Lines

Life lines, laugh lines, wisdom lines, beautiful lines

Art or vendalism

 Lego imagery of a woman walking alone along some back lane where danger may be lurking around the next turn.  (Picture taken from the Zacharevic’s facebook)

INTERNATIONALLY-recognised street artist Lithuanian-born Ernest Zacharevic has left his mark with beautiful wall paintings of joyful children all across historical Penang.

In fact, his murals, mostly featuring children and happiness, especially the Little Children on a bicycle on Armenian Street, are one of the major tourist attractions in the northern island state.

While having painted Penang with happiness, he has stepped on toes in Johor Baru (JB) with a wall painting, depicting the crime and security situation in JB which was removed by the Johor Town Council on Wednesday for blowing up a storm – some would say in a tea cup.

A Lego man, wearing a ski mask and holding a knife in one hand as he looks over his shoulders towards the corner, awaiting his next victim – a female Lego woman holding a Chanel handbag walking towards him from the adjoining wall – that’s enough to send chills down the spine, especially when such a theme has always played on the minds of Malaysian urbanites.

Why has Zacharevic chosen to paint such a morbid scene?

He said Johoreans had alerted him to the crime rate in the state, thus spurring him to draw the mural.

“Everytime, I asked the locals if there was anything else other than Legoland I should see in JB, they whispered to me -- yes, but you have to be careful,” he revealed.

The painting portrays JB as Legoland since both characters in it are Lego-lised, intended, I suspect, to fully tap the potential of this popular Danish brand as a tourist attraction for the state.

The painting also casts JB as a shopping paradise – Chanel and other branded goods are in abundance.

Above all, it has, inadvertently or otherwise, dropped a hot potato -- the crime rate in JB – by implying that danger lurks around every corner of the city streets.

Legal issue like whether the mural should be in existence without the council’s approval, let’s ask is the mural appropriate as a city street painting and will it promote goodwill and good feelings?

For one, it has triggered a debate on social network. Some think it’s art in bad taste and that JB deserves better while others sing praises for Zacharevic’s masterpiece (if you can call it that) and ask for more such murals at high-risk areas to keep crime at bay.

Maria Popova, a writer, describes art as “the power to transcend our own self-interest, our solipsistic zoom lens on life and to relate to the world and each other with more integrity, more curiosity, more wholeheartedness.”

The first part -- fulfilled by the painting based on Popova’s take on art -- is the transcendence of self-interest by the artist in favour of public interest as he reminds Johorean urbanites, through his brushes, palettes, colours and strokes, to be more careful when they go out as  there is danger lying in wait around every corner.

The second part -- transcending our solipsistic (ego-centric) zoom lens on life -- can perhaps be interpreted as being ready to face reality -- that there is, indeed, a high crime rate in JB -- or even Malaysia as a whole.

But can the painting allow us to relate to the world and each other with more integrity, more curiosity and more wholeheartedness?

This is what Zacharevic has to say: “Art will not harm a city’s image, crime will.”

True, JB has been affected by a high crime rate but as to how many tourists have shunned the city because of its bad reputation, we have yet to have any official figure.

Will the painting bring about positive results for tourism? I doubt it. On the contrary, it may well spawn feelings of insecurity and trepidation and, probably a sense of anarchy as well.

For some, it brings back painful memories – if they had fallen victims to robberies and other violence. In that case, there are other much better ways to send the message across without raising unnecessary alarm to mar the image of the country.

Will you proudly hang this picture in your home or allow Zacharevic to paint it on your wall – in or outside the house?

Some, especially politicians, said the painting should not be removed. Yes by removing the mural is no guarantee that the crime situation will improve or crimes will be wiped out like the painted imagery being washed off.

Johor has other charms and uniqueness besides Legoland, certainly no less than what Penang has to offer to tourists. The old part of Johor town -- with its distinctive red buildings and unique windows -- exudes an ancient appeal that should inspire many artists. And really, it deserves much better paintings!

Regardless, I have to say Zacharevic is a true artist who has made a point on the international scene through his thought-provoking art.

Sarawakians will certainly welcome him to paint a happy picture or two in our cities and towns that reflect the harmonious living of the closely knit community that we are very proud of!

As for the authorities – city councils, police and Johor state government – they should be challenged by this piece of art, and together with the people, work towards eradicating crimes just like how they have whitewashed out the “robber mural.”

Make the state a model with low crime rate -- that at every turn of a street corner, there is a Legoman (instead of a cowardly predator) with a bunch of flowers to pleasantly surprise the womenfolk with a “Chanel” bag.

