Hello and Goodbye!
It’s Time For Goodbye :) Another year has come and gone, and here I am, writing for my third and last issue of the A-Voice. It was, admittedly, with some trepidation that I assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief of this magazine. After all, it was a post that required a lot of commitment and I had very big shoes to fill. Late nights (and very early mornings) notwithstanding, my tenure as an editor has been a very rewarding experience. To those who cheerfully tolerated my crankiness at nearing deadlines and worked hand-in-hand with me in producing the magazine (that’s each and every editorial board member, but especially the layout team), a great big thank you. It’s also without saying that our Supreme Leaders were truly indispensable. Ms Catalina and Ms Cristabel: thank you for your invaluable help and support. It would be clichéd to say “I hope you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed producing it.” And then to continue, “But we know it’s not possible, because producing it was just so much fun.” Nevertheless, I do hope that you will enjoy this issue, and perhaps, even gain something from it! Happy reading!
Another One Bites The Dust. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make,” sang The Beatles on their seminal record, Abbey Road, which many took to be their final goodbye. A song written to display their musical skills and songwriting talents, just to prove how good they were—heck, even Ringo had a drum solo! Likewise, this issue is our swan song, and hopefully our magnum opus as an editorial board. We’ve pulled all stops on this issue, our writers and photographers were given extreme deadlines, our editors had to work both offline and online, and our designers were working their magic at breakneck speeds. Like Ringo, even I tested uncharted waters by designing a few things here and there. In many ways, my choice to be part of the A-Voice family will never be a regrettable one. Aside from gaining exposure to highly-specialised knowledge in design and editing (admittedly, I still don’t know how our design team puts together each issue!), I have been humbled on many occasions by the passion and brilliance of those amongst our ranks. I’m convinced now that there is a bright future waiting for Malaysia beyond the horizon and our generation is the vessel that will bring her there—and hopefully, by reading our articles we have shared this common dream with you too. And if we fail to do so in the future, I will dig out my old copies of the A-Voice and ask myself, “What ever happened to us? How could have all that talent and promise gone to waste?” And so in the end, my last note as an editor is a huge thank you to everyone that I’ve had the pleasure to work with: Ms. Cristabel and Ms. Cat for putting up with all of our last-minute antics; Mellissa, Andrea, Liiyung, Hazel, Xin Wen, Nicola and Kelly, for all the haphazard yet intellectual brainstorming sessions, the frantic creative process and of course for all the f(p)un we’ve had along the way!—thanks for bringing me one step closer to becoming Don Draper.
A-Voice March 2013
PEOPLE Editor-in-Chief Mellissa Ng Managing Editor Kailash Kalaiarasu Sub-Editors Andrea Wong Yeow Liiyung Writers Amira Rahim Davinia Gunasagran Heng Wei Ann Jessie Ang Kelly Xiao Ran Khoo Ghee Ken Lee Mun Yin Mikhail Iskandar Naomi Ong Sangitha Namasoo Tiffany Chua Tan Wei Jian Guest Writer Daniel Ong Photography Kelly Xiao Ran Ahmad Shazwan Art & Tech Lo Moong Hua Tan Xin Wen Lim Hor Mun Quah Zhong Yao Tan Jiak Ying Teoh May Jin Yip Mun Yee Special Thanks Mr. Jahn Cheah Mr. Ngo A Levels Department HELP MIT Cover Quah Zhong Yao Supreme Leaders Ms. Catalina Rembuyan Ms. Cristabel Tan
With love,
Outgoing Managing Editor.
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WHO CAN VOTE? A Malaysian citizen who is 21 years old and above and is living in the constituency that he/ she wishes to vote in. He/She must also be registered with the EC as a voter and must not be barred/disqualified by any laws.
*An absent voter can exercise their right to vote with a postal vote. One must be a registered voter and must have also been in Malaysia for a sum of 30 days before the dissolution of Parliament. Malaysians in Southern Thailand, Kalimantan, Brunei and Singapore are not eligible for postal voting.
29,645,974 Total Population of Malaysia (as of 23rd of March 2013) Source: www.statistics.gov.my
13,291,385 No. of Registered Voters
(as of 22nd of February 2013) Source: www.theborneopost.com
KEY
PLS KDH PNG 2 13 40
2 3 15
2 14 45
2 15 36
TRG 2 8 32
PRK
2 24 59
No. of Senate seats No. of Parliamentary seats No. of State Legislative Assembly seats
KTN
SBH LBN
PHG 2 22 56
1 1 0
2 14 42
SGR
2 25 60
JHR
2 26 56
KUL
2 11 0
PJY 1 1 0
SRW 2 31 71
NSN 2 8 36
MLK 2 6 28
Source: www.spr.gov.my & www.malaysia.gov.my 4
70 222 576
Dewan Negara (Senate) seats - Upper house of the Parliament - Reviews laws passed at the Dewan Rakyat
Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) seats - Lower house of the Parliament - Responsible for passing, amending and repealing acts of law
Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly) seats - Responsible for passing, amending and repealing laws at the state level
Dissolution of the Parliament
EL EC T IO N
G EN ER A L
Polling Day • Officially starts after 12:00a.m. & ends when the election results are announced but you can only vote from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. Voting Methods • Mark an “X” next to your preferred candidate • Insert the ballot paper into the right ballot box. • If there are Dewan Rakyat and DUN elections, the ballots must be placed in the right box.
• v Th • T otin e v • h g o wh The e re cen tes o R su tre are R re O lts s t e ce w a . all su ie l ive ill re d ts d th the an th en n d e d pr co m e e un ajo cl se te rit are nte d y v th d at ot e to th e. ca th e nd e R id O at . e
• The Parliament is automatically dissolved at the end of the 5 years from the date of the 1st session conducted after a GE • The PM can call for an early dissolution within the 5 years. • A GE to elect representatives for the Dewan Rakyat has to be held within 60 days. The EC will then announce the date.
Nomination Day • The candidates submit their nomination to the Returning Officer (RO) to contest between 9.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m. • The nomination papers will be displayed the following hour to be examined. If there is only one candidate, the RO will declare that the one candidate is the sole victor.
Campaigns
O TO
Photo © graphicbirdwatching.com
G
S LL
PO
• You’ll see posters, open and closed talks, houseto-house campaigning, and brochures distribution by the candidate in your district. • Political parties will present and explain their manifestos. During this period, you should look out for the different parties’ manifestos and policies.
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Photo © utopia.e-channel.info
Elections 101
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1 2 N O G N I GO
I
Photo © ht-travel.com.tw
n recent times, the electoral process of our country has come under heavy scrutiny by certain Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and sections of the public. Their dissatisfaction towards the election process culminated in hundreds of thousands of Malaysians from all walks of life taking to the streets three times to demand for free and fair elections. This sudden awareness about the electoral process, brought about by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) movement added to an already very interesting political scenario in Malaysia—just as the country is on the brink of the 13th General Election. Although a majority of college students are not eligible to vote due to the age constraint, it is nevertheless vital for us to be well informed of the electoral process in our country.
Having the Initiative First and foremost, students should take interest in the daily happenings of our country; awareness of an issue stems from taking an active interest in the said issue. Just as “Rome was not built in a day,” awareness of an issue is not something which can be achieved in a short span of time. It takes a conscious effort to care about one’s country and to be aware of the happenings in the country. The right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights citizens possess in a democratic country such as ours. As part of the younger generation, peace and
By Sangitha Namasoo
democracy is all we have ever known. Having never experienced the pain and suffering of living under an imperialist rule or the restrictions of living in a communist country, we tend to take our democratic rights for granted. This could be due to plain ignorance of the role we play in determining the future of the country, or simply having a lackadaisical attitude towards the running of the country. Hence, taking an active interest in political happenings will help students to be more aware of the electoral process; its fairness is an indicator of how democratic a country really is.
The right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights citizens possess in a democratic country such as ours. A great way to increase self-awareness is through the media. By perusing newspapers, magazines (such as this one!), and leaflets, students can gain a wealth of knowledge about the electoral process as there are always write-ups about the ongoing debate between the election commission and the NGOs, both of which have their own ideologies and methods to improve the electoral process. With today’s state of the art technology, the saying that “information is at our fingertips” is undoubtedly true. Students can keep up-to-date with the latest changes and other happenings in Malaysia through a myriad of avenues including social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, blogs by independent journalists, and online newspapers. The electronic media is obviously the preferred reading material among students due to its convenience and variety. For those who are not too keen on reading, there is a wide selection of interview and debate videos on the electoral process on YouTube. Learning from the Experts Besides that, participation in political activities is an effective way to make students aware of the electoral process. After much debate and protest, students have finally been allowed to engage in such activities after an amendment to the Universities and Universities Colleges Act (UUCA) last year, albeit still being subjected to certain restrictions. Students are now allowed to take part in political events such as rallies as long (Continued on page 8)
A-Voice March 2013
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Elections 101
Learning From The Experts
Another advantage of campus elections is that they make students realise how important their votes actually are. This is because students will be able to see for themselves the changes the elected student council makes and how well they fulfil their promises to the student body. As real world elections work the same way, students will then realise how important every vote is in determining the government of the day and the vital role each and every voter plays in deciding the future of our country.
