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Category: Sosial

  • YouTube Star Hirzi Zulkiflie And First Ever Pink Dot Muslim Ambassador Takes A Bow

    YouTube Star Hirzi Zulkiflie And First Ever Pink Dot Muslim Ambassador Takes A Bow

    In a few hours, comedy duo Munah & Hirzi will stage a farewell show at the Capitol Theatre, dubbed “Munah & Hirzi Live: Curtain Call”. The one night only, two-hour show –in their own words– celebrates “the end of an era”. The twosome has always said that they would leave the scene after 10 years.

    Amidst his busy schedule in preparation for the show, Hirzi Zulkiflie visited the ZYRUP office for this interview, which, more than anything, turned out to be an hour-long career retrospective.

    It all started in 2007, where the then-polytechnic friends paired up and participated in a video competition. Thankfully, it wasn’t a one-off partnership. Recognizing the potential they possessed, the pair continued to make regular videos (“with our bags as tripods!”) on YouTube under the mantle “Munah & Hirzi”.

    “When we were ending [our time in polytechnic], one of my biggest worries was that I was going to end this ‘era’ with her. The YouTube channel became something to sort of ‘sustain’ that friendship.”

    “There’s something honest and earnest [about the early days] that I miss a lot,” he added.

    “It was beautiful. It was just us. We had no pressure, no qualms. I think that was the magic of ‘Munah & Hirzi’. It was just two friends who captured themselves in the most honest and raw form; no filters.”

    It was this authentic, organic brand of content that allowed the pair to connect with viewers online, and as the years went by, they garnered thousands of fans not just in Singapore, but also across the causeway, striking a chord with the Malay-speaking audience.

    By 2012, which he refers to as their “peak year”, they had their own talk-show (Munah & Hirzi: Action!) that was broadcasted on national television, as well as starring in comedy production Happy Ever Laughter, alongside veterans like Gurmit Singh and Kumar.

    Meanwhile, their YouTube channel, with music video parodies and the now-iconic series like ‘10 Dares’ and ‘Sex Appeal and Jokes’, catapulted them to top status among YouTubers. Fan-favourite characters played by Hirzi, like Leticiacia and Corporal Hassan, also featured prominently in their videos. No other YouTuber balanced slapstick humour and social issues like they did.

    The immense growth meant reaching a wider audience – and not everyone approved.

    “Some in the Malay community were up in arms against us having our own TV show,” he explained.

    “The conservative Malays felt that ‘Munah and Hirzi’ [do not] deserve their own show because they were not exemplary to Malay millennials, and by that virtue, they should never, ever get [access to] all these platforms and exposure.”

    “[But] we knew who were our die-hards. And we knew that was the direction we needed to go. We knew who were our detractors too,” he added.

    “The challenge was to bridge these voices together, or to consistently progress the Malay community towards the concept of pluralism, which is something that is so hard to impart onto our society.”

    However, it was when the duo decided to take on the roles as ambassadors for 2015’s Pink Dot event that proved to be the hardest thing they would have to go through.

    They were the first ever Muslim ambassadors of the annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) event.

    “When Pink Dot happened, even our tribe had to be divided. Here were our die-hards, conflicted between religious convictions and a fanbase connection they had with us.”

    Following the announcement of their ambassadorship, they received a slew of online attacks, and advertisers shunned them.

    However, Hirzi admitted that it was the reaction from family members was the “hardest thing” to deal with.

    Devastated from the backlash they received, the two would meet in Munah’s car every night for a month, crying, with only each other to lean on.

    “We didn’t realize how big of a news it would be. It was hard for us.”

    “I feel bad that I put Munah through it. All she did was stand up for something she believed in, and what her best friend told her should be done. I have never seen her break down. By then I’ve known her for 9 years – never have I seen her like that, so broken.”

    I note that he must have at least been aware of the kind of responses they would receive by taking on the roles, even if he was not able to grasp the magnitude of the situation. Why then, still take the risk?

    He took a moment to collect his thoughts.

    “Until today, I remember this story. Until today, I remember their faces. I still get goosebumps telling this story.”

    It was at the 2015 YouTube FanFest meet and greet session. With some time to spare, the pair opened the floor to fans. While he expected silly, light-hearted banter, things took a surprising, sombre turn.