As Zacharevic posted on his Facebook shortly after the authorities wiped out his wall painting: “Don’t get upset by the painting being removed. Johor Baru has proved to be a strong and opinionated state, please continue to make Malaysia as awesome as it is.”

That’s probably explains what Popova meant when she said “the power to relate to the world and with each other with more integrity, more curiosity and more wholeheartedness.

When security may not guarantee safety

WE are supposed to feel secure and safe with round-the-clock security at our home or office.

But that confidence seems to have been shaken if we go by recent incidents.

Security guards had hogged the headlines lately or just in the past two weeks. And looking objectively at the concomitant factors, it may well be just the tip of the iceberg.

In a tragic bank robbery, operations officer Noazita Abu Talib, 37, was shot dead at the AmBank branch in Subang Jaya by the bank’s security guard who later fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

In another robbery, a Filipino security guard of a jewellery shop in Setapak threatened his colleagues with a pistol before walking off with a tray of gold chains.

He was later nabbed while waiting to board a plane to Sabah but his girlfriend, believed to keeping a large stash of the gems, is still at large.

Both security guards are reportedly from Sabah and holding fake MyKads.

At home, a security guard at a Welfare Department shelter was arrested after two under-aged female residents lodged police reports, claiming he had raped them. The guard could also have raped four other under-aged girls staying at the same shelter.

“We are supposed to provide a place that can give them a sense of belonging. Yet, something like this happened when they are under our care. We feel angry, betrayed and frustrated,” Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah was reported as saying.

According to the Home Ministry, there are more than 700 security companies hiring over 220,000 guards in the country.

The Security Services Association Malaysia (SSAM), however, gave a conflicting figure of over 280,000 -- with 180,000 foreigners working “legally” as security guards and making up 53 per cent of the total employed in the profession. Illegals and locals make up the remaining 11 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.

SSAM Sabah Zone chairman Najmuddin Mohd Ibrahim was quick to point out that the cowardly acts of the two security guards (allegedly from Sabah) should not be generalised as being typical of the security service industry nor labelled as “one bad apple spoiling the whole barrel.”

Najmuddin who also operates a security service company, said his firm only confirms the appointment of applicants after a probationary period covering training, physical and fitness assessment where a pass is compulsory, identity verification and criminal records checklist.  

The hired security guards will undergo constant training throughout their employment.

According to Najmuddin, the successful applicants are not mere guards but, more importantly, also “trained security officers” who are to be recognised as the third line of defence after the army and the police. Such a high standard of professionalism is necessary to earn the confidence and trust of the public.

While the need to hire competent and honest security personnel should not be compromised, the point is how could public angst be assuaged when weaknesses and flaws still managed to get past the verification process in the first place?

SSAM has already revealed there are known illegal security guards -- 11 per cent of the total number or 30,800 of them. However, another national newspaper reported on Nov 6 that there are about 150,000 of the 400,000 security guards are illegal.

What are the Home Ministry and SSAM doing about these people? Also, how many of those classified as “legal” are holding their jobs with fake MyKads?

Immediately after the incidents involving security guards, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the National Registration Department will conduct a biometric examination on identification documents of all security personnel in the country.

It is already bad enough to know that our security providers are not verified and cleared of criminal records before we put guns in their hands but what Zahid revealed is even more disquieting -- that his ministry has received information certain companies have used security and firearms-handling licences for other purposes.

He warned that permits of security companies will be withdrawn if they were found to have been engaging in activities other than those stated under the licensing conditions.

He did not say how long ago he received this lead but announcing it only after the robberies does imply a seeming indifference to the issue.

So, now, even companies issued with licence to hire private security guards have problems – apparently arising from the failure to strictly enforce the rules and ensure only good agencies are allowed to set up shop.

Surely, it’s not wise “to mend the fold after some of the sheep have been lost” (Chinese idiom -- wang yang bu lao)?

Will the incidents that put a stain on the security service industry serve as a wake-up call for the Home Ministry and other authorities concerned so that the victims’ deaths at the hands of desperados masquerading as security guards will not be in vain?

The time is ripe for the Home Ministry, the National Registration Department and the Police to do a thorough background check on the 280,000 security guards in the country and for the security companies themselves to verify their own representatives.

Several politicians and activists in Sabah have alleged there could be as many as 1.5 million unqualified immigrants out there holding Malaysian citizenship documents issued in Sabah since the 1970’s. It is time to solve this problem festering in Sabah

once and for all.

There is acute urgency to look into the job description of security guards to ensure they stick to the scope of duties they are engaged to perform.

It’s no secret that banks are hiring guards to transport piles of cash. Well and good if this falls within the ambit of their responsibilities but should be avoided if not contractually spelt out.