In conclusion, the electoral process is an integral part of democracy. Every citizen who is eligible to vote should seize the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in determining the direction the country should be heading in. One of Taking it one step further the importances of being aware of the Taking It One Step Further electoral process is to learn the do’s and In addition to that, after attending these don’t of the election procedure. People talks, students should spread the inequipped with this knowledge will be less susceptible to being formation they learnt through group discussions with their cheated by irresponsible parties and there will be a smaller peers to raise awareness. These discussions can be carried out chance for dirty politics to rear its ugly head. As citizens of through casual conversations. Engaging your friends in conver- Malaysia, we have a moral obligation to always ensure that it sations about current affairs at opportune times is the best way is being run in the best possible way. Hence, we should take it to exchange information and you might even end up learning upon ourselves to make sure that we are all aware of the elecmore from them instead! toral process so that a fair and just government is elected for the betterment of the entire nation. Finally, the most hands-on way to bring about awareness on the election process is through student council elections, just 8
A-Voice March 2013
Photo © qobx.cn
Apart from that, most NGOs host talks and seminars to enlighten the public about the discrepancies in the electoral process, ways to overcome such problems, and the actions these NGOs are pursuing to minimise these shortcomings—if not eradicate them from our system entirely. These talks are very beneficial for students keen on understanding the electoral process as they are given from an unbiased view with data to back up the facts presented. The speakers are very well-informed of the subject they speak of with most of them having collected their information first hand through their own research. (As I personally attended for one of these talks, rest assured that there is a lot to learn from such events. Watching these Malaysians “fighting the good fight” is quite inspiring; it makes you want to get involved in the whole process as well.)
Taking The Initiative
By participating in these student council elections, students are exposed to the electoral process from the nomination of candidates and the campaigning process, right up to the casting and counting of votes. As the election is conducted within the campus, the entire process is organised and executed by the students themselves. Thus, students will have the chance to hold various positions including becoming campaign managers for candidates, helping out at the polling stations, and actually casting their ballots. This method would definitely be a fun way of making students learn about the electoral process as they get to experience the atmosphere an election brings with the whole student body abuzz.
Photo © tupian99.com
As we are well aware, Malaysia has numerous NGOs, each one fighting their own noble causes. Apart from the Bersih Coalition, there are many other organisations fighting for free and fair elections in the country. Among the frontrunners are the Bar Council of Malaysia and Malaysians for Fair and Free Elections (MAFREL). MAFREL acts as an election observer and provides training for those interested in getting involved in the election process. (Details on how to join MAFREL and take part in their training programme can be obtained from their blog http://mymafrel. blogspot.com/)
like the ones held annually at HELP. One of the main reasons these elections are held are to prepare students for the real world elections. Therefore, these elections should be carried out in as similar a fashion to the actual general elections to give students a feel of the real thing.
Photo © granabundancia.com
as they abide by the restrictions placed by their colleges or universities. Hence, there is no greater time for students to become politically aware than at this moment in time. After all the efforts undertaken by various parties to amend the UUCA, it would be for nought if students do not make the most out of these changes.
VOTERS’ EDUCATION TEST Name : Class : Time : 20 mins Instructions: There are 12 questions in this paper. Choose only one answer for each question. What needs to be done in order to reduce crime? A. Deploy more police personnel to crime hotspots. B. Increase police personnels’ salaries and build more police stations. C. Analyse the psyche of the criminal and identify the systemic causes of crime.
What is the future of education in Malaysia? A. Implement a standard Bahasa Malaysia curriculum for all public schools whilst maintaining good proficiency in English. Increase the academic requirements for those applying to become teachers. B. Maintain and recognise all types of public schools (national-type, vernacular, religious, etc). Free tertiary education for all, borne by the government. C. Form a unified education system whilst providing students the choice to learn their mother tongue and/or other languages. Introduce dance, theatre and music in schools.
What needs to be done to overcome the brain drain issue? A. Provide tax incentives and monetary benefits for Malaysians who wish to return. B. Liberalise the economy and focus on reducing corruption. C. Improve our work ethic and culture. Encourage performance-based promotions.
How do we make Malaysia a high-income nation? A. Encourage investments from the private sector. B. Increase the National Minimum Wage. C. Remove affirmative-action policies and implement supply-side policies.
How do we uphold the position of women in society? A. Ensure that 30% of decision-making posts are occupied by women. B. Legally oblige husbands to provide towards a contribution fund for their wives. C. Create flexible working environments for women.
What needs to be done to eradicate poverty? A. Develop entrepreneurial skills amongst the poor. Implement affirmative-action policies. B. Increase social welfare benefits. C. Equip students with the skills and knowledge relevant to the current job market.
9 (Continued on page 10)
What can be done to protect the environment? A. Remove excise duties and import duties on hybrid cars. B. Ban the usage of plastic bags at retail outlets. C. Encourage people to buy local produce.
How do we tackle corruption? A. Stigmatise convicted offenders by displaying their names online. B. Fortify the current institutions and mechanisms already in place. C. Tackle it at grassroots level. Punish both bribe-givers and receivers equally.
Should there be a separation between state and religion? A. No. B. No. C. Yes.
How do we reduce traffic congestion on roads? A. Build more monorails—MRT, LRT, etc. B. Increase the number of buses and bus routes. C. Introduce cycling and bus lanes in urban areas to instil sustainable commuting habits.
How do we strengthen racial relations and foster unity? A. Convince people to believe in a common identity and encourage people to tolerate each other’s religious and cultural beliefs. B. Enact a Race Relations Act. C. Facilitate and allow open discourse on all matters regarding race, religion and culture in the public domain.
What can be done to reduce the cost of living in the city? A. Provide cash handouts. B. Further lower the prices of petrol and diesel. C. Place a price cap on private parking rates.
MOSTLY A’s = Vote for Barisan Nasional
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MOSTLY B’s = Vote for Pakatan Rakyat
MOSTLY C’s = Vote for neither and contest in the upcoming GE
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The Road Less Travelled
hen Reuben Liu first stepped into a lecture hall in HELP, he found himself in an utterly alien environment. Before him were rows upon rows of tables filled with chattering students—some of them were fiddling with their handphones while a few drowsy ones were napping. Being the very first day of college, the majority of students were introducing themselves to their neighbours, subconsciously forming their cliques and groups for the semester intake. Indeed, to most, it would seem like the first day of college was back to “business as usual”: meeting unfamiliar faces and making new friends. But that sight, to Reuben, was simply mind-boggling. It has been nearly four years since then. Now, a more experienced Reuben (3rd Year Bsc.of Psychology), took the time to share his story with me. Having been homeschooled since he was seven years old, college was a very daunting experience. During the first month of his Foundation Programme, he spent most of his efforts learning to adapt. He noted pensively, “Sometimes, I think the stereotype is true: if you’re home-schooled, you are a socially awkward person. Never before did I have to go out of my way to make friends or interact with others.” For Sara Abraham (HA13 E), things were a little different. Formerly educated at Gardens International School, the atmosphere of learning could not be more similar to the one at college. “At my school, we were encouraged to voice out our opinions in the classroom as a means of engaging and interacting with one another,” Sara explained. “The teachers wanted us to speak.” The Different Path Homeschooling, like international schools, is just one of the many viable options of obtaining an education. It is merely a matter of choice (and of course, means) that most Malaysians follow the more mainstream path of education—that of the national system and syllabus. However, a few like Reuben and Sara have opted instead for the paths less trodden.
by Naomi Ong
Walking down the paths of education open to us: in the past, present, and future. Photo © psdgraphics.com
According to Reuben, homeschooling was a “quiet” experience. Taught first by his parents, and then the occasional teacher, he eventually learnt to study the US-derived syllabus on his own. Though increasingly popular now, in Reuben’s time, homeschooling was not particularly well-known. He notes that during his time studying at Kairos Resources (the centre where he was homeschooled), there were about ten students to one teacher. However, these ten were not all in the same grade, much less the same age. It was independent learning, in which every person learnt at their own speed, level, and rate. “That is the beauty of homeschooling; you choose your own pace,” he reflected.