    A 14-year-old Muslim girl had come forward, and asked him how she would be able to overcome her self-mutilation. The girl revealed that she was conflicted with who she was – on one hand, having an attraction to other girls, and on the other, trying to be an exemplary Muslim girl she was raised to be.

    “I said to her: ‘For legal reasons, I cannot give you the answer I want to give you. But my best answer to you is to find a support system.’”

    “Surprisingly, it was such heavy topic, but the kids in the room were all singular in their thoughts. There was no judgement.”

    One by one, other kids in the room started coming out with their issues and problems. It was then that Hirzi realized the impact that the characters he played had on the viewers, beyond being mere entertaining caricatures.

    “I didn’t see that what these kids saw was, for the first time, a physical embodiment of gender questioning characters. You see, I had Kumar. You know of Kumar if you’re an adult. But I guess for the kids, to be on YouTube, I was a role-model for them.”

    He recalled another incident where a stranger splashed coffee on him on Orchard Road following the news of his Pink Dot ambassadorship. Furious, he posted what had happened on his personal Facebook account, which in turn attracted the attention of his journalist friends.

    “[The press] wanted to ride on that story, but [I realized] this is not a time about me,” he said.

    “My participation in Pink Dot was for the kids who were waiting for a Malay voice. [Having the story released back then] would feel like one step forward, five steps back.”

    In a few hours, Hirzi will revisit said “gender questioning characters” for one last time. While fans can expect their signature no holds barred brand of comedy, it won’t be a surprise to find the show tackling or making nods at deep-seated issues as well.

    As the characters who we’ve grown up with over the past decade take a final bow, they leave behind a legacy that Hirzi hopes will inspire the next generation to further progress the conversation.

    “What we hope will start after we step down is that others step up to the plate.”

    Credit: Zyrup

     

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  • Interview With A Malay Singaporean Who Moved To Brunei And Is Not Coming Back

    Interview With A Malay Singaporean Who Moved To Brunei And Is Not Coming Back

    What do you think of this?

    ***

    “My name is J. I’m 55 years old now. I’m not highly educated but only managed to complete GCE ‘O’ Level with 3 credits. Started working at the age of 18 in a big and rich company in Singapore. I studied bookkeeping and accounting while working and managed to work in the Accounts Dept in this company for 16 years and earned quite good salary.

    I am now living in Brunei Darussalam with my wife. Brunei is a peaceful country governed by a caring King, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and the people of Brunei are very nice. Its a little bit back dated though, with kampong style of environment.

    There’s not much adjustment actually because the people in Brunei are just like the people in Singapore. The main occupants are Malays and Chinese and there are other immigrants like the Indian, Indonesian and Filipino. I can say there’s less stress in Brunei.

    My wife and I loved staying here so much. We intend to stay here permanently. By living abroad we learned to appreciate other peoples’ customs, beliefs and practices. We have no difficulties finding job here because I set up a company and employs the locals. We move out of Singapore to find a cheaper place to stay. Living in Singapore is very expensive, with new rules in every now and then, especially that CPF thing.

    For those who want to migrate, please do a study in every aspect. Even if you hate Singapore, please do not give up your citizenship easily. Think over and over again. Be a PR is just as good. So if have any problem at least you can turn back to be “mama” son.”

    Source: FB

     

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  • Anak Melayu Hanyut Bila Tinggal Luar Negara, Kahwin Sesama Jenis. Astaghfirullahalazim..

    Anak Melayu Hanyut Bila Tinggal Luar Negara, Kahwin Sesama Jenis. Astaghfirullahalazim..

    Namaknya masyarakat dunia seakan berlumba-lumba ingin ‘menghalalkan’ perkahwinan sesama jenis sama ada membabitkan golongan lesbian, gay biseksual dan trasgender (LGBT).

    Namun apa yang lebih mengejutkan apabila salah satu daripada perkhawinan LGBT ini turut ‘disertai’ oleh seorang pemuda Melayu dari Malaysia.

