Can same words come out from different strokes, different folks?

Just wondering if cliches below could’ve been thought of by other minds at the same moment in time, in different places?

(Feb 24, 2009, 10:09 pm)

iNneR pEaCe

The calmness within your inner heart

The soothing charms of your smile

The longing arms of your lithe body

The sweetness of your silent mind

The subtlety of your talking head

The beauty of your soft-mannered moves

The softness of your feminine facial skin

The gentleness of your deep piercing eyes

The truthfulness of your honest-to-goodness self

The bountifulness of your heart-filled passionate warmth

The unforgettable, memorable, adorable moments of your endless love…

That is the inner peace within the very depths of your lovely heart, my love…

n.b. I’m not gay (thank God!)

PLK

Gay rights are wrong! INDECENTLY, MORALLY, ETHICALLY,TOTALLY WRONG!

HOMOSEXUALITY is not right at all, no matter how high and mighty gays and lesbians strongly feel about their hedonistic lofty ideals.

Hollywood movie stars and the whole works of the film and entertainment world of ‘negative’ liberalism should not openly support the gay rights movement! The western world in all its decadence and decaying morality should take a step back to address this ever-growing menace in the cultural and social spheres of a civilised society.

The openly gay new woman Prime Minister of Iceland should step down from office voluntarily for being unfit to govern a nation due to her lesbian affinities. Need I say more?  I am ready to face the firing range on this one… Vocal Pro-Gay supporters like Brad Pitt and Sean Penn are welcome to a straight debate with me, anytime, anywhere, any place, man> GO STRAIGHT, MAN! Two rights can make a wrong, dudes — a big one, too! I can understand Angelina Jolie’s fetish, Brad or Madonna’s (Sean Penn’s ex-beau) bisexual urges but gay rights can be freely and lustfully enjoyed in the opposite of Heaven’s Door (in the Hereafter, that is).

p.s. Whilst Bruneian gays have always been on the prowl amongst us for decades (if not centuries?), the biggest concern now (only in recent years) is on the unacceptable rise in lesbianism amidst our very own Bruneian ‘butches & dykes’! OMG… What a real waste of wifey potentials, indeed!

PLK

Counting the Uncountables

Blessings, blessings and more blessings
you just cannot count ‘em all at once
they keep coming left, right and center
from high above and way down yonder

Celebrate, celebrate and more celebrations
New Year’s Day, 23rd February and July 15th
worldly remembrances, full of fond memories
moments of past, present and future glories

People, people and more people come and go
stuck in traffic snarls caused by individual ego
a young 25-year-old nation, so full of vibrance
energy plus optimism equals greater exuberance

A moment here, a moment there and moments gone!
can’t turn the clock back, forge ahead in unison
future awaits a world of brighter days to come
a new era, a new beginning and kingdom come!

My country, your country and our country
a nation of peace-loving nature and greenery
how blessed can one be? National pride is intact
Abode of peace, where stability is no fiction but fact

A life here, a life there and lives strewn everywhere
such is the state of the nation in the Middle-east
not a minute too soon, ethnic cleansing at its worst
A stark reality, surrounding Palestinians’ outburst!

Home is where the heart is, national prosperity lasts
Bruneians start to count their blessings still coming
from the Almighty — the Most Knowing and Giving
Silver Jubilee celebs ensure national flags flying

The youth of the nation as thrilled and excited
their promised land, forever safely well-guarded
now on their own, left to fend for themselves
no more spoon-fed culture, must roll up sleeves

The future generation remains as a pillar of strength
sustainable development is the top national priority
unemployment, substance abuse and promiscuity
are only three of the negative elements in society

Tough choices sooner or later have to be made
either we like it or not, sacrifices must be made
to protect national interests, freedom has its limits
there’s no room for complacency and total misfits!

PLK

~ Poetry in Motion ~

(Feb 14, 2009, 2:28 am)

ALL ALONE @ DAWN

Becoming a night owl
Sleepy eyes wide awake
fingers walk the talk of thoughts
Angels and devils fight over a lone ranger
To make good or go evil
do it your way, make my day

Humanity needs my tender, loving care
Can I even take good care of my needs?
My own needs and want take a backseat!
Others above self is my motto in life before death
Till death do I sacrifice my life for human race’s sake
What’s the good of living if you can’t fulfil deeds of giving?
The “Ad-Deen” is my ultimate soul mate

(Feb 14, 2009, 7:02 pm)

One Love…

Love in all its mysteries
signifies mythical powers
ethos of heroism-eroticism
egos of feminism-masculinism
sentimental fools hunger for love
for all kinds of reasons
rightly or wrongly
they die for love

Two Loves…

how mystifying love is
to hypnotize their minds
love-sickness makes ‘em blind
love is blinded by emotions
love triggers all neurons to slide
body chemistry begins to collide
impulses start rushing to the heart
heart beats stop and blood shoots up
nerves smell lusty taste of hormones
heavenly bodies caress to intertwine
cold sweats and heated libido combine
to make love endlessly oh so divine
lips embrace in passionate kisses
pantings, rantings and screamings
signal the embodiment of joy
satisfying the hearts’ desires
contentment in myriads of colours
wonderful feelings of exotic senses
sparkling like bursts of fireworks
under the spell of full moonlit night
love in all its glorious splendour
rancour like lightning and thunder
love is in the air and love is on fire!

PLK

Legal eagles shine!

I WAS in the Syariah Court last Monday and in the High Court briefly yesterday morning respectively. And I must say our duly appointed wise and learned  judges should be true ROLE MODELS for the youths of the nation today!

How each and every judge conducts himself/herself within his/her respective courts and professional circles as well as socially are what the younger generation should try to emulate these days.

Personally, I was pretty much impressed with the young Syariah Court judge who diligently presides over three to four cases almost every morning with full wisdom and impartiality. I was quite surprised to hear that the English words ‘Plaintiff’ and ‘Defendant’ are being borrowed in an Islamic court because all this while I thought the Syariah Court would be using the Arabic words if no Malay nouns could aptly describe the term or definition of each word. But the relatively new and spacious Syariah Court has that aura of comfort and calmness which augurs well for tension control and peace of mind for both plaintiffs and defendants alike. It does help a lot in the unbiased judgement of judges in meting out sentences!

In the Civil High Court, it was a different sort of environment where the ambience is a bit more aloof, to say the least. The elite-looking lawyers in all-black suits and white shirts with stylish ties, worn in uniformity. Unless you happen to know any of the legal practitioners personally, then you’d almost always end up sulking in an alienation corner somewhere.

I felt a twinge of guilt-consciousness written all over my face when I rubbed shoulders with the most learned handful of top Bruneian judges in the corridor of their staid chambers. One of them even  extended his handshake as sincere gesture of friendship back in the good old schooldays and growing up soccer games! That was a true mark of a great Chief Justice of Brunei in the making… And the forever soft-spoken Dato Judge has always been fair in all his cases, I solemnly swear. At least he was much more rational and logical than all the private lawyers put together, I think.

Not to mention, the one and only Datin Judge whose highly-intellectual (as opposed to Marilyn Monroe-sensual) pouting smile would make any guilty party at ease. The present Chief Justice (with years of international jurisprudence experience behind his back) must have been a great team leader to them all his younger Bruneian charges! The lawyers, on the other hand, have a lot to learn from these learned and wise judges in terms of people-friendliness.

The coming legal year of Brunei Darussalam should turn out to be a great anticipation of only good things, legally-speaking…

PLK

OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE US AMBASSADOR

Your Excellency Mr William E Todd

I refer to your latest column in the Borneo Bulletin — http://www.brunei-online.com/weekend/news/feb7h38.htm
in which you stated: “I wanted to also bring to your attention that our new Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who will be travelling to Asia very soon.

Secretary Clinton will visit Japan (February 16-18), Indonesia (February 18-19), the Republic of Korea (February 19-20) and China (February 20-22).

As I have mentioned, Asia, especially Southeast Asia, will play an important role in President Obama and Secretary Clinton’s foreign policy.”

Security issues aside, wouldn’t you think that the Madam US State Secretary’s itinerary would have been a ‘Missed Opportunity’ not to stop over for a couple of days in our Abode of Peace right after the China visit, Your Excellency?

Why so? For one good reason, February 23rd 2009 happens to be the 25th Anniversary of Brunei Darussalam’s National Day celebrations.

Incidentally, one of Asia’s prominent and influential Elder Statesmen, His Excellency Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the Mentor Minister of the Republic of Singapore will be in town then to present the first of its kind Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Memorial Lecture at the International Convention Centre in Berakas on February 25, 2009.

My point, Your Excellency Mr Ambassador, is that it is indeed sheer coincidence that Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, will be touring the region around that time next week. Therefore why not capitalize on the opportunity presenting itself for Secretary Clinton to pay courtesy calls on both His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Singapore’s Mentor Minister Lee Kuan Yew respectively in our peaceful and ‘terrorism’-free nation?

After all, her better half, former US President Bill Clinton is no stranger to Brunei having visited this country during APEC 2000 and more recently for a Private meeting with His Majesty the Sultan in the Empire Hotel and Country Club a few years ago. President Clinton has always loved the Empire and what better time for him to show Mrs Clinton the natural beauty of Brunei Darussalam as a model Islamic nation.

Indirectly, such an impromptu visit would enhance further the insights of the Secretary of State as befit a globe-trotting figure and an international negotiator for the next five years. Exchange of views between Mrs Clinton and two of the region’s (if not the world’s) most experienced national leaders in His Majesty and Mr Lee Kuan Yew respectively will certainly benefit the common interests of three friendly nations in the hope of paving the path for much more aligned and strategic alliances toward world peace!

My sincere apologies for being a bit too direct and blunt for my own good, Your Excellency Mr Ambassador Todd.

Yours sincerely
PLK

Discovering Tekka…

A COUPLE of weeks ago, I went to Miri for a quick errand. It was a Black Friday for residents of some old housing quarters across the road from the Grand Palace Hotel which were badly affected by a big landslide. A few of the wooden homes were completely flattened by the eroded hill which was caused by incessant heavy rains then.

I reached Miri around 6.00pm on that day. On bright sunny days, I would normally head for the beach stalls near the Marriot Hotel on the other side of Miri City since I’ve always enjoyed sipping coconut juice to quench my thirst, coupled with a small plate of Chinese-style Rojak to fulfil my craving for the rich paste gravy. The spectacular sunset at the Miri beach would almost always make it a picture-perfect dusk R & R or happy hour for me.

However, on my last trip to Miri, the dark, gloomy skies and non-stop rainfall made me decide to take a detour for some shopping in Bintang Plaza and Boulevard shopping centres. When I parked my car at the Boulevard, I could smell from afar the stinging aroma of the ‘King of Fruits’, my favourite Durian! Must be my lucky day, I thought to myself, because I didn’t know that the odour-rich fruit was still in season around this time of year.

Since I had an hour to kill before driving back to Brunei, I took my sweet time sampling the different species of the durian according to their code numbers like D24, D99, etc. I told the old Iban durian seller (who should be a genuine expert on the fruit) to just recommend me the best of the whole lot. And he pointed at the Tekka species, which he claimed to be of the highest pedigree.

I tried one there and then on the side street and indeed it was a first-class taste and texture. I ended buying three more at RM30 per kilogramme. I always hold to the adage: “Good things are not cheap, cheap things are not good!”. In all my life, I’ve eaten different varieties of durians before but this particular Durian Tekka is simply the YUMMIEST!;)

PLK

No matter how clever a squirrel jumps… (“Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat”)

BRUNEIAN investors in Ponzi schemes (get-rich quick scams) should really take heed! Last Wednesday’s Singapore Straits Times’ (February 4, 2009) report: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_334011.html?vgnmr=1 on Sunshine Empire founder James Phang must not be taken lightly.

The flamboyant and maverick ‘conman’ (together with three others, including his wife)  has been charged in the Singapore Subordinate Court with 20 charges of fraudulent business and criminal breach of trust (CBT) i.e. cheating 20,000 people from mostly Asian countries.

Phew! Sing$189 million down the drain and my wild guess is that probably almost half a million are Bruneian investors’ money! I suppose it’d take a miracle for them to salvage their cash back from that scam, disguised as Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)…

I know quite a big number of Bruneians are gullible and had been duped over the years by such financial rip-offs ala ‘American Bernard Madoff’s’ USD50 billion fraud case!

When will our people ever learn that there’s never any short-cut to impossible high-yield investments in the long run? A very, very costly lesson was supposed to have been gained by Bruneian ‘get-rich quick dreamers’ in the early 90s when millions of dollars went up in the air via Promail!

Now, a few hundred Bruneians (and new members are still investing!) are stubborn enough to part with their hard-earned dollars to put into a so-called Malaysian ‘Islamic’ highly-profitable business scheme, with a minimum of BND5,000 deposit and a monthly return of BND400 guaranteed?! Even though, the country’s Ministry of Finance have been advising and warning them of the risky outcome they may be faced with at the end of the day, they simply won’t listen to reasons! I guess they’re filthy rich enough to not bother losing their ‘disposable income’?

In Japan last Thursday, Tokyo police have arrested 75-year-old Kazutsugi Nami, who’s accused of having conned some 37,000 people of a total of USD2 billion in possibly, the country’s biggest fraud case in history…

My own financial woes are putting me in dire straits already. I shouldn’t bother too much with other cash-rich people’s problems, should I? I’ve dug my own grave myself… unfortunately. But it’s not the end of the world for me.

PLK

25 Years of Independence (National Day Silver Jubilee)

IN SLIGHTLY more than a fortnight, the country will celebrate the Silver Jubilee of her National Day Anniversary on 23rd February 2009. It’s gonna be an auspicious and historical moment, definitely!

It is going to be much more meaningfully significant since this year’s National Day is being celebrated amidst national concerns on tragedies caused by nature’s heavy rains for the past couple of months. A few hundred Bruneians have been affected by big floods and landslides across the nation, including two fatalities. Internationally, too, our oil/natural gas-rich nation would be directly or indirectly affected by the worsening global economic and financial woes. Prudent spending would be the buzzword nowadays. On the other hand, Government spending and Foreign Direct Investments would have to be pushed through in robust passion, if only to stimulate the national economy.

This Silver Jubilee anniversary could be a make or break timeline in nationhood. Given the right dosage of will-power, both politically and economically, a turnaround would be a much-needed miraculous boost for Negara Brunei Darussalam.

The final outcome could only mean much more sustainable development, economic prosperity, political stability and a much more dynamic, innovative and progressive society. The societal and human resource development or the PEOPLE factor would certainly be the real catalyst for change in the country. Whatever E-Government progress has been and will be made would make quite an impact but won’t make that much of a difference IF there are no highly-specialised and skilled professional Bruneians to oil the machinery and engine of growth, in a manner of speaking.

The question to ask ourselves now is: Are we ready to change for the better? Are we all responsible enough to own up to the future generation because what we try to achieve today not only benefits our current national needs but more importantly it could form the basis or lay the foundation for future progress of the nation and her people.  This is the crucial issue we as a nation need to take stock of — the quality of the RAKYAT or ordinary people — who can never be replaced by machines or computers, no matter how sophisticated and state-of-the-art the man-made tools are!

If we were to relate our state of the nation with that of the life history of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam, at 25 years of age the Messenger of Allah had been fated and destined to be married to a wealthy 40-year old widow by the name of Khadijah Radhiallahu Anha.

So maybe, just maybe, in Brunei Darussalam’s case, we need to look for a lifetime partner in another more developed nation than ours which has the necessary experience and economic wealth to give us the necessary support and motivation to forge ahead toward ‘full Nationhood’ or maturity, say 15 years down the road. Why 15 years? Well, again to relate our situation to that of our beloved “Habibullah” (Peace be upon him), the Almighty granted him the Prophethood at age 40!

Where am I going with the above equation of mine? I think it is high time for the country’s leaders to seriously brainstorm about the future direction of the nation. Yes, we do have the national philosophy of Melayu, Islam, Beraja or Malay, Islamic, Monarchy. And I am sure the top echelons of national leadership are only too aware of the nation’s Vision and Mission, I hope (although, I doubt many of the Rakyat including yours truly know of any). Still, we need to take stock of our capacity…

What I’m really getting at is do we all know where we’re heading as a nation within the global economy or amongst the international community of nations? What is our true Vision and Mission?

The only consolation is that we really should be grateful to our Creator for blessing us with a small dot on the world map on the tropical paradise of Borneo — a truly green peaceful country full of tranquility and sufficient abundance of natural resources — ALHAMDULLILLAH/SUBHANNALLAH (all praises be to Allah). May God the Mightiest Protector bless this Abode of Peace and the People! Amin Ya Rabbal Alamien.

PLK