A JAUNT DOWN THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
(Continued on page 12) A-Voice March 2013
11
The Road Less Travelled
Photo © sustainablycreative.com
As a result, Reuben quickly learnt to be self-reliant, disciplined, and independent when homeschooled since the system emphasised a lot on selflearning. He even concluded with this, “The book teaches you, so you don’t need to see your teacher all the time. You learn by yourself mostly, like how some people would learn their college courses over the Internet.” On the other hand, studying in an international school is quite similar to studying in a public school, as there are similarities when learning within an institutional framework. That similarity is evident in the strong sense of community and camaraderie shared by most schools of all types—whether local, private, independent or international. However, unlike public schools that aim to gear students towards streamlined national examinations (UPSR, PMR, SPM, STPM), international schools like Gardens International School take a more relaxed stance. As Sara explains, “When studying the British syllabus, the first major exam you encounter would be the GCSEs in Year 10 & 11 (the last two years). We didn’t have anything like PMR. We just basically did a mixture of topic tests, assignments and projects, and our teachers would give us a cumulative grade at the end of the term.” The Choices Made By Those Who Came Before As dissimilar the paths taken by Sara and Reuben are, they both shared the same reason for being educated in their respective manners—their parents chose the paths for them. In retrospect, it is slightly terrifying that the one choice that largely determines who and what we will become is placed in the hands of a person that, no matter how well-meaning, loving, and wise, is ultimately not us. However, it is also undeniably a way that has largely worked throughout the ages, though at times through trial-and-error. At any rate, one does not expect a seven or ten-year-old child to make that choice; in fact, such a situation is, in hindsight, more terrifying than the first. As Reuben quips, ”When all of that happened, I was only seven. All that I vaguely noticed and realised was that we were moving somewhere else, and I wasn’t going to school anymore.” But as we mature, so does our perception. We gain insight into the consequences of choice. Are we to remain content with how important decisions are automatically made by 12
people who may not know us as well as we know ourselves? Or do we start, little by little, to take charge of our lives? After all, who is the person living your life, but you? A Fork In The Road For Sara, that start came when she was 15 years old. “In Year 9, when we had to choose our subjects for the GCSEs, I made that decision on my own.” She added, “Of course, I did ask my parents’ opinions and my teachers and seniors for advice, but ultimately I made the decision myself. After all, the bottom line remained that these were subjects I needed to do, and if I were going to score the subjects, I would have to really like them.” Much like Sara, students at public schools have a similar point in their schooling life. After PMR, students have to either choose the “Arts” or “Science” stream. But is such a choice fair? Can one categorically package one’s self, one’s capabilities and one’s inclination, and decide, “I am a Science person,” or “I am an Arts person”? What if you are neither completely an “Arts” person nor a “Science” person? What if you’re a bit of both? Where would you go? What complicates matters is the prevalent view that being in the Arts stream meant that one is simply less intelligent and less capable than a student in the Science stream. With the existence of such a bias, can that choice even be called a genuine one? Beyond the Horizon, What Can You See? Having established how important it is to choose, what choice in your education then still remains to you? Having already decided or decided for you that upon the completion of your A-Levels, you would move on to complete a Degree programme, and then a Masters programme or career, that should be the be-all-end-all of your education, right? John Lee, Syahira Sharif, and Patricia Pinto beg to differ. John, Syahira, and Patricia have one thing in common: they chose to study even when they (Continued on page 13) A-Voice March 2013
The Road Less Travelled
were busy with their respective careers and social lives; and they emerged as happier, more fulfilled people. As John, a 2nd Year student at Open University Malaysia notes, “Once you choose to further your studies, there are sacrifices to be made. You have to manage your time wisely, juggle full-time work, familial responsibilities, and still study. But at the end of the day, when you get your degree, it will all be worth it; the tears, the sweat, the bills, everything for that single day!” For Syahira and Patricia, it was less a matter of paper qualifications and more a matter of self-improvement. Taking part in courses offered by Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) network giant Coursera—where university courses from famous universities are offered freely and without prejudice— the main reason they took up courses such as Fantasy and Science Fiction or Greek and Roman Mythology, was to expand their knowledge.
Photo © Kelly Xiao Ran
“Of course, I did ask my parents’ opinions, and my teachers and seniors for advice but ultimately I made the decision myself.”
“At my school, we were encouraged to voice out our opinions in the classroom as a means of engaging and interacting with one another,” Sara explained. “The teachers wanted us to speak.”
The Road Goes On The chance to seize your fate with your own hands is before you right now. Even now, you can choose to take MOOC courses such as the ones offered by Coursera and edX. Letting your chance slip by with nary a thought to it only engenders regret. For Sara, John, Patricia and Syahira, none of them expressed regret towards the choices they made for their education. Even for Reuben, who acknowledged that there would always be some form of regret, ultimately believes that the benefits outweigh the costs. As he said, “Being a homeschooler has made me rather introverted, I suppose. But it has also made me focused and diligent; so, to me, the drawbacks have been more than outweighed by the benefits.”
“The book teaches you, so you don’t need to see your teacher all the time. You learn by yourself mostly, like how some people would learn their college courses over the Internet,” said Reuben Liu.
After I shook hands with him and wished him well, I noticed a group at a table nearby glancing our way expectantly. As he readily made his way to them, I smiled then, thinking of what he said about being socially awkward and introverted. No matter which path we choose, two truths still remain: a path will always be open to us, and following one path today opens up a thousand more tomorrow. In recognising these different paths, we must acknowledge how the routes we take shape us: how it alters our mindset, how it influences our perception and the things we hold dear, and how, ultimately, it molds us into the people we are today. It also reminds us of the paths that lie ahead, the paths we must choose for ourselves. So never be afraid to make choices, even if it means taking the road less travelled.
A-Voice March 2013
None of them expressed regret towards the choices they made for their education. 13
Spirituality and Belief
IS BELIEF IN GOD A CONSCIOUS CHOICE? In 1979, scientists tracked down 53 pairs of identical twins and 31 pairs of fraternal twins that had been separated at birth and raised apart. When quizzed on their spiritual and religious values, the identical twins (who shared the same DNA) were about twice as likely as fraternal twins to believe as much--or as little--about spirituality as their sibling did. In 2004, geneticist Dean Hamer asked volunteers 226 questions to determine how spiritually connected they felt to the universe. His findings? The greater the person’s ability to believe in a higher spiritual force, the more likely they were to share the gene VMAT2. According to Harmer’s hypothesis, the “God gene” (VMAT2) produces sensations associated with mystic experiences, including the presence of God, and spirituality as a state of mind. Hamer proposed that the underlying tendency to spirituality is partially heritable and part of this heritability can be attributed to the gene VMAT2. Nevertheless, this hypothesis has been criticised by a number of scientists and religious figures. So, is belief in God a conscious choice? We’ll leave that for you to decide. Here are two opposing views from our writers.
can be subjective. But have you ever considered that there might be a scientific explanation to the theory of religion? Today, we explore one of the lesser discussed areas of this topic: can a human being choose to embrace religion or is it a part of us that we are not aware of, embedded into our subconscious? An obvious proof that religion is a choice—which we have the privilege to make—is the existence of atheism and agnosticism. Agnosticism is the belief that the existence or nonexistence of any deity is unknown and possibly unknowable, whereas atheism takes on a more definite stand, rejecting the idea of deities completely. It is not uncommon to discover an atheist that comes from a religious family background who upon his/her own selfdiscovery chose a road that did not involve the practices of religion. Are the brains of atheists and agnostics wired differently from theists? Is it written in the stars that one man should be devoted to a religion and the other man not? Every child is born without knowledge of rules of religion. We grow to develop and choose our own personal opinions and perspectives on all things, including religion. In the history of mankind, religion was generally used as a tool to unite people under one common belief, as well as instilling faith and loyalty to a ruler. These were times when society wasn’t fully developed as it is today. In our modern civilised culture where a vast majority of us are lucky enough to be educated, we are able to build our civilisation upon intellect and critical thinking. Religion isn’t a “tool” anymore; mankind has the option to exist without it. In this era of modern technology, the human mind has been thoroughly researched and psychological reasoning developed; we are given the opportunities to obtain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the spiritual aspect of the world. Armed with free will and intelligence, an individual is exposed to all forms of religion and can then make a conscious decision to adopt a particular faith or not. While one’s cultural habitat can influence one’s outlook on this subject, the final choice still resides in the hands of the person, not in his genes.
by Heng Wei Ann
Religion then becomes a choice, not a refuge, when you understand it thoroughly. For we have chosen this path for ourselves, we should have the resoluteness to trust our judgements instead of following the beliefs of others blindly.
We all had to face this hurdle before: the endless “I’m right, you’re wrong” debate on religion that has sparked controversy and arguments around the world. It has taken on many different forms and angles: what is the importance of religion, how religion has been warped by modern culture and most commonly, what the “right” kind of religion is.
If religion really is a by-product of our subconsciousness, does that mean our devotion to God and the values of religion are just rules that we are blindly following, and not a cultivated passion? Many religions celebrate the unconditional love and blessings from God, not to be forced onto human beings but to be embraced.
Most of us tend to shy away from this “dangerous” topic, knowing that a slip of the tongue might lead to a slip of the fist (that would coincidentally land on one’s face). People tend to be more sensitive about religion as faith tends to be based on extremely personal or esoteric views, all of which
As it is with all the mysteries of the world, there is never a right answer to the questions of religion; but eventually, it all boils down to one final call:
YES
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What do you choose to believe in? (Continued on page 15) A-Voice March 2013
Spirituality and Belief
NO
by Ghee Ken
Do I consciously choose to believe in a God/religion?
faced with this truth, we have no choice but to place our trust in another. No mortal will do, as they will invariably perish too; and so we turn to God—an eternal being with the ability to help us through death, somehow.
Let’s suppose you’re sitting in a cozy cafe with friends, and the waiter is asking you to choose between having a cup of tea or coffee. You ponder the 2 possibilities (or 3, if you would rather not have anything to drink), rationalise which decision would bring us the most pleasure, and vocalise it. You are making a conscious choice.
Humans have control issues. Besides death, humans also hold no sway over luck and chance. Hence, when faced with events unpredictable and beyond our influence, such as the outcome of an emergency operation, or the difficulty of a very important exam, we flounder. Thus, to pacify our frustration, we provide ourselves the illusion of influence—we close our eyes and pray.
Now suppose that sitting at that table, within that circle of friends, is a certain extremely obnoxious, noxious-gobbed guy. He starts to speak, rattling on about one of his many exgirlfriends. Immediately you are irritated, agitated. You are arrested by the sudden urge to interrupt him, to fling your cup of coffee (or tea) in his general direction—anything to shut him up. But you don’t. You make another conscious decision to stall your mouth and hands and to twist your lips into a smile of false interest. But silently inside, you know you can’t stand him, and you can’t help it. That is not a decision you can make.
Certainly, this urge can be quelled. Shutting one’s eyes and “speaking” to God are actions that lie squarely in the domain of one’s consciousness. A person can experience the urge to pray, to quake at the feet of a greater, to offer up their soul in exchange for the comfort of paternity; and yet still stay their hands and tongue from devotion. We can control the latter just as we can stop ourselves from punching the annoying, flirty sucker across the face. But why does the urge even arise to begin with?