    Terbaharu, seorang pengguna Twitter berkongsikan beberapa keping gambar memaparkan seorang jejaka dari Malaysia yang dikenali sebagai Afham Janil, menikahi seorang lelaki warga asing yang mana ia disertakan dengan kapsyen berbunyi;

    “Buat teladang masing-masing jelah eh, Anak Melayu ni bro, tapi last-last hanyut bila dah stay oversea. Sayang betul,” tulis pengguna akaun @mirulhafez pada Rabu.

    Gambar perkongsian itu memaparkan Afham yang dahulunya merupakan seorang yang agak berakhlak dan beragama namun kini berubah 360 darjah menjadi seorang pengamal budaya songsang.

    Malah, entry berkenaan turut mengundang pelbagai reaksi negatif masyarakat sehingga menerima kicauan semula hampir 9,000 kali.

    Sementara itu memetik portal Northen Territoru News, pasangan terbabit, Afham Janil dan Keith Edwards dilaporkan sebagai pasangan pertama meraikan perkahwinan LGBT di Australia.

    Pasangan sejenis itu dilapor melangsungkan majlis mereka pada Isnin(15 Januari 2018) di Darwin dengan bertemakan ala ‘Cowboy’  menggenakan sut lengkap seperti topi dan boot hitam.

    Perkahwinan mereka turut dikatakan berjalan lancar kerana Australia merupakan negara yang membenarkan perkahwinan sejenis, malah majlis berkenaan turut dihadiri beberapa kenalan terdekat mereka.

    “Masyarakat tidak memandang negatif terhadap kami walaupun kami berpegangan tangan, berpelukan,” kata Keith Edward seperti yang dipetik portal berkenaan.

    Sementara itu, seorang penggguna Twitter yang menggunakan akaun nama @ikaz_maza turut mendakwa mengenali Afham dan dia merupakan jirannya di Malaysia.

    Bagaimanapun Afham menurutnya sudah memutuskan hubungan secara maya dengan rakan dan kenalan-kenalannya di laman Facebook.

    “Yep, serius. Baru berjiran setahun lebih dengan dia. Memang kenal dan perkara ini menjadi gempar di taman (perumahan) semalam.

    “Tak tahu apa yang terjadi, lagipun dia (Afham) masih di sana. Tetapi semua orang taman dah kena unfriend di Facebook,” kata @Ikaz_maza.

    Dalam pada itu, usaha untuk menjejak media sosial milik Afham gagal kerana pemuda itu telah menyahaktifkan kesemua akaun media sosial miliknya.

     

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  • Michael D Barr: Singapore’s Government Embroiled In Domestic Crisis Management

    Michael D Barr: Singapore’s Government Embroiled In Domestic Crisis Management

    Author: Michael D Barr, Flinders University

    2017 was a horrible year for Singapore’s government — and for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in particular.

    It began with an open and vocal stoush with China. Late in 2016 the Chinese government confiscated millions of dollars’ worth of Singapore’s military hardware passing through the port of Hong Kong. The action was in part retaliation for Lee’s vocal endorsement of the US position on China’s militarisation of the South China Sea.

    China released Singapore’s military hardware in late January, but then sent a new message of displeasure — Singapore was not welcome at Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Forum in May 2017. While Lee did not attend the Forum, he later led high-level delegations to both Beijing and Washington, successfully recovering much lost ground.

    Singapore’s ongoing balancing act between China and the US will continue in 2018 with a new factor in play — it is Singapore’s turn as Chair of ASEAN. This position puts Lee on the front line of regional attention. Awkwardly for this balancing act, Lee’s first statement as incoming Chair was a declaration of hope that the United States would continue its engagement with ASEAN and the region.

    Recovering lost ground in foreign policy might be a modest achievement. But domestically, the government is in a state of perpetual crisis management interspersed with misguided political judgements.

    The first domestic crisis of 2017 erupted in June when Lee’s brother and sister, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, turned to foreign media and social media to reveal ongoing legal disputes over their father’s will. The dispute was not over money but rather over control of the family home. Prime Minister Lee wants to turn it into a national monument to his father, but his siblings want to follow their father’s wishes by bulldozing it.

    This family argument over inheritance became a national issue when the siblings accused Lee Hsien Loong of abusing his power as prime minister to build a family cult around his father’s name — all to bolster his own standing and to smooth the eventual rise to the prime ministership of his son, Li Hongyi. This unresolved dispute has damaged both the Lee brand and Li Hongyi’s prospects of entering politics.

