that of our physical self. It will also reflect how we all actually behave as a society in a multi-racial country.

And this is not a bad thing. Maybe, in the process, we will see ourselves for what we are and realize how our prejudices can hurt others or how we have misunderstood something said or done because we have been less that open minded and so on.

Morality Snoop Squad

The Sunday Times today headlined a story “Morality snoop squad up and running” and with the sub-head “Watch out!”

Many of us of course, remember the controversy surrounding this initiative of Melaka 4B’s Pasukan Gerak Khas when it was first announced.

Apparently, despite many Malaysians, including ministers, having voiced their misgivings about such a plan (“….to use youths to spy on couples and report their findings to religious authorities…..”), it was officially launched last Wednesday by Melaka’s Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.

State 4B deputy president, Hassan Rahman, was quoted in the Sunday Times thus –

“We have started out with trying to tackle social problems affecting Malays first," he said. "We eventually plan to expand our activities to report on other problems like illegal racing and drug addiction." “Hassan added the movement would also carry out a recruitment drive to get non-Malay youths involved.

I am no legal eagle but the loyar buruk in me yearns to ask some questions.

In the first place, is it legal for groups of youth to wander all over Melaka to snoop? There is number (of persons) and common intention to perform an act – snooping. As the “Snoop Squad” has no legal standing, they would in a way be an illegal assembly when they gather together (we can expect the crowd to be more than 4 persons) whether at a house or at the parks and all.

Then, what about their act of snooping? Again no legal standing. They are not spies or intelligence officers on the State or local council payrolls. In such circumstances they are nothing but invaders of people’s privacy, and I think to act like that is a civil wrong.

And when you think deeper about these snooping acts, it can give rise to all sorts of problems.

What if some “bad apples” among the members of the squad see an opportunity for blackmail in their snooping acts?

What happens if a couple spied on, realized they are being watched and just walked away? Will the squad members just let them do so (like in the case mentioned in the story of a couple spotted in a secluded area), as they have no power to arrest or enforce the morality code? Or will they try to restrain the couple from making a quick getaway until the appropriate authorities arrived? And we all know what can happen when “very enthusiastic” (youths) take the task of enforcement on to themselves.

I am troubled by all these possibilities.

But more so, by the silence that greeted the launch of the Morality Snoop Squad, on the part of the powers that be, as if it has been sanctioned.

Balik Kampung

From where I work in downtown Kuala Lumpur, traffic seems light today. I guess the “exodus” out of KL must have begun over the weekend, seeing that some schools are closed today and also tomorrow. This coupled with the Chinese New Year/Awal Muharram holidays, starting on Wednesday, would mean a whole week break.

Yours truly will balik kampung with the family on the first day of CNY – kampung being Malacca. It has been ages since the family was last in Malacca for the New Year. The old folks who mattered, parents and grandparents, have all passed on and the need to be present for the customary reunion dinner was no longer there.

Anyway, its good, once in a while, to go back to where one’s life first took root. If not for anything, at least to touch base with the places and the faces which once were very much a part of one’s life.

For sure, over the years, places and people changed. But if we realize that we have also changed, the fact that things and relationships are not “like before” won’t dampen the trip home.

A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year to all Chinese Malaysians, and equally, a pleasant holiday to all other Malaysians.

Tonight's Match - Arsenal vs. Manchester United

The last time they met , I titled my post about the game as The Big Game - Gunners vs. Red Devils. Indeed it was big for all the wrong reasons.

This time around, I told myself, that I should not get caught in the usual hype suurrounding the game and try to be more neutral in reviewing tonight's game. Fortunately, I chanced upon a report in Reuters UK online on what ManYoo's Gary Neville's thoughts about the game were. I thought his comments were fair and will suit the tenor of this post. So here are excerpts of what he said -

"People keep talking about Arsenal and Manchester United but at the moment we should be talking about trying to catch Chelsea," Neville told reporters on Monday.

"That is our most important objective towards the end of the season and that starts with our league game against Arsenal, as it does for Arsenal, because they still believe they can win the league, and so do we.

"Arsenal are one of the best teams in Europe so we have a very difficult game, but we are in a good run of form and the confidence couldn't be higher," Neville added.

"We are aware of what we need to do and I just have a sneaky feeling that if either team were to win on Tuesday, and hopefully it will be us, then they could still put a lot of pressure on Chelsea.

"I think the losers are going to find it very difficult. It will be very difficult anyway, but I think if a team were to win the match I think that team would have the confidence to still think they could go and challenge Chelsea for the championship.

(Also posted on http://www.chitchatbola.net/blog/)