Similarly, I will argue that belief in God is beyond our control, though whether we choose to come to terms with it and make it known is up to our conscious choosing. God in this sense is God in the broadest sense of the word. Any belief whatsoever of one or more sentient beings, be they Jesus, Allah, Yahweh, Guanyin, Odin, the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Madonna constitutes a belief in God. The belief that an external force can intervene and alter your life (or afterlife) in any way is a belief in God.
Photo © pinterest.com
Humans are mortal, meaning we all die one day. No one really knows what lies across the Great Divide, and those who claim to have knowledge usually falter at giving proof. Thus, death is life’s greatest mystery—no one really knows what to expect. Over the course of history many a fanciful theory have appeared, from the mythical underworld ruled by Hades to the glorious prospect of Nirvana; but none are empirically satisfying. So, as rational humans screaming towards the Great Unknown, we cannot help but fear. Filled with the dreadful certainty that we will one day perish, and utterly helpless when
The urge to pray, as I argued previously, is either due to a fear of the unknown (i.e. death), or a sense of helplessness. So the question is this: do we consciously choose to fear death, and to feel helpless? The direct and immediate answer would be NO. Emotions cannot be chosen. Only our reaction to them can be controlled. But then comes the difficult case of the atheists: people who supposedly believe that there is no God. Are atheists simply denying themselves the peace of prayer by ignoring their emotions in order to act in line with their rational disproving of a deity? While it is laudable to place rationality above emotions in importance, and certainly noble to deny oneself “the opiate of the masses” (as Karl Marx so bluntly put religion), as such an atheist, can you really claim to have consciously shed all belief in God? I say no; the urge to pray which is constantly denied is proof of belief of God. If one did not belief in a higher power, why would one feel tempted to implore it for intervention? Therefore, it would seem that only people who don’t experience such urges in the first place are qualified to term themselves atheists. This (probably small) group of people has essentially accepted their capacity as humans having no sway and no business in the realms of death and dice. But what was it that moulded their nihilistic outlook—was it something within their control? Being not a nihilist myself (thankfully!), I can only hazard a hypothesis that such a perspective must be the product of certain unorthodox thoughts and/or experiences. But as mere humans blown and buffeted by chance (and, if you will, God’s will), we cannot possibly have any semblance of actual control over what we experience in life, nor what our idle minds churn out. Thus, even if we were to be led to a disbelief in God, it would be due to factors beyond our grasp. It would not be due to a conscious choice.
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Photo © merchantcircle.com
Abortion
PREGNANCY CTRL+Z by Mikhail Iskandar Hanafi
I
f you knew a pregnant woman suffering from syphilis (a sexually transmitted infection), who had 8 kids already—three who were deaf, two who were blind, and one mentally disabled —should she undergo an abortion?
The ethics and morality of abortion have been questioned time and again by people all around the world, yet there is still no global consensus on the topic. Pro-life activists and pro-choice activists wage a war of ideas on each other, one that neither can ever truly win. The biggest pro-life argument (and by far the most compelling one) is that to abort a baby is to take away a human life; life is said to begin at conception as God creates life when the egg is fertilised. Who are we to claim the right to murder an innocent child who could potentially grow up to become the next revolutionary or the next big historical figure? No civilised society would allow the intentional harming or taking of the life of another human being, therefore by logical extension, the same should be said for abortion. However, how do we even decide what human life is? At conception, the foetus is not self-aware; as a being that is fully reliant on its mother, it has no independent existence. A prochoice advocate may then question what defines “a human” and personhood; taking these factors into consideration, a foetus may have life, but it is not human yet and is simply a collection of cells. Thus, an abortion would not be akin to murder. The Blame Game When asked about unwanted pregnancies, a student from HA13E who preferred to remain unnamed commented, “She did have the power over her own fate, didn’t she? If she didn’t have sex irresponsibly in the first place then she wouldn’t be pregnant. She should learn to take responsibility for her own actions and deal with the consequences.” Her sentiments were shared by many other students.
In my opinion, reducing the issue to whether or not a sexually-active woman should take responsibility for accidental pregnancies is to simply ignore the subtler nuances that lie at the heart of the problem. As suggested by the comments of aforementioned students, this issue is often discussed from a one-dimensional point of view where the woman is repeatedly blamed. Her male partner usually escapes humiliation and shrugs off the responsibility for his actions, leaving the woman to shoulder it by herself. The problem is further exacerbated by the social stigma in our country directed towards women who have sex out of wedlock—where friends, family, and society subject them to shame. The mental torture that these women have to endure is excruciating; they have to accept that they are stuck with a child that they do not want, while forgoing their ambitions and handling the hormonal and emotional fluctuations that come with pregnancy. Thus, the question to ponder upon is this: what does all of these do to the child? The Consequences The predicament arises as children born under those circumstances tend to be worse off than those who were meant to be conceived; mothers who become pregnant unwillingly are often irresponsible as they are not yet ready to raise a child. Of course, it certainly doesn’t help the child to grow into a wellrounded, untroubled individual; in fact, it’s theorised to do just the opposite. The Donohue-Levitt (Freakonomics) hypothesis, for example, links the long-term drop in crime in 1970s-90s America to the legalisation of abortion after Roe vs. Wade in 1973. The logic is simple: a child in an unhealthy household—who grows up feeling unwanted—is likely to have less
HOW DO WE EVEN DECIDE WHAT HUMAN LIFE IS?
(Continued on page 17)
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A-Voice March 2013
Abortion
Photo © borderlessnewsandviews.com
Abortion Policy in Malaysia: Grounds on which abortion is permitted: - To save the life of the woman - To preserve physical health - To preserve mental health
guidance maturing and is more inclined to resort to substance abuse and crime. The liberty to abort by choice reduces the number of children born into reluctant families, which means a higher fraction of babies are now born into families ready and responsible enough to raise them.
Additional requirements: - Third-party authorization by a medical professional - The legal period within which an abortion is allowed: 120 days
It is nevertheless difficult to deal with this issue as there is a diversity in opinion of what is moral and what is immoral. People will always have conflicting opinions on abortion by citing religious reasons as arguments against it—or, although less frequently, for it—and bringing up different precepts of righteousness. But when the consequences are so dear, should we base legislature on the widely-differing and often uncertain moral values, or on the theoretically argued, long-term merits of abortion?
- The woman’s consent is required
Although it’s not a popular view in this country, I believe that the pro-life argument isn’t really a pro-life one at all. I think that the quality of a potential life is much more important than the fulfillment of a potential life. In Malaysia, abortion is not a choice given fully to the mother. Even a pregnant victim of rape or incest can legally undergo abortion only when her life is at risk, or when her pregnancy threatens to injure her physical or mental health. This means that the future of a pregnant woman is effectively shifted from her own hands to that of a doctor’s. A woman’s life is forever changed after giving birth to a child, while a child’s life is highly dependent on his or her upbringing. So give these women a choice and, rest assured, they will choose the path best for themselves, their families, and their offspring.
- Economic or social reasons
P.S : By the way, if you answered yes to the first question in this article, you’ve just killed Beethoven...
Grounds on which abortion is not permitted: - Rape or incest - Foetal impairment
- On request
Background: -Up until 1989, the only legal basis for the performance of an abortion was to save the life of the pregnant woman. -In April 1989, however, section 312 of Act 727 of the Penal Code was amended substantially to reflect to some degree the view of Malaysia’s population. -A national fertility and family survey found that: - 71% of the women surveyed endorsed abortion on the grounds of rape or incest - 54.3% endorsed it if the woman was unmarried
Photo © haynerlibrary.org
- 52.2% for health reasons
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- 34.5% for economic and social reasons.
Source: Population Policy Data Bank maintained by the Population Division of the Department for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. 17
Worst Choices Made In History
Y
ou have to elect a world leader. Who would you choose?
In one corner, stands candidate X. He chain smokes, is associated with crooked politicians, never fails to drink about 8 to 10 martinis a day (in the office) and consults astrologists. In the other corner, you have candidate Y, a decorated war hero, a vegetarian who doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink, and hasn’t had any extramarital affairs before.
” ! ? T A H W Y“ OU DID o Ran by Kelly Xia
If you chose Candidate X, you have just elected Franklin D. Roosevelt. Arguably one of the greatest Presidents in American History, he was the man who dragged the economy out of the Great Depression before leading them to victory in World War II (WWII). If you chose Candidate Y (which you most likely would, based on first impressions), you have just elected Hitler.* If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you would most probably know that Adolf Hitler was one of the central characters in WWII and the Holocaust. His dictatorship resulted in the outbreak of WWII around Europe. Due to his supremacies and policies, the systematic murder of 11 million people was carried out, including an estimated number of 6 million Jews. Besides that, his actions indirectly caused the deaths of an estimated 50 million lives during the WWII.
1. The Trojan War All because of one woman, the city, Troy, was destroyed. Helen, the wife of King Menelaus was then hailed as the most beautiful woman created by the Gods. One day, she was kidnapped by King Paris and brought to Troy. Out of vengeance, this brought upon a 10-year mission led by King Menelaus to siege Troy. In the end, it took the Archaeans nearly 20 years to wage war and return to their homeland, killing most of them and leaving their families and country to rack and ruins. This, is the price to pay for anger and lust.