    A second major crisis erupted in October when the regular pattern of train breakdowns on the Mass Rapid Transport system escalated into a major episode — a pumping station in a tunnel failed during an ordinary storm causing an entire train line to be closed by flooding for 20 hours. The cause of the problem proved to be mundane — maintenance work had been neglected and work sheets falsified.

    The Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan magnified the damage by unilaterally exonerating both the government and the senior management of Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Corporation. He was particularly singled out for exonerating its CEO Desmond Kuek, whom he thanked as a ‘volunteer’ — a role for which he is paid S$1.87 million (US$1.39 million) per year. Khaw went on to praise him for having his ‘heart in the right place’.

    This episode of ordinary mismanagement was politically significant because it highlights an established pattern of widespread administrative failures and deteriorating government services under Lee’s watch. It also confirmed the perception that highly paid ‘establishment’ figures are protected from the consequences of their actions. Back in 2008 Lee offered similar protection to former deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs Wong Kan Seng when he let an alleged terrorist escape police custody. Wong retained his positions in Cabinet for another three years because Lee stated he had only made ‘an honest mistake’.

    The government has also made several political missteps in 2017. Such missteps included Lee’s odd selection of topics for his National Day Rally Speech in August — a speech equivalent to the US State of the Union address. With Singapore facing challenges on many fronts — managing Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, the South China Sea, rising protectionism, trains, the economy and challenges to Singapore’s role as an air hub — he lectured the population on the dangers of diabetes, which seems to have left most people nonplussed.

    Singaporeans had also been anxiously awaiting new developments on Lee’s successor since he announced in 2016 that he intended to step down as prime minister in 2020. In a country where both the populace and the markets expect long lead times for prime ministerial succession planning — generally a warning of five years or more is given — concern is starting to grow that no clear successor has either been named or emerged.

    Perhaps Lee’s greatest misstep was his handling of the presidential election. The government’s preferred candidate for president was almost defeated in the 2011 elections by popular Chinese rival Tan Cheng Bock. Tan was planning to run again and so the government excluded him by restricting eligibility for election to ethnic Malays under the rather thin cover of enhancing multiracialism.

    This was effective in removing any challenge from Tan, but left just one candidate in the race after two of the three Malay candidates were excluded on other grounds. The episode left a widespread impression that the constitution and the electoral rules are just the plaything of the government, and has done significant damage to both the standing of the presidential office and the government.

    While Singapore’s government has made some positive steps in terms of foreign policy in 2017, its handling of domestic issues has been sub-par. It was a particularly messy year for a government that claims to be preparing for a generational handover in 2020, and it does not bode well for the longevity of the Lee Kuan Yew model of governance.

    Michael D Barr is an Associate Professor of International Relations in the College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University.

    This article is part of an EAF special feature series on 2017 in review and the year ahead.

     

    Source: eastasiaforum.org

  • Murid Buat Salah, Guru ‘Letak Tangan’, Mak Murid Tetap Bela Anaknya. Siapa Betul Siapa Salah?

    Murid Buat Salah, Guru ‘Letak Tangan’, Mak Murid Tetap Bela Anaknya. Siapa Betul Siapa Salah?

    Siapa betul siapa salah?

    Sebagai seorang cigku atau guru, selagi kau dah letakkan tangan kat murid, engkau sudah tidak selamat. Kenape? Sebab undang-undang tetap undang-undang, dan undang-undang itu akan kejar kesilapan “letak tangan” kau itu. Tengok aja zaman sekarang in, murid siap dengan ambil video lagi dan ibubapa semakin tegas dengan apa-apa kejadian di sekolah.

    Seorang mak bukan nak galakkan kesilapan anaknya, tidak juga berkata yg sebuah kesilapan itu betul, dan tidak cakap yg anaknya tidak apa-apa buat salah. Tapi kerana naluri mak, mak tetap akan mempertahankan anaknya kalau anaknya tercedera. Lagi-lagi kalau dicederakan oleh orang luar atau seorang guru dengan sengaja. Patut ke tak pasal-pasal sebab kecuaian orang seorang mak kehilangan anaknya.

     

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