Now is the time to know that not everyone in uniform with a gun can be called a trained guard.

Now is the time for SSAM to maintain constant liaison with law enforcement agencies and keep close tabs on “blacklisted” employees.

Lest it be overlooked, now is also the time for security bosses to reward guards who have devoted the best part of their lives to the company by treating them well so that they will not succumb

to “makan gaji sahaja” syndrome but will instead go beyond the call of duty while doing their jobs.

For after all, wang yang bu lao can also be taken to mean “it’s never too late to mend.”

To give credit where it is due, I think I will be plainly out of line if I don’t put on record the dedication shown by the phalanx of guards in maintaining security 24/7 on the grounds of our work place.

It is with all sincerity that I appreciate the diligence of the guards both in my place of stay and at our office.

A delight amidst controversy

 

IF there is any delight this week amidst the controversial Allah issue, it would have to be the baptism of baby Prince George.

The media used the word “christening.” But baptism derives from the Bible – and Jesus was baptised -- no doubt about it.

Christening is said to be a traditional word which means becoming a member of the Christian Church, more commonly used by Catholics. But being a Methodist, I stand corrected.

The essence of it is that the world witnessed baby Prince George joining the family of the Church, numbering almost two billion around the world.

The media in UK called it a moment of historical significance because as King of England one day, the first-born of William and Kate will be Supreme Governor of the Church of England, founded by King Henry VIII in 1534 during the English Reformation -- and Prince George is welcomed into the Church through his baptism.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby -- as with any other infants’ baptism -- marked the Prince with the sign of the cross on the forehead and splashed water on his head.

“All babies are unbelievably special, not only royal babies. But Prince George’s christening does carry an extra significance.

“As a nation we are celebrating the birth of someone who, in due course, will be the Head of State. That’s extraordinary. It gives you a sense of forward-looking, of the forwardness of history as well as the backwardness of history, and what a gift to have this new life and to look forward.”

The Archbishop mentioned three extraordinary things in this baptism.

The first is baptism, at its heart, is about the gift of God, about God’s gift of life, not just ordinary physical life but also the offer of spiritual life to all of us – so eternal life.

The second is the extraordinary moment because that is the sign by which we understand this person belongs to God.

And the third is Welby’s message for Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, George’s parents.

“My message to them would be what a treat, what an amazing gift, what wonderful times that you will have. There will be great times and tough times -- there always are with children. Through christening, you are bringing God into the middle of it all and I know when He is in the middle of it all, somehow it is held in his hands, and that is extraordinary.”

Welby undoubtedly said something more than a royal speech – he hopes the baptism of Prince George will inspire others to seek the same ceremony.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are known as global trend-setters, capable of influencing the world in buying habits and fashion trends.

It isn’t clear whether baptism will become a trend too. But many people are holding high hopes that this will be a “trend.”

Rev Chris Howson, priest at Sunderland, UK, believing that baptism is a way to give thanks for a new creation, said the royal couple had given their three-month-old son the greatest gift a parent can give a child.

Reports said that baptisms in the Church of England have been cut in half since 1980, and in Canada, the number of baptisms by the United Church of Canada has dropped to around 6,000 from 32,000 over the same period. In the US, baptism rates are at 60-year lows in some churches.

Tom Archer-Mills, chair of the British Monarchist Society, also believes Prince George’s christening will prompt discussions about christenings.

He said something beyond the christening too: “Even with increased immigration and a diverse population, all religions can relate to the service. 

“Each religion has its own rite of passage. I hope by the time Prince George takes the throne, he will be the defender of the faith which will encompass all of the religions of the United Kingdom.”

Parenting takes hard work with huge challenges. In christening ceremony, godparents are chosen for the baby. With seven godparents named, each taking a particular interest in the upbringing of the prince, William and Kate can be completely certain they have many by their side in their parenting path.

It should not be a wasted wish to hope that the world will follow William and Kate’s decision – bringing their babies to the teachings of the Bible and naming good godparents for parental support and for the growing child to look up to in times of difficulties.

By the grace of God, there is something to look forward in our next generations that when by the time they grow up, they will be the defenders of truths and faiths that encompass all religions, and excellently –

In essentials, unity

In doubtful things, liberty

In all things, give thanks to God.

Turning the other cheek

NO aspect of Christian faith warms my heart more than knowing God is my Father. Whether I am in joy, sorrow, tears, laugher or fear, when I come to my Father in prayers or at worship services with the utterance of My God, there is always a warm feeling that passes through my body.

It is an inexpressible joy to know I have a God who loves me and listens to my every prayer.