Photo © fasab.wordpress.com
If you knew that was going to happen, would you have made a different choice? Our choices do not always define us. What we choose in life does not necessarily determine who we are as individuals. However, our actions do set things in motion. There are times when one false move can lead to a string of catastrophic events that we have to live with. Think that the only mistake ever made in history was when the Germans elected Hitler as their leader? Think again. Our history is riddled with everyday mistakes, some of which trigger chains of events that have altered the world. Here are some instances of those moments in history: (Continued on page 19) 18
A-Voice March 2013
Worst Choices Made In History
2. The Chernobyl Disaster
Photo © assets.nydailynews.com
Photo © womenzmag.com
It all begun in 1986, with a nuclear plant accident in Ukraine. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere, which spread over much of Europe. This incident was widely considered to be the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. A thorough investigation showed that it was mainly caused by an operator personnel who disconnected a series of technical protection systems while conducting a technical exercise. By breaching the most important operational safety provisions, as a result, there was an international widespread of radioactive substances. Long-term effects such as cancer and deformities are still being accounted for up until today.
4. Publishers rejecting J. K. Rowling
In 1995, J.K. Rowling’s first book was submitted to 12 publishing houses, all of which rejected her manuscript. Two years later, in 1997, Bloomsbury published “Philosopher’s Stone” and just five months after that, the book was awarded its first award, the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. Since then, she has published six other books in the Harry Potter saga. About 450 million copies have been sold, making it the bestselling book series in history, and it has been translated into 67 languages. Now, J. K. Rowling is the UK’s best-selling author since records began and the twelfth richest woman in the UK. 5. The Knicks let Jeremy Lin walk
On 1 January 1962, the Beatles auditioned for Decca Records, performing a total of 15 songs in under an hour. Decca Records rejected the Beatles saying that, “Guitar groups are on the way out” and “the Beatles have no future in show business.” This move was considered one of the biggest mistakes ever made in music history. As of 2012, the Beatles hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 Charts and are one of the best-selling bands in history.
Photo © pixel.nymag.com
Photo © wfiles.brothersoft.com
3. Decca Records passing up on the Beatles
On February 14 2012, with less than a second remaining, Lin scored a game-winning three pointer in a Knicks win against the Toronto Raptors. He eventually became the first NBA player to score at least 20 points and have seven assists in each of his first five starts. However, the Knicks decided to sign another player instead of Jeremy. This decision left Lin as a free agent. Several months later, he faced the Knicks in his first game back in New York and won—it was the Knicks first home loss in 11 games.
Now that you’ve come to realise the huge mistakes in history from around the world, you don’t feel too bad about the one or two wrong choices you’ve made anymore, right? Mistakes are a part and parcel of life and they are inevitable. We’re only human after all. Learn from the mistakes you or the others have made, and remember not to repeat them. *Sourced from http://www.blueriver.net/~ckgooden/funny.html A-Voice March 2013
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s n o i t Peti
Photo © chrisvonada.wordpress.com
Demands and Requests
by Crystal Lee Mun Yin
H
ave you ever wanted to organise an event or start a club, but had to get a certain amount of signatures? Well, that list of signatures and the request letter are collectively called a petition. If you're familiar with this term, you would know that most people use petitions for big issues. However, petitions can also be meant for the small stuff. Want to have another foosball table in the Student Lounge? Another toilet cubicle? Rooms that are not so cold? Well, a petition could be a means to solve these problems. If previously people had to physically obtain signatures from the public, you now also have the increasingly popular option of drafting a petition online. Listed below are various examples of petitions.
1. End the Enslavement of Indian Children http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/295/845/325/ Photo © twitter.com
Here is a petition regarding child labour that can be found online. "End the Enslavement of Indian Children" is sponsored by Walk Free and directed towards the Indian Parliament. Despite being illegal and a major problem in India, child labour is usually ignored or understated. While children around the world get to experience school life before they are thrusted into the adult world, millions in India are forced to work until they suffer crippling injuries. With a target of 100,000 signatures, Walk Free intends to ask the Indian Parliament to pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill. 2. Rainforest Rescue's petition for the Endangered Species
It is widely known that Sabah, with its rare flora and fauna, is an untouched tropical gem. Despite this, the Yayasan Sabah company had poisoned 14 Borneo pygmy elephants (an endangered species) to death, in order to protect their palm oil plantation. Heavy deforestation was also carried out to make way for more developments, although they are habitats of other endangered species. As such, the petition by the Rainforest Rescue calls for the Malaysian Government to end this crime and start protecting nature.
Photo © rainforestconcern.org
https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/mailalert/905?ref=nl&mt=1519
3. Stop LYNAS!
Lynas. We talked about it, and we should still be talking about it since the issue has yet to be solved. The rare plant issue garnered international attention and numerous petitions were started on many different websites. Unfortunately, due to the lack of publicity and cooperation between the different petition initiators, all of them failed. Here’s one of the petitions to show how far it was from its goal: “Stop LYNAS!” was sponsored by the Kuantan Concerned Citizen Group. Only 2188 signatures out of the targeted 100,000 were collected. The petition closed some time last year and in the end, the issue itself was eventually ignored. This scenario is an example of what would happen if certain petitions fail to gather the needed amount of signatures.
Photo © rozainimohdrosli.wordpress.com
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-lynas/
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Demands and Requests
As I mentioned earlier, petitions can also be meant for smaller issues. Here are two examples: 4. J.K. Rowling - Write another Harry Potter book! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/385/030/478/jk-rowling-write-another-harry-potter-book/ What an intriguing petition! Do you still remember the Harry Potter series? If you do, congratulations; but if you don’t, don’t worry. Most people don’t actually know the series that well—it’s like Justin Bieber’s songs. We all know them, but not all of us have heard the full version of his songs before. So Potterheads, this is your chance to rise up! As the name states, Jasmine Lovejoy is urging JKR to write another Harry Potter book. Regardless of what it’s going to be about, another must be written! With a target of 1000 signatures and only 10 participants so far, I wonder if there are really billions of Potterheads out there in the big, wide world. 5. Tim Hortons for Cross Lake http://www.thepetitionsite.com/995/631/233/tim-hortons-for-cross-lake/ Do you know of Tim Hortons from Canada? It is a chain store similar to Starbucks and Coffee Bean. Apparently, the citizens of Cross Lake, Canada are petitioning to the managers of NorthMART, something akin to Tesco and Jusco for a Tim Hortons outlet. Well, not all of us can survive without coffee. Generally, people sign petitions to show their care for a particular issue. However, online petitions come with the risks of spammers while hard copy petitions are not easily bumped into. In contrast, some say that petitions are a very passive and non-caring way of helping others and are not as effective as taking immediate action which comes with its own risks. In the end, it all boils down to your own choice. Whether you sign petitions or participate actively in protests is entirely up to you, but think of this: what about the other side? Is everything really all black and white? Are you sure what you’re doing is best for the others, in their opinion? I think some causes are worth petitioning for, even if it risks changing things for the worse. We will inherit this world and are responsible for its changes. Paying attention to clauses in petitions and the powers they give allows us to make better choices. After all, petitions are only one of the ways.
Photo © timhortons.com
Photo © uastudent.com
What would you petition for? Books? Coffee? Or...?
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Video Killed The Radio Star
I
t is difficult to imagine that more than 20 years ago, the world wide web (WWW) was in its infancy and started as a tool for physicists to communicate. Even harder to picture are people all around the world who tuned in to their preferred radio station for news and entertainment, until the late 1920s when silent films were completely transformed by sound. All these devices we use on a daily basis have come a long way, and the emergence of different media sources is all thanks to the complex technology that we take for granted. As shockingly pointed out by Fareed Zakaria in his Harvard Commencement Speech, the smartphone you carry around every day has more computing power than the Apollo capsule that went to the moon.
Internet Killed the Video Star...Or Maybe You Did By Davinia Gunasagran Surrounded by technology, we are constantly consuming media: whether it’s watching an advertisement on television or tweeting about watching a television advertisement. And if you have a constant, irrepressible urge to tweet your hourly activities, you can do so with a smartphone. Or a laptop. Or a tablet. Or even with a pair of glasses. What I’m trying to say is that the 21st century has presented us with the choice to consume media in endless ways. News is no longer confined to the black-and-white newspaper—59% of adults read news online. Music isn’t a crackly voice of hope through the radio anymore; it is now a professionally produced album in iTunes, a cover of your favourite band on Youtube, or even a new playlist of similar feels and moods on 8tracks. And when people are able to choose, selectivity comes into play, which is exactly how alternative media came to be.
Photo © vebidoo.de
A hipster is commonly defined as someone who is severely averse to anything mainstream and is often pictured wearing skinny jeans and ironic t-shirts. The definitions are vague so the label is bandied between youths. However, it can also be used to refer to definitive subcultures. It originally referred to aficionados of jazz in the 1940s, while in the 1990s it meant non-conformist young adults and teenagers who liked alternative music and independent film. The internet, radio and television helped to disseminate the alternative media that hipsters adored. Alternative media caters to different tastes
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and offers a different viewpoint. Thus, spurring the existence of community radio and pirate TV channels which were not endorsed by any corporation, or held any monetary benefit. This helped to democratise specialised material which served certain segments of society, no matter how small. TV channels such as Sundance Channel and independent radio stations such as BFM cater to the fringes of society and yet, are still well-known.
