…Is Like Pooping

Hi!

It’s been a long time I haven’t posted anything on my blog. Well, mostly because I’ve been busy ‘fine-tuning’, on the ‘newsroom adjustment’ front.

Recently, people have been asking me a lot on several issues regarding the state of the nation. 

Never-ending debate. But, I was glad to hear those voices were expressed in a mature manner. 

Managing conflict is not an easy task, however, it is not always negative. All you need is to reach a common solution that everyone can live with. 

A photo to ponder:
  

The bird didn’t poop on or around this Pakcik.

Israel minta maaf…sambil pejam mata

Pukul tiga pagi. Lebih tepat, tiga pagi Sabtu waktu Malaysia. Ketika sedang asyik melayan aksi dan jenaka Seniman Agung Allahyarham Tan Sri P.Ramlee, saya terima beberapa mesej ringkas yang bunyinya sama.

“Tengok CNN, Israel sudah memohon maaf kepada Turki berhubung insiden Mavi Marmara,” mesej ringkas dari beberapa sahabat serta seorang VVIP yang masih lagi berjaga ketika itu.

Sebagai ‘tukang cerita’ yang jadi saksi kekejaman rejim Zionis Israel ke atas kapal kemanusiaan Mavi Marmara, tiga tahun lalu, reaksi pertama yang terlintas dari lubuk hati amat ringkas.

“Ahh! Israel.”

Apa maknanya permohonan maaf Rejim Zionis Israel, tiga tahun selepas pembantaian segenap sudut kapal Mavi Marmara?

Jawapannya mudah, tak ada makna apa-apa. Kosong.

Sebagai seorang wartawan, mahasiswa sains politik dan hubungan antarabangsa, saya melihat permohonan maaf rejim Tel Aviv sepatutnya bukan hanya kepada Turki, tetapi rakyat Palestin yang paling utama.

Tanggal 31 Mei 2010, saya dan jurukamera
Samsul Kamal Latip serta 10 sukarelawan Malaysia yang ditahan bersama aktivis Flotila Pembebasan Gaza yang lain merasai sendiri bagaimana sengsaranya hidup sebagai rakyat Palestin.

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Hidup dalam keadaan yang sarat dengan rasa tidak tentu, berdiri pun setinggi lengan ibaratnya. Pedih dan perih, semuanya menindih. Tetapi tidak mati rasa. Zikir tetap diteruskan walau dari jauh, di bumi yang aman ini.

Masyarakat di bumi anbia itu selama ini memerah keringat, menumpahkan darah dan menitiskan air mata mengharungi derita berdekad lamanya menghadap kekejaman Zionis. Kepada mereka jugalah Israel berhutang maaf.

Permintaan maaf itu juga menunjukkan kepada kita kedudukan Turki. Ramai penganalisis politik sebelum ini melihat Turki merupakan negara Islam yang berani dan berupaya menerajui usaha memerdekakan Palestin.

Hujah itu berdasarkan kepada kedudukan serta dasar luar Ankara yang sentiasa pragmatik, malah ada hubungan diplomatik dengan Tel Aviv.

Permohonan maaf Israel pula hanya menjurus kepada kematian 9 saudara aktivis dari Turki yang semasa kejadian berada di dek paling atas kapal berkenaan.

Kenyataan mengenai permohonan maaf itu pun datangnya daripada ‘si abang’, iaitu White House.

Langkah itu dilihat tidak lebih daripada sekadar mengkonstruk keadilan sebagai kosmetik pentas diplomasi yang sarat dengan agenda halus Amerika Syarikat dan Israel di rantau Asia Barat.

Jangan kita lupa keadaan yang berlaku di negara jiran kepada Turki iaitu Syria yang berdepan ketidakstabilan selepas dipukul badai kebangkitan rakyat sejak awal 2011.

Keadaan itu mendesak campur tangan antarabangsa, atau lebih tepat campur tangan ‘pencatur-pencatur kuasa’ di sana.

Walaupun Israel memohon maaf kepada Turki, gelora penentangan dunia terhadap agenda perluasan wilayah, dasar Israelisasi serta penjajahan terhadap Palestin tidak akan padam.

Bendera merah, hitam, putih dan hijau tidak akan pudar warna sebaliknya panji itu akan terus berkibar megah sehingga kiamat.

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Semangat Mavi Marmara hanyalah katalis kepada perjuangan membuka pintu sempadan Gaza.

Thank You Malaysia.

Salam everyone!n I have 5 mins of using internet in Crown Plaza Hotel in Amman Jordan. Rakan-rakan seperjuangan, barisan pemimpin-pemimpin Malaysia, Rakyat Malaysia keseluruhannya, sy mengucapkan jutaan terima Kasih atas segala usaha dan berkat doa mengiringi konvoi Talian Hayat Utk Gaza. Jutaan terima kasih kerana mengadakan pelbagai usaha termasuk solat hajat demi memastikan 12 orang ahli konvoi Malaysia selamat dan keluar dari Israel. Pada masa sama, terima kasih kepada semua media dan saudara wartawan di Malaysia yang sedikit sebanyak meringankan kerisauan mama dan papa dengan bertemu secara peribadi dengan mereka di Alor Setar. Objektif konvoi adalah menyerahkan bantuan kemanusiaan kepada penduduk Gaza secara terus, dan sy dan Samsul Kamal berperanan mengetengahkan realiti sebenar kehidupan dan mesej kepada dunia agar kepungan dan dasar Israelisasi rejim Israel dapat dilumpuhkan. Namun kami gagal menjejakan kaki di bumi Gaza. 

Kini sy berharap agar semua pihak berdoa agar kapal Rachel Corrie milik Tun Dr Mahathir dapat menembusi sekatan Israel di perairan Gaza.  6 warga Malaysia terdiri drpd aktivis PGPO termasuk Abang Shamsul Tocang semuanya atas kapal kini bertarung nyawa untuk hantar bantuan ke Gaza dalam gelombang kedua Flotilla. Sy berharap semua berdoa keselamatan mereka terjamin.      

Ashwad Ismail

Wartawan Astro AWANI

Burma Political Climate

June 2010, will be a historic democratic transition in Myanmar since 1989. However, the famous Aung San Suu Kyi won’t contest it due to her house arrest.

This election will help Burma regain its rightful place in the regional and global mainstream. At least, break out of their isolation in international geopolitical landscape.

US interest on ASEAN post Bush era step in to the new paradigm. Normalisation of Myanmar will not only inject new momentum to ASEAN, but also invigorate the relationship between ASEAN and supranationalist bloc of US-EUROPE.

Progress towards democracy, however, the transition will not occur overnight. One thing for sure, military rulers, the junta do not give up power easily.

ASEAN has to play big role on helping Burma especially in aspect of participation of the generals in democratic politics should be allowed. Or else, absolutism and totalitarianism will remain as a pillar of Burma.

LAUNCHING OF MEASAT 3A

 

While the world is struggling with the highly dangerous swine flu H1N1, I was in Russia and Baikonur, Kazakhstan for 6 days to witness the launching of our fourth communication satellite, MEASAT 3A.

Those are some historic moment and places I visited.

 

M3A
M3A

 

Before blast off...
Before blast off...

 

Mon and me in action
Mon and me in action

 

 

 

Earlier, we went to visit our M3A at the launching pad… 

 

 

ASTRO Team at the launch pad in Baikonur Cosmodrome
ASTRO Team at the launch pad in Baikonur Cosmodrome

We visited some other places as well in Baikonur.  

 

Launching pad for Vostok in 1961 for First Man on Space Yuri Gagarin
Launching pad for Vostok in 1961 for First Man on Space Yuri Gagarin

In this completely deserted (no wonder got  a lot of camels) windy area, we’re staying at Sputnik Hotel…

Arrived at Sputnik Hotel
Arrived at Sputnik Hotel

Back in Moscow..We visit Red Square, Starcity Space center.

 

Starcity
Starcity

 

Astro Guerilla Movement
Astro Guerilla Movement

 

During briefing at Starcity....centre, COO MEASAT, Paul Brown Kenyon
During briefing at Starcity....centre, COO MEASAT, Paul Brown Kenyon

 

Kremlin
Kremlin

 

With Mon and Christina from The Star
With Mon and Christina from The Star

 

Astro Team in Red Square, Centre: Salina
Astro Team in Red Square, Centre: Salina

 

 

Red Square

 

Red Square

 

Restaurant at Red Square...Pectopah, actually Russian spelling of restaurant
Restaurant at Red Square...Pectopah, actually Russian spelling of restaurant

folkdance

 

 

Inside the restaurant, makan time ..with salina Berita Harian and Puru

 

Inside the restaurant, makan time ..with salina Berita Harian and Puru

 Russian hat

Press Team during Welcome Dinner at Marriot Aurora
Press Team during Welcome Dinner at Marriot Aurora

Last but not least, Thanks to Adrian, Puru and Mon, Pleasure working with you guys! Best of the best , creme de’ la creme production…

b-Astro guerilla

Logging In Belum: Stairways To Catastrophe

IT was what I would refer to as “a heaven on earth”. Six adolescent years later, it has morphed into another cloudy and turbid river.

 I’m referring to Sungai Chiong, once considered by many as one of the best fishing spot located at the National Park Belum Rainforest, Grik in Perak.

My recent visit to the virgin forest for a fishing trip with Papachik and Pak Ngah Min was an eye-opener experience. I was shocked by the current situation in Sg. Chiong. The site which I literally grew up in, thanks to my late Tok Papak who would take me on his numerous fishing excursions, has lost its magic. It was as if Mother Nature had forgotten to work on her magical wand to make the place as beautiful as it used to be.

Gone are the sights of a world-class rainforest which had provided me valuable and unforgettable memories. This is due to the greed and narrow millennium-minded responsible in “killing” our mother nature through logging activities which had taken the place by storm. 

If this massacre activities persist without any actions taken by the authorities, I bet another river will face the same problem. 

My plea, save the National Belom Rainforest before it’s too late. I’m worried, that it will inevitably lead to another destruction akin THE state political crisis.

We’ll just wait and see…

Pulau Tujuh

From Sungai Chiong, we advanced to Pulau Tujuh and continued our fishing trip along the ravine. 

We had a great  deal of enjoyment during the 2 day-1- night back-to-nature retreat. 13 Sebarau says it all.  Deep in our hearts, we knew that it was important to keep the spirit of Tok Papak alive.

The three of us unanimously agreed that Pulau Tujuh still has its uniqueness or simply said, “hutan masih dara”. Thank goodness…

As I’m posting this edition, the loggers are doing what they do best …  cutting down “the balaks” at the good ole’ Pulau Tujuh…