I believe the same hope and faith is found in every Christian who calls out to God, whether they call Him God, Abba, Lord or Allah.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia said 60 per cent of the approximately 2.6 million Christians in the country use the word Allah to refer to God.

This means with the ruling of the Court of Appeal, about 1.6 million Christians in the country, made up mostly of indigenous people from Sarawak and Sabah, will have to call out to their Father in heaven in a different way -- whether in prayers, praises, worship or reading their Bible and Christian literature.

It also means those natives who have used Bahasa Malaysia in their worship in addition to their native tongue and who, for calling their God Allah, are turned instantly into law breakers without breaking any laws in the very land where they are the sons of soil.

It has deeper implication - that our rights as citizens to freedom of worship have been curtailed by the verdict of the Court of Appeal.

What will the impact be on inter-faith relations? Will they become more tense, noting the ever stronger reactions from Sarawak and Sabah even with the Prime Minister breaking his silence to assure these two East Malaysian states are allowed to continue using Allah.

The “righteous anger” was communicated by the people of the two states, starting from the Most Revd Datuk Bolly Lapok, the Anglican Archbishop for the Province of Southeast Asia and the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kuching, to politicians, lawyers and ordinary citizens.

Allah is a generic term used by Bumiputra Christians in their personal and public prayers, worship, preaching and everyday life. Without it, our Bahasa Malaysia speaking Christians cannot even pray properly.

My colleague, a senior journalist and a former priest who has travelled far and wide, said: “I come to understand that many Arab countries and others, es-pecially Malta which is known for its early record of being Christianised by St Paul in early days of Christianity -- are using Allah to call God. This historical fact strengthens the wide claim that the use of Allah in Christianity predates Islam.”

It is a traumatic experience to be called “criminals” or “law breakers” for using Allah in order not to confuse other people using the same word. It has never been an issue for many generations, much less the cause of any social or national security problems both inside and outside Malaysia.

According to the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), in the states of Sarawak and Sabah where Allah is most widely used by BM-speaking Christians who outnumber the Christians in peninsular Malaysia, JAKIM statistics show between 1990 and 2001,11,818 Sabahans and 9,603 Sarawa-kians converted to Islam. This means these two states have the highest number of Muslim converts by far than any of the other states in Malaysia.

COA ruling is a slap on our right cheek! How does one strike another on the right cheek? A blow by the right fist in this predominantly right-handed world would land on the left cheek.

Striking the right cheek with the right hand is only possible when the back of the hand – or using the left hand, which, incidentally, was an insult in Jewish society of yore.

We are familiar with the biblical teaching of “turning the other cheek.” The person who turns the other cheek is, in essence, saying: “Try again, your first blow failed to achieve its intended effect. I deny you the power to humiliate me and demean me.”

Christians should insist on integrity, justice and the pursuit of the values of their teaching of non-violence by turning the other cheek which is non-violent and resistant, cheeky and openly subversive to injustices.

We can be non-violent and still act and speak in ways that resist and undermine falsehood and unjust power.

And that, I believe, is a good part of what Jesus is after in this “turn your other cheek.”

The measured statement of Bishop Bolly who was a member of the team at the inter-faith dialogue between the worldwide Anglican Communion and Al Azhar University in Cairo, reflected that inter-faith courtesy and integrity that transcend local politics.

In fact, many of our leaders -- whether from the ruling government or the opposition -- have largely main-tained their equanimity and sensibility over an extremely contentious issue in the past week by “tur-ning the other cheek.”

For one, The Borneo Post also brought our Senior Minister Tan Sri James Masing, a Christian minister, to the in-ternational scene. He was quoted in Los Angeles Times as saying he was saddened by the ruling and warned the Malaysian government “must not politicise religion.”

Later, Masing also said for him, the assurance by the federal cabinet that Sarawak and Sabah can use Allah in their worship and text but not peninsular Malaysia is not satisfactory.

“It means one nation with two religious definitions,” he pointed out.

Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How has also “turned the other cheek” on the ruling and further asked whether Sarawakians could turn a blind eye to the injustice and prejudice suffered by their fellow countrymen and women living in Peninsular Malaysia, considering “they are no lesser Christians than everybody else.”

See said Sarawakians, in sharing the same destiny as all the citizens in the peninsula and Sabah, should speak up on this injustice, and leverage on the state's position as the kingmaker in the country to stop the prejudice against Christians in Malaysia.

“We should all stand together with our Christian brothers and sisters in Peninsular Malaysia so that the ban on the word Allah in The Herald can come to an end soon with the federal court making a decision.”

By turning the other cheek, we are pressing on to the power who had slapped our right cheek that religious bigotry, racism and extremism should not be perpetuated and allowed to fester and poison our nation.

.