Music isn’t a crackly voice of hope through the radio anymore; it is now a professionally produced album in iTunes, a cover of your favourite band on Youtube, or even a new playlist of similar feels and moods on 8tracks. In some cases, mainstream media are no longer able to serve the interests of its audience as wholly as alternative media can. Moreover, alternative media such as citizen journalism and online underground press might highlight the bias in mainstream corporate media and keep them on their toes. For example, the invasion of Iraq based on the (false) allegations of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) was questioned first by the alternative media and a few community radios in America. When Steve Jobs introduced the idea of a TV that can (Continued on page 23) A-Voice March 2013
Video Killed The Radio Star
The impact of the internet on consumerism was widespread and halfway around the world Malaysia felt its reverberation. Around the 1980s for example, Malaysia had thriving underground music scenes in different states which were rooted in antiestablishment ideas, hence the music was primarily punk. Bands which are currently famous such as Carburetor Dung, The Bollocks and The Pilgrims were giants of underground music back then. Publicity of gigs and releases were through flyers or word of mouth. Bands were also heavily promoted through fanzines which were all the rage while fanzines ironically reverted to flyers to promote their latest issues. Bands strived to cement a community or fan base, and fanzines were an important tool. Joe Kidd, who wrote a column called Blasting Concept for The Star which exposed local and occasionally international bands, started one of the first fanzines. He is also the guitarist for Carburetor Dung, which suggests how personal and closed the underground community was. And then there was the internet. The new generation
of independent music fans preferred to review music and gigs online, via blogs or social networking sites. Flyers were replaced with websites and even Joe Kidd the father of punk culture succumbed, and now writes solely online at his website www.ricecooker.kerbau.com. Bands (even hardcore punk ones) and artists now have Myspace and online followers in order to secure gigs and music events such as the Indie Youth Fest and Future Music Festival Asia. Similarly aspiring singers aimed to have an Anugerah Juara Laguku or Anugerah Bintang Popular under their belt, or perhaps have won Akademi Fantasia. All these were just a means to attract record labels and gain a following. Stars like Jaclyn Victor, Mawi and Siti Nurhaliza have achieved at least one of the above and owe their fame to it. But in the present day we see artists like Yuna and Zee Avi who have merely posted videos on the internet which led to subscribers and discovery by major indie record labels who appreciate their distinct sound. There is no single path to commercial success and international recognition as demonstrated by Siti Nurhaliza and Zee Avi.
Photo © cloudfront.net
understand and respond when you shout at it, most of the cynical world was well, cynical. But although the iTV or integrated television set is sadly staying a myth (for now!), no one can contend with the extent of Apple’s impact on present-day media. Arguably, Steve Jobs has single-handedly changed the very way we consume media. He was the first person to convince major record labels to hand over their content in digital form legally, and in doing so, paved the convenient and accessible way to listen to music at a mere 99 cents and prevented the death of the music industry via torrent behemoths. Most of all, Apple has given us a choice in media consumption; instead of carrying around a bulky laptop, a sleeker iPad would suffice. iTunes replaced a stack of albums and an equally huge heap of films, and an iPhone is now a device for multiple types of media. The world of media has now pioneered far into the realm of the mysterious internet.
While the top songs of Hitz.fm and Red.fm consists purely of mainstream Western songs, iTunes Malaysia’s chart is interspersed with songs from local or independent artists such as Yuna. BFM the alternative radio station does play mainstream music sometimes, while in the mid-90s The Alternative Rock Show was a radio program devoted exclusively to underground music. And while indie gigs and open mics at places like Central Market and The Bee are still a part of our Malaysian culture, it is much more well-known since the events are posted online and they are open to various genres. The term underground now could only possibly refer to a mode of transport. Clearly that tiresome bold line separating alternative and mainstream media has been smudged by technology, leaving us with far more choices. Photo © superpositionkitty.com
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The Choice Is Yours
[ Insert Title Here ]
I
by Tan Wei Jian
magine, during your time of need, you receive a box with a button on it from a complete stranger. He tells you that if you press the button, you will receive $50,000 in cash, but someone you don’t know will die. What would you do? Would you press the button? This forms the premise of the short story “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson, which spurred an episode of The Twilight Zone with the same name, followed by a movie simply titled “The Box.” Why such a success for a simple plot? Perhaps the exploration of the delicate balance of our everyday choices between ethical implications and monetary gain, along with the selfishness of human nature is something that we’ll never get sick of. In short, we all like to see other people make hard choices, especially if it makes them squirm. But the truth is, the theme of “Choices” in fiction appeals to everyone. It gets them thinking: “What would I do in those circumstances?” and the idea of being in the character’s shoes stays with the audience long after the credits roll. A thought-provoking film may influence the viewers’ decisions in everyday life by presenting an alternative that they might otherwise never had thought of, or initially found too foolish or too difficult. In a nutshell, stories may actually play a bigger role in our life choices than we think.
Photo © nyomesreads.files.wordpress.com
The Prologue Elders of times past invented fables and parables to educate the next generation in ethics, morality, and the art of making the correct choices. Famous instances of such fables include “The Crow & The Water Jar” and “The Father, The Son & The Donkey.” Besides stimulating the imagination of listeners or readers by creating a scenario which they could experience at any time but in a more fanciful method (think humans substituted by animals who act exactly like humans), these tales also send a subtle message, teaching people the choices they should make for the survival and the betterment of their
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society. These fables go a long way in preserving the values which form the core of humanity until the present day, uncorroded by time. The Story Now Speaking of time, society has evolved to get bored easily of the “same old, same old” and craves for choices which allow instant gratification. Hence, some stories have adapted by allowing readers to make choices for the main protagonists. For example, the highly successful “Choose Your Own Adventure” books such as Goosebumps have branching narratives which allow the readers to choose the path of the protagonist by flipping to a certain page. Even Hawaii Five-O had an interactive episode once, where viewers vote for the identity of the killer. (Of course, this means that they have to film all versions of that episode, but as long as there is money in it, why not?) This method of directly involving the viewers in the events that unfold gives them a say in the events of the story, and they no longer feel like bystanders watching things happen. As humans, we like to be involved in the events around us and thrive in circumstances in which we have control over. The Ending The most interesting part, however, arises when the story ends in a cliffhanger or without having everything explained. For example, [SPOILER ALERT] Inception or Alice in Wonderland leaves you guessing if the protagonist is experiencing a dream or reality. At the end of the original Dallas, the protagonist is shot by person(s) unknown, whereas Life of Pi presents two possible explanations of the events that transpired, leaving the viewers to choose their own conclusion. Allowing the viewers to interpret the story gives them the chance to have something, which in this case, a version of events they want to believe in. In fact, these stories are subject to multiple interpretations from different viewers. This isn’t necessarily bad as it encourages debates on what actually occurred, and the story itself will be talked about for much longer—even forming memes—further shaping the minds of our social media-savvy youths. The Epilogue And this, in short, is the essence of it. Choices in stories are already set in film/paper. The bad guy chose death, the lead chose the hot chick, the world chose to be safe once more, etc. There is no changing it. But life goes on long after the credits roll. And so do our choices. We choose to believe if the whole plot of Inception is but a dream; we choose to believe if our life is but a dream. We choose the ending which we like, we choose our next step, and we choose to push the button or resist it. For through our choices, we define ourselves, and we prove to others that we have the power—the power to make a choice. (Pretty clichéd ending, I know. But it was the one I chose. What about you?)
A-Voice March 2013
Photo © it.123rf.com
Fashion In Our Everyday Life
WE ARE WHAT WE WEAR
W
Fashion is crucial in our lives for two imperative reasons: it advocates social effects—where people could ostracize us or welcome us with open arms—or it could also portray our identity to the world. These factors often push us into making different fashion choices, whether we choose to care about fashion or not at all.
Photo © joanafaria.files.wordpress.com
For those who care about fashion, more often than not, every outfit they put on is important to them. Why? Because our choices in fashion not only dictates our first impressions to others, but it is more importantly, a work of art in progress for a fashion lover. Fashion illustrates how we want to be perceived by people and showcases our identity to the world—and that is the message that fashion lovers want to convey. Why else would designers and other branded companies spend millions of dollars each year organizing events and runway shows? It is
part of the company’s identity and their willingness to show the world how they want to be seen. While college isn’t a runway show or a fashion company, our lives are very similar to those in the fashion industry as we have a different outlook based on our feelings or emotions to
Fashion has become a gateway to developing and maintaining a unique identity. essentially convey that we care about our appearance daily. To a student in college, a simple outfit could give people a “peek” into who we are as a person. That is why, girls (and even guys to some extent) fuss over their outfits every morning, planning every detail meticulously. Not only do we want to look immaculate, but also by looking our absolute best, it just might give us a boost in confidence to carry on the rest of our day with a positive attitude. Caring about our fashion choice doesn’t just end there, you also have to consider whether to follow trends or not and this is where stereotypes plays a role. Students who are dressed entirely in black with spikes or pictures of rock bands on their shirts are labeled as “goths” and “punks.” Girls—and even guys—who wear branded clothing are seen as spoilt and rich whilst students who simply throw on a T-shirt and shorts could even be judged as people who are sloppy or lazy! Bear in mind, that all these are fashion choices that students have to make all around the world, not just in HELP college. Some might argue that because society tends to brand people, we don’t have personal fashion choices because students might shy away from you as they see you as this “emo” kid; they may not want to be associated with you if you were to “dress as a punk,” even though you see it as unique. Whilst, others might flock towards you because they are interested in your wealth and it shows, because of your choice in branded clothing. Whatever it may be, you do have to consider that stereotypes appear in every aspect of our life, and not just in our fashion (Continued on page 26)
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Photo © h5.ggpht.com
hat does fashion mean to you? Do you consider it as a lifestyle, where every outfit has to represent who you are, or is it just a means to cover your body? Take a minute to consider your answer, as often, words associated with fashion such as brands, expensive, models, and advertisements are not just a false and prejudiced impression on fashion, but an influence on the choices we make in fashion as well. There are far deeper implications where fashion is concerned, but sometimes, mainstream media or even ourselves tend to forget that and instead focus on its materialistic aspirations.
By Jessie Ang
Fashion In Our Everyday Life | College Affairs
choices. Therefore in the end, it is up to us to choose on how we want our identity to be seen by our peers—a person who makes unique fashion choices, or one that just conforms to society norms.
SASA CHARITY DINNER 2013
Photo © Callie Peh
I
“Fashion has become a gateway to developing and maintaining a unique identity (Zborowski).” Whatever our choices are with regard to fashion, it is important to note that fashion plays a huge role in our life; some even consider it a lifestyle. It shouldn’t be dismissed as just girls or guys dressing up for fun as there is more to fashion than just models and brands. It is how you want to present yourself and how you feel from your fashion choice that makes fashion the billion-dollar industry it is now.
t is now the norm to find college student societies doing charity work. Despite that, I have never met (and probably will never meet) another group of teenagers so inherently crazy, vocally loud, and perpetually fun in one moment; and yet gently loving, exceedingly patient, and steadfastly committed in the next. These were the students of SASA 2012/2013 as they travelled towards the orphanages for weekly teaching sessions and then leading the actual teaching programme in the orphanage homes. (Continued on page 28)
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Photo © thevoicesinherhead.files.wordpress.com
However, for some, fashion is just a materialistic means of obtaining aesthetic pleasure; getting to know someone for a period of time is the only true judgment of a character and identity. They are unable to fathom or accept how fashion is a way of showing one’s identity. They are entitled to their own opinions of course, but all these different opinions always play into our fashion choices. For those who couldn’t be concerned with what they are wearing, they would simply just pick
the clothes from the top pile five minutes before leaving for school. That itself is also a fashion choice, in which you choose not to care or plan what you are wearing.
A-Voice March 2013
College Affairs
The annual SASA Charity Dinner was held on the 9th of March, 2013 at the Secret of Louisiana, Kelana Jaya. The collective effort of HELP’s 2012/2013 SASA Batch organized and ran this dinner, which was held to raise funds for the four orphanages we took under our wings: Yayasan Sunbeams Home, Trinity Children Centre Home, Trinity Home, and Ti-Ratana Welfare Home.
The speeches were followed by extensive feasting. Dishes in the buffet menu included—but was not limited—to Garden Green Salad, Seafood Aglio Olio Pasta, Hickory BBQ Grilled Chicken, Black Pepper and Minty Garlic Lamb Shoulder and Lemon Garlic White Fish. Our photographers tried to take pictures of the heavenly manna (the glorious food) but were either pushed out of the way and subsequently trampled by the eager crowd at the buffet line or were equally tempted by the inviting aroma and succumbed to delicious sin. Anyway, the resulting effect was that we don’t have any pictures of the food to show you! Photographs would not have done them justice anyway. Soon after the buffet line was opened, the night was spiced up further by the first performance of the night by Ng Aik Jean, Daniel Devan and Fang Liang. The trio act had the two dashing males play the guitar and sing the background vocals while the damsel in the limelight took the lead vocals—and with that the audience’s hearts as well. Luckily, she didn’t take their money together with their hearts, because that money was ours to take! (I kid. It would be worthy at this point of time to mention that SASA did not benefit financially as a result of being the organizer of this event. All proceeds will go on to equally benefit the children in the homes.) The second performance of the night was by the ‘hip and hopping, beat and boxing’ James Chong from SMKDU and currently, Taylor’s Subang. As I later found out, his skill of “vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm and musical sounds using one’s mouth, lips, tongue, and voice” was self-taught. The crowd and I were thoroughly impressed by his ability. Some of us in the crowd (I am guilty as charged) tried to give impromptu beat boxing performances to our nearby friends as well, only to shower their faces with a mixture of spit A-Voice March 2013
Happy diners listening to the speeches. Image blurred to fit the ambience.
Photo © Samantha Cheah
As per scheduled, the event commenced at 8:00 p.m. with the speech of Darren Timothy, Head of SASA Gives Back 2012/2013. This division of SASA Gives Back coordinated the orphanage teaching programme for the four homes. Darren’s speech was soon followed by the welcome address by Daniel Ong, President of SASA 2012/2013, who coincidentally was the host for the night, who incidentally is writing this article and who, also, just happens to be me! (I dispute all claims that I am acting as a micromanaging, narcissistic, autocratic leader; I may look slightly like a certain Supreme Leader of a country more north than here, but I am not he! All credit belongs to the entire SASA body.)
and Hickory BBQ Grilled Chicken. The third performance of the night was by Teh Gao Jye. Needless to say, this teenage heartthrob proved himself a keeper (even more than he already is!) by swooning us with his guitar and voice. Understandably, the boys in the crowd held the hands of their dates a little more tightly when he took centre stage. Not understandably, the adult husbands at the VIP table did the same thing to their wives. It only goes to show what a gentle guitar melody, a soothing voice, and a charming, youthful face can do to even the most stable of marriages. The final performance of the night was by Daniel Ong. After unsuccessfully attempting to woo the crowd by my own whistling ability, I had to resort to using an instrument (I’m not as talented as you, James Chong!) together with my mouth to keep the mood going. I played Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel on the alto saxophone. As to end the dinner with a bang, the SASA 2012/2013 video was played on screen. This video recapped mainly the teaching programme that we did during our term as SASArians and can be found on Youtube with the search tags “Light Up Their Lives”, by Nathalia Lim. Between the “ooohs” and the “aaahs” from the crowd watching the video, SASArians across the floor glanced at each other during appropriate moments, quietly smiling, mouthing words, pointing, and nodding to each other as a display of true kinship and unity. Seeing that made me a very proud president. In the midst of changing the lives of kids for the better, we have made our own lives permanently better as well, by forming the strong bonds of friendship and affection that would be enough to last not one, but two lifetimes. We have found the meaning of love amongst our brothers and sisters. Thank you all for reading! Daniel Ong, President of SASA 2012/2013.
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College Affairs
W
ho would be willing to spend thousands of ringgit on expensive equipment just to launch them all into the atmosphere and risk never finding them again? More specifically, who would want to send a superhero camera near-space, attached only to a parachute and a giant balloon doomed to explode 30 kilometres above sea level? What are the odds when some scientists think that all the paraphernalia will end up in Sumatra? Airplanes usually fly below 10km. So, what of the souls who went against above conventions and succeeded? Well, here’s our story: the one you helped us finish.
HELP Elevated Landscape Photography
Photo © http://ne.spacegrant.org
By Yeow Liiyung
High altitude ballooning is a project engaged by many enthusiasts, where a standard latex balloon filled with hydrogen or helium is launched into the atmosphere together with a payload. When the balloon bursts, the payload drops back to Earth. A typical high altitude balloon model consists of the balloon, a parachute and scientific payloads —boxes containing important components for the project being carried out. Apart from the tracking equipments, other payload components may include sensors, data loggers, cameras, amateur television transmitters and other scientific experiments. The flight periods can last between 2-3 hours and achieve heights which range from 25 to 35 km in altitude. At these heights, air pressure is reduced to nearly that of a vacuum, the temperature drops to more than -55°C, and cosmic radiation is 100 times greater than that at sea level. Most of these projects encompass simple objectives such as photographing the Earth from the stratosphere, also dubbed as “the edge of space” or “near space”—region above 60,000 ft, but below the accepted altitude of space which lies at 328,000 ft. Although basic enough to be performed by students, high altitude balloon missions play important roles in the realm of research, including researches by NASA. In fact, every day, weather forecast institutions in every country (including Malaysia) send these balloons up to provide daily information on the weather. The HELP Elevated Landscape Photography project was conceived in a daring attempt to try something new. We did this project simply because we wanted to see what Earth looked like from space. Sure, we could have gone onto Google
and searched up “Earth from the stratosphere” or something along that line. But think about this: how many people actually have albums of these pictures -― pictures of the blue ozone layer hugging the Earth’s horizon―and can claim working on the project all by themselves? Not many, and none so far from our home country. So in our case, we have an added bonus: the pictures were from the first Malaysian project to obtain pictures from near-space.
FIRST Malaysian project to obtain pictures from near-space The first stage of our project was obtaining the different parts of our balloon model, which constitutes the size-800g latex balloon from Hwoyee, a neonorange parachute bought online, the payload and it’s components (camera, GPS trackers), and other miscellaneous items (rafia string, duct tape, sponge, etc.). We got our supply of helium from MOX-Linde, who generously sponsored us more than the amount we requested. After that came a massive block of trial runs for our parachute. We even DIY-ed a larger parachute during a session— using a plastic bag, rafia, duct tape, and more duct tape. Of course, we ended up using the one we bought after tweaking our payload model, and we conveniently named it Sulfuric Acid Minor (the larger, DIY one is called Sulfuric Acid Major). The names do not bear any significance, except that they make it easier for our own reference. The original plan was to launch our project on the 14th of November so we could capture the moon near the sun during (Continued on page 29)
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A-Voice March 2013
College Affairs
the solar eclipse. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, our launch ended up on Sunday, 18th of November. We soon realized that we didn’t miss much; as the sun was too glaring, our camera would have not been able to capture an image of the moon, so long as it is not directly in front of the sun. We timed our launch in the morning so that our balloon would be less affected by winds and so that we could catch sunrise. We launched our balloon from Kluang at 6:40 a.m. and started the chase to retrieve our payload after breakfast. Unfortunately, we lost contact with both our GPS trackers after 40 minutes from launch and our team was forced to start a blind man’s hunt, solely relying on balloon flight predictions. We only managed to reestablish contact with Princess Mak and Queen Elizabeth after 3 hours from launch, by which time we presumed our payload to have just re-entered a GPS and mobile coverage area. The location we received from the connection proved our predictions to be highly accurate. Our payload King Henry XI’s final resting place was located in Seri Medan, slightly off the North-South highway from Yong Peng, Johor. We now came to what we presumed to be the easiest part of our project—finding
the payload! Despite the successful launch, not finding our payload makes the entire project a failure, and we were starting to feel the pressure. However, we were lucky enough to get help from a local who passed us in a car, and even luckier when he recognized that it landed in his own palm oil estate. After many grueling hours, the team (which shrunk from ten to four people), found King Henry XI dangling on a short palm oil tree, which we retrieved easily. However, it took another day to get the camera out of its hardy, waterproof casing, which became vacuum shut from traversing the different altitudes. So it came to be that after a month-long drama (spreading our idea of the project, getting chased by a herd of cows and a bull, ridiculous bubble-wrap shopping sprees, dying phones and GPS, good food, good fun and very little sleep), we are proud to announce that the HELP project was a success! We sincerely thank each and every one of you who HELPed and believed in us, even when this project was previously unheard of in Malaysia. We hope you continue to support us in our future projects, and hopefully we’ll go on tickling your imagination with the endless possibilities from the wizardry we call science.
