Writing Can Be Deadly!

Writing Can Be Suicidal

I am back as promised! Why writing can be suicidal? Well, if you are a fiction writer and you are writing about something doesn't exist in reality, that is completely fine because it involves nobody in the real world. But what if you are writing about something that is happening around you? About social issues and politics or even about your own thoughts and views on certain people or politicians? Now could you smell the possible danger arousing due to this?

I have been a member of Global Voice and I am very excited about it because it helps me lend bloggers and social media users a louder voice to highlight what they are saying collectively! Let's take the issue or news about who has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize recently. I'm sure many people across the world will be talking about this and voicing their opinion about the result. Some would or may say that Malala should have been awarded instead of the OPCW. What authors of Global Voices do is to summarise what people are saying about a particular issue.

Now, being an author on GV is as risky as being a blogger. While people may support the good deed  of exposing the truth, abolishing crime and terrorism; the ugly truth is nothing guarantees that we will be safe being a whistle blower. I will tell you why people don't get involved in social work that is 'risky' like this or may be sometimes it is a better option to just keep quiet and mind our own business.

Sometime ago, we had a case in Malaysia where someone was shot while he stopped at a traffic light. He is in charge of the My Watch movement which basically works as a whistle blower. R. Sanjeevan was a young man who was inspired to do something beneficial and transform the corrupted society into a better community. My Watch is about ten months old and has successfully revealed a few corrupted authorities. Guess what he got as the prize of it? He was shot after getting several threats by people and luckily survived but still suffering from the aftermath. Sanjeevan shared his story with a reporter lately that the movement is now dying as there is nobody to protect him or to support his fight for Malaysia. In fact, he also told that he has lost many friends after this incident as they were afraid of their own lives.

While I was reading this issue, I came across another updated blog post on one of the most popular blogs in Malaysia. It is written by someone with a blog name of  ''The Raged Indian". As I was reading this, I learned that he stayed away from blogging for quite sometime as he has received threats from some people as well since he writes a lot about social issues and influences thousands of Malaysian Indians particularly. He raised a very good question in his post too that made me think he was right. After all, if something happens to him, who will be at lost and who will come to defend him? It is still an unanswerable question isn't it?

Today, I came to know that Malala's book is out. It has been written by Malala with Christina Lamb as the contributor. She is an advocate for women and she got shot by the Talibans. When you do good in the public, you will be scrutinised heavily and then discriminated!. She was expected by some to win the Nobel Peace Prize but it was awarded to OPCW. I got goosebump while watching one of her interviews today and it made me feel so proud of her! It also explains the power we have as an individual and this is what I like the most. I think Malala's life has changed to reveal the real potential she acquires.

I feel that one doesn't need to be an activist in a global level. Anyone who is able to instill changes in another person's life is an activist. As we live in a dangerous world, it is better to start from below and act like the termites. Termites are small and eats your wood from within silently and you will only know when everything is totally destroyed; when the entire furniture comes crashing down on your head! Any social activist should be working like that so that you don't alert people in authority who is capable of bringing you down.

Like +BV Bharati said, it can be dangerous exposing the activities of people especially politicians. She has written an article about it earlier which can be viewed via this link. On the other hand, if you have not heard about author Jean Sasson, you can check it out here and see for yourself how she got into trouble by stalkers who file cases against her! She shares her experience with her reader at her website. She writes about life in the Middle East and I love reading her work!

Sharing what Jean says here:
For anyone who is considering writing a book, you might want to read my personal account of what it is like to be stalked, and, for that stalker to find attorneys willing to file a frivolous lawsuit. -- Jean


 I welcome your thoughts and views ! :D Thank you for your feedback

Eh, It's Manglish Lah, Not English!

Manglish

I got the inspiration to come up with this post after reading +Katie Cross 's recent post about weird words we find in English or weird alteration we make to an already existing word in English to be precise. I'm very excited to introduce Manglish to you guys! Malaysia is a multicultural nation where we have three different races living together just like Mauritius and some other countries. We have Indians, Chinese and Malays here and the multicultural society exists today because of British occupation about a century back where they bring labour forces from India and China. Our forefathers are basically from India and China. What happens when a group of multiracial society attempts to speak in English?

Watch the brief video to here how Malaysians speak in English(Manglish) and how we all speak English in the proper way. It's not that Malaysians learn the wrong way to speak English. We know the proper way to speak English but it is just a Malaysian-thing that you can't seem to avoid at all. ;)

If you are wondering what the lah doing at the end of every sentences, here is some explanation that can be helpful but I'm sure you won't be understanding the rule of using it the correct way. (Yes, we have rule to use it and if you attempt to use it without knowing how it works, you will seem to be a real clown as I'm very sure it will sound awkward and funny!! LOL)

some helpful explanation

While writing this, I remembered about the famous TV show "Mind Your Language" back in the 70's and 80's. I think it is one of the most wonderful TV show I have ever watched and I still watch some of the series today! We used to crack jokes when I was back in the university as my Plant Design group comprised of two Chinese boys, one Indian (myself) and two Malays. The Malay girl is my good friend and her boyfriend is from Yemen. I can still remember how hilarious it was when the Yemeni guy was arguing with my Chinese friend on the way he uses English.

Another video that explains Manglish from a foreigners point of view!!! :)

On another note, I thought of sharing with you about a sentence that shows unity among the three different races here which I came across lately. "Macha, you want to makan here or tapau?" which literally means "Buddy, you want to eat here or pack the food?" It's a combination of English, Tamil, Malay and Chinese.


 I welcome you thoughts and views ! :D Thank you for your feedback