Our Country - Malaysia

Do u know how large and wide is our country? How many cities in our country? How many people in our country? Not clear about all these? Okay, have a look here       (^.^)
                                                                                         
Geography
Area: 329,748 sq. km. (127,315 sq. mi.); slightly larger than New Mexico.
Cities: Capital--Kuala Lumpur. Other cities--Penang, Ipoh, Malacca, Johor Baru, Shah Alam, Klang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Miri, Petaling Jaya.

Clear now?Another question! Where is e @ curve? You should know this because we having a campaign there!! Here's the adress and map! So, make sure you attend to Malaysian-LAH campaign!

Adress:No. 2A, Jalan PJU 7/3 Mutiara Damansara Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan

Map :

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Malaysian(s).
Population (2009): 28.3 million.
Annual growth rate: 2.0%.
Ethnic groups: Malay 53.3%, Chinese 26.0%, indigenous 11.8%, Indian 7.7%, others 1.2%.
Religions: Islam (60.4%), Buddhism (19.2%), Christianity (9.1%), Hinduism (6.3%), other/none (5.0%).
Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), Chinese (various dialects), English, Tamil, indigenous.
Education: Years compulsory--6. Attendance--90.1% (primary), 60.0% (secondary). Literacy--93.5%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2007)--6.7/1,000. Life expectancy (2007)--female 76.4 yrs., male 71.9 yrs.
Work force (10.89 million, 2007): Services--57%; industry--28% (manufacturing--19%, mining and construction--9%); agriculture--15%.

We're the people who organizing this campaign!
We're youth! We want our voices to be hear!
We want to share the real meaning of being a Malaysian with everybody!
We want all of you to support our campaign!


Lastly, we're Mass Communication students from Segi University College!haha...

Yoyo Yap

An Update.

So... The day of our campaign event is coming near and some of us are starting to feel the heat.
Things are falling into place while some of us are running around like a bunch of headless chickens. If you have ever worked in group for a big assignment you should understand that it ain't easy, especially if you are working with friends.
We have a confirmed venue now! Which is great. We're gonna have at e@curve aka Cineleisure.
Another thing is that we have performers!!! So you won't just get to see us but also some actual celebrities! =)

One more thing, we have a YouTube account now!
The attached is a video of one of our first flash mob's. We did it in our college cafe and it actually went better than we expected. A few random people actually stood up even though they didn't know what the heck was going on. It was fun!

Spread the video around! Share it on Facebook. There will be more to come before the BIG one on the event day.



Cheers!
Dorothy H. Yap

Language for all Malaysians

CHONG: Sometimes I wonder whether the language we use is Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Malaysia. Or is it the case of "what’s in a name"? After all they mean the same language. Can we use the name interchangeably, my friends?
Azman: What is bothering you Chong? Of course they are the same.
Chong: Confusing lah! On Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when speaking at a function billed as the International Bahasa Melayu Public Speaking Competition said that the government is gearing up to promote Bahasa Melayu as a cultural and civilization element to the world.
Azman: What’s so confusing? Bahasa Melayu or Malay refers to the language or the lingua franca of the Malay world, which is much of Southeast Asia.
Mohan: So the PM was referring to the language and culture of the Malay world. But shouldn’t Indonesia be promoting it. After all isn’t it the biggest component of the Malay world?
Azman: Well, you got me there.
Chong: Anyway the New Straits Times report on Saturday referred to the language as Bahasa Melayu. It’s correct I suppose. In the Malay Mail it was Bahasa Malaysia. In the English version of the Bernama report it is Bahasa Malaysia but in the Bahasa Malaysia version it is Bahasa Melayu.
Azman: Is that so?
Sulok: Yes, I read all the reports and it is as Chong said. All the Malay papers said Bahasa Melayu. I didn’t see The Star on Saturday. Wonder whether it used Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Melayu.
Mohan: Anyway if you guys are diverting to discussing our national language, Article 152 of our Constitution says "The national language shall be the Malay language …" And then in 1963 the National Language Act was passed which states among other things that it is the language for all official communication. The Act has been amended many times but basically it is still the same. Since the passing of the Act we called our national language Bahasa Kebangsaan.
Sulok: Ya, that’s right. I remember we used to have Bahasa Kebangsaan week and Bahasa Kebangsaan month. We had all kinds of competition to promote the use of Bahasa Kebangsaan, essay writing, speech making and so on. And there is even a song. All for the purpose to make the language acceptable as a national language to the people of Sabah and Sarawak as well.
Chong: And then it became Bahasa Malaysia. Somebody told me why it was appropriate for the language to be called Bahasa Malaysia. Cikgu?
Zain: Indeed it was appropriate. No one objected. It was a language to unite all the people of Malaysia. After all it was already the lingua franca of the people in the country even before Merdeka or Malaysia Day. So to call it Bahasa Malaysia was most appropriate.
Chong: Malay was also the language or lingua franca of the region even before the coming of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.
Zain: Yes. And in its various forms, Malay was the lingua franca of the Indonesian archipelago. Such that when that country became independent it adopted it as its national language but called it Bahasa Indonesia. It could have made the language of the most dominant and numerous people, the Javanese, the national language but it didn’t as it was not the lingua franca throughout the archipelago.
Chong: That’s it, that’s it. I remember now. Malay is the language of the Malay archipelago which includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and even the Philippines. Indonesia adopted it as its national language and called it Bahasa Indonesia. So when Malaysia adopted it as its national language it was appropriate to call it Bahasa Malaysia. Am I doing OK, Cikgu?
Zain: You’re doing fine.
Sulok: I think things changed when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim became education minister in 1986. Right, Cikgu?
Zain: Right. Bahasa Melayu came back into use. First, the language subjects were renamed Bahasa Melayu and subsequently wider usage of the name in other areas outside schools. Of course those used to the term Bahasa Malaysia continued to do so. Others were a little confused like Chong is confused now.
Mohan: But I thought it was changed back to Bahasa Malaysia sometime ago.
Zain: In April 2007, the cabinet unanimously endorsed changing the name back to Bahasa Malaysia. Then Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin announced it on June 3, 2007 saying that it was appropriate as the language belonged to all Malaysians.
Mohan: Yes, I remember. I also remember many Malaysians cheered him for that statement.
Chong: OK, that’s settled then. To me that’s more important than promoting wider use of Bahasa Melayu in the world.


Taken from The Sun : What They Say by Zainon Ahmad



Aeti Amira

The Night Market..

The Night market or so called “PASAR MALAM” is a nice place that Malaysians hangs out in. It is another place to “shop” other than shopping mall. It is an open concept stalls. PASAR MALAM sells cheap and useful stuff. There are food, accessories, cloths, dishes, and etc.

PASAR MALAM is the best way to experiences local culture- Malaysia culture!

Here are my favorites PASAR MALAM:

• Petaling street or formally known as China Town Kuala Lumpur. Some of the stalls was establishes many years ago. Food stalls that sell Hokkien mee, beef noodle, Asam laksa, wantee mee are the famous stalls in PetalingStreet.

Business hours: 4.30pm to late night (everyday)

• Connought Pasar Malam – it is the longest pasar malam in Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: 5pm to 1am (every Wednesday)

Casey Yew signed off

Traditional Games in Malaysia

Kite
Have you play a kite before? It’s an interesting traditional game in OUR country. Over the years, kite festivals have encouraged creativity in kite-making. The designed it in different shape and cartoon character, different size and material which full with creativity. I learned to play a kite from my neighbor, who is a cute little Malay girl, isn’t this traditional game can bring us to “One Malaysia”?


Congkak
It’s a womenfolk’s game in ancient times. Usually, they sit on the floor face to face and the Congkak set is between two of the players. Player will take all the seeds (small marbles, rubber seeds or saga) which represent the points to the players, from one pit, and place one at a time into another pit. If the last seeds in a play is placed in the player’s home (the left most), she will be granted another turn on the other hand. If the last seed is placed in an empty pit on her side of board, she will capture the seeds in the opposite pit and place in her own home. The game end when all the pits on one side are empty. After that, they will count the seeds and who get the most seeds will be the winner. Well, I learned this when I was in primary school, although I can’t really remember all the game rules, but its fun!


Giant Top Spining ( Gasing)
Does u know that a “Gasing” can spin for two hours long? It’s not a game for children because the “Gasing” weights approximately 5kg and the wooden tops are just big! It’s all about strength, skill and coordination. There are some Top Spinning competitions Malaysia especially Kelantan and Terengganu. I would say it is fun to see some other people playing this! Haha……


Yoyo Yap ♥

What Say You(th)? : Malaysians Abroad

Being a Malaysian in a foreign land sure feels different. From the culture, to environment, to the people. Aeti Amira asks Malaysian youth abroad how they feel being far away from home, what do they miss, what they like being abroad and everything in between;

I do miss Malaysia. A lot. Things are very different here. The best thing about being abroad is you got branded things cheaper instead of you are able to have designer handbags without having to fast for months. That's the only reason which make me feel like wanting to be here forever. But things are very different here. in Malaysia, you can hang out until dawn. Laughing at mamak or gossiping while eating char kuew tiew or maybe nasi lemak. Oh how tempting! But here, the only choice you have is going to club. Seeing drunken people get crazy then sleeping on the road. Afraid of these drunken people you will end up in your own kitchen cooking the same dishes you have to digest everyday. Kitchen? the interesting fact about sharing kitchen with these mat saleh (which one may find interesting) is at one point, you will never dare to step in the kitchen. It's worst then terrible. Dishes are never washed, beer are spilled all over the table and carpet. God how I wish I have mom here giving 'ceramah kebersihan' to these people.

It's good to have fish and chips and spaghetti for lunch but to have it everyday, I prefer having cheap and tasteless 'warung' dishes!

Wan Aleesa Hanes, 21, student,
University of Portsmouth

Being Malaysian is coming from Malaysia with our world of lah's, wei's and whatnots! However, its not hard to stay Malaysian abroad because every country will have their Malaysian society. So if you miss Malaysia or if you want to stay Malaysian, just go to the MSoc (Malaysian Society) and you'll feel right at home. Of course I miss Malaysia! I miss the non-sub zero temperature, the scorching hot sun, the inexpensive cost of living, the cars or rather my car, the ability to be drive around, the inexpensive taxis and the food (especially the food). Oh! Not to mention mamak especially mamak! I miss the malls where it does no close at 8 every weekday and 6 on Sundays. I miss the sun. I've mentioned sun already, haven't I? Well, sunshine. I miss the non gloomy days, the periodically heavy rain but not the humidity. I miss 7 eleven or anything that's 24 hours basically. Basically, Malaysia is still home so yes, I miss it loads cause that's where my friends and family are.

Sarah NCY, 21, student
London School of Economics





For me, being a Malaysian is to never forget where you come from, to stay grounded at all times. Malaysia is a country filled with tradition and culture. As long as you don't forget your tradition and culture although you're abroad, or in a Western country, I don't think we can never be far away from being a Malaysian. I sure am missing Malaysia a lot as soon as i arrive in Melbourne, every time. I miss the weather, my family, and FOOD of course! nothing beats Malaysian food i must say :)

Farah Shazliyana, 20, student
University of Melbourne





Four weeks(here) down and another 40 to go. It certainly feels so long especially when you are living far away from your country. Of course, California is a nice place to be. Everyone dreams of being here! But, the ugly truth is, you don't travel and see new places everyday. That's when you are stuck in your house wasting hours on Facebook and thinking what's for dinner? Sometimes, you feel lonely knowing there is so much you can do if you were in Malaysia. Friends, family, food, weather (well, i lied because California is better), I miss em all. Well, beneath those boredom, it feels good to be here and away from hot hot hot Malaysia. So many places to visit, cant wait!

Siti Shahira Jalil, Housewife,
San Diego, California.

the TRUTH?

" With new media comes new responsibility"

 - Irwan Abdul Rahman       

There is no way for me to express this formally and i don't want to. So here goes.

Today our Media Relations class went on a little field trip. Miss Eena, our lecturer, hooked us up so we could go to The Malay Mail and meet with one of their editors - Irwan.

I have to say, he's really cool. Despite the fact that he's older than the target audience of this campaign, he has a very similar mind set. He really "gets" us. At first he talked about the basics of the newspaper and after our campaign was introduced to him, the conversations spread to other topics. One of many things that caught my attention was this : In his opinion, we shouldn't be just tolerating our differences. Instead, we should be CELEBRATING our differences. Strength in diversity.

In MY opinion, he was able to summarize what our campaign is about so simply, without even knowing it. I agree that we don't need to be told to live in unity because we already do.

THAT is what our campaign is about. It's not in support of 1Malaysia but it's not against it either. Instead of trying to promote and encourage unity we should be celebrating it instead. This is because most of us who have grown up in public, multi-racial schools have basically learnt the whole "unity" thing without being told. There may have been racial gangs runnning around school beating each other up but that was more of a "people" problem not a racist problem.

When we were younger, it hardly crossed our mind that people were different because of their race. For us we were all just people. It's only as we got older that we realised that there were situations like "You may or may not get a job because of your race" or "You may get into different colleges easier because of your race".

So in a whole, what is Malaysia-LAH again?

It's about the youth's voice! And what the youths are saying is that we ARE living in unity! We ARE united! We are all assholes!   We are fully aware of our differences and we respect each other!

FYI, the honourable Mr. Irwan Rahman may be one of the speakers of our forum. Along with a Mr. Andrew Netto. And believe me you want to hear what they have to say.

Peace out!     

~ Dorothy H. Yap