The Materials Family King Henry X : The original payload box which died prematurely due to obesity (unproportional weight distribution). King Henry XI : The payload that was sent into space and returned a hero. HELP : The balloon, which popped. Sulfuric Acid Major : The plastic bag parachute we DIY-Ed, which performed extraordinarily, and slowed down the payload a lot in our tests (unfortunately, we were more interested in getting the payload to drop quickly to reduce wind influence). Sulfuric Acid Minor : Our neon orange parachute used in the final model. Sir Arthur : The GoPro Hero 2 camera we used to film the journey of our model. Queen Elizabeth : Our main GPS tracker, which is a bit senile and doesn’t respond very well. Princess Mak : The sleepingbeauty of a Samsung GPS tracker that never responds, until it is called.
Photo © Yeow Liiyung
Livin’ on the edge: The image captured by our camera showing the blue ozone layer hugging the Earth’s horizon.
A-Voice March 2013
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College Affairs
V
ery rarely will you find any article about the Student Council authored directly by its Vice President, especially so in the A-Voice (actually, I’m barred from writing/editing/commenting on all council-related articles just in case I “syok sendiri”). Rarer still, would you find any article on how we council members choose a new board—from the first briefing right up to the elections—yet this is exactly what my article is about. We all like clean elections, so this article is dedicated to break down our selection process and make it as transparent as possible for you.
L I C N U O C T STUDEN ELECTIONS by Yeow Liiyung
dimension to their personalities. We were quite glad that most of the candidates impressed us with or without whatever they brought. However, our happiest moments were when the candidates brought food. (Just saying.) We understood that not everyone performed at their peak during the interview, and wanted to see the real candidate in action. It was because of this that we set everyone up for the next stage. The special task week was initiated by
Photo © Mr. Noel
Each candidate was required to write a personal statement, and it was through this that our first impressions of each candidate were born. We filtered the candidates based on how interested they seemed in the council. Our reasoning stemmed from the fact that if you were really that interested in the position applied, you would spend more time on the essay so that your interest shone through. Unfortunately, some applications we received only had several lines in their personal statement, so we unanimously agreed to filter these applicants out.
Interviews were subsequently conducted on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of March (yes, even after collecting our depressing exam results). We got to see the candidates in a different light through the interview and, most importantly up to this stage, we saw how well each candidate could communicate their thoughts and how comfortable they were under pressure. Each candidate was required to “bring something that will impress us” and, though we didn’t mention it, what each person brought added a new
Team Black managed to attract more than 200 students. (Continued on page 31)
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Photo © miners.k12.ar.us
Our selection went through 4 stages: written application, interview, special task week, and campaigning week. The run for our council started off with a briefing on the 22nd of February, and candidates were expected to send in their applications via email by March 1st. Many students who signed up initially didn’t even send in their application, so you could imagine the shock we experienced when we ended up with a tiny applicant pool. This meant that we had to be selective enough to choose only the ones most suited for each exco position, but not too selective that we end up cutting everyone out!
A-Voice March 2013
Photo © Ahmad Shazwan
College Affairs
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream... Okay, maybe not. our seniors, the council of 2011/2012. I remember selling jackets worth RM50 each back then, and had a lot of fun “conning” random people (and being freaked with enthusiastic strangers). But I digress. The juniors this year weren’t so lucky; we made this year’s special task a lot different from what we did ourselves one year ago. This is the week that would make or break many candidates, to our disappointment or joy. We split all candidates into Team Red and Team Black. Our task for them was to “plan a mini event and make people come for it.” It was to be on Friday (15th of March) at 12:30 p.m. Quite simple, really. We weren’t expecting much from them; a freeze mob or a Harlem Shake gathering would have sufficed. The catch? See which team could attract the most number of participants. Needless to say, both teams way surpassed our expectations of a mini event, with Team Red coming up with a movie,
There’s no such thing as a free lunch: Burgers were free but drinks had to be paid for at Camp Red.
free Ramly burger and photobooth, and Team Black organizing a real photoshoot with props (even prompting the yearbook’s editorial board to compile class pictures this year), free drinks, and icecream! Though we set a minimum requirement of 50 participants per event, Team Red attracted around 150 students while Team Black exceeded 200. You don’t often get to see social experiments like this. Although the teams really impressed us as a whole, we were more interested in their individual developments. Through their special task, we saw how each candidate fared with their respective workloads and how they contributed and cooperated with each other. We observed how they thought on their feet and how well they handled pressure. Inevitably, we saw some of our most promising candidates crack before us. There was a lot of disappointment on our part, because some candidates we
banked on didn’t par with our expectations, while a few others—who just kept getting better—pulled out. Although disappointing as it was, this is the whole point of the task week—to select those who had potential, handled stress well, and could stay committed even after intense schedules and expectations. It’s harsh (and we know it) but we decided it was better than waking up to a rude shock after being elected. With a few days of campaigning left, we can only hope to continue amusing ourselves with what the new council hopefuls have to offer. While they work their butts off getting you to vote for them, you have to play your part well too. Choose the candidates you want to serve you for the next one year—the most important pre-university year in your lives. Come voice your choices on this Friday, 29th March. All the best to the council hopefuls. May the best candidate win!
Photos © Mr. Noel
Kodak Moment: Free props from Team Black. A-Voice March 2013
“Your momma’s so fat!”: Students had a laugh watching White Chicks. 31
Indulge
A Foodie's Guide to HELP
M
y mood rapidly improves whenever I am well fed, which is why I take my food very seriously. (Or maybe I am just a massive foodie!) However, it can be a real struggle to decide on where and what to eat almost every day at college—it’s actually quite similar to the tricky scenario of choosing an outfit every morning. Although I am aware that as students, we have to stick to a tight budget, I am quite repulsed by the idea of eating distasteful, unappetizing food just for the sake of spending less. So, here’s the reason for this article: I’m going to reduce your burden—especially if you’re new in HELP—by revealing all the places I have discovered with promotions, delicious food, and reasonable prices.
Amira Abdul Rahim believes that food plays a significant role in our everyday life, especially if you are a student on a budget. leaves. Priced at RM 4.80, I would say that the Butter Chicken Chop would be quite a good grab. Other dishes to look out for are the Lemon Chicken Chop (also priced at RM 4.80), the Sweet & Sour Fish (RM 2 for a generous scoop), and the Tofu with Egg Gravy at RM 0.50 a piece. T-Break Café Ground Floor, Menara Manulife.
The (Nameless) Chinese Stall Level 1 Food Court, Menara Manulife.
Here’s a stall that doesn’t get enough recognition. The food is good: consistently cooked, and well worth your money; sometimes, the kind Auntie who works there even gives a discount to students. I am also impressed by their always-clean cutlery, stacked and organised nicely next to the napkins. One of my many personal favourites, the crispy Butter Chicken Chop, is cooked in a concoction of thick buttery goodness and curry
A small cafe that serves a variety of dishes ranging from local delicacies to sandwiches and pasta. T-Break Café offers their Daily Special Menu, which consists of a different dish for every day of the week that comes with a complimentary Iced Lemon Tea or Iced Honey Green Tea. The Daily Special Menu starts from RM 8.90 and on Mondays, T-Break’s special menu is the Nasi Lemak Special. This dish is self-explanatory—coconut rice with sambal ikan bilis and egg—and there’s no better way to start off the week than with the national dish of Malaysia. On Fridays, T-Break offers their Roasted Chicken with Mash Potatoes. This dish is also a common favourite, priced at RM 10.90. Other than the Daily Special Menu, T-Break also offers six Promotion Sets (priced between RM 10.90 to RM 12.90) which comes with a drink and dessert of the day. The servings are quite generous. After you’ve had your main course, dessert of the day and drink, rest assured that you will be very full and pleased. I also suggest you try the Chicken & Cheese Toastie and the Curry Mee. The Chicken & Cheese Toastie is a good meal if you want something on the go or if you’re rushing to class; it also comes with a side of chips. The Curry Mee is rich and well seasoned with spices. This decadent dish is the perfect meal if you want to spoil yourself rotten. (Continued on page 33)
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A-Voice March 2013
Indulge
San Francisco Coffee Ground floor, HP Tower.
The Chicken Rice Stall UOA food court, Wisma UOA Damansara. The best chicken rice I’ve had so far at HELP. The rice is served with roasted chicken in soy sauce, a bowl of homemade soup, and sambal belacan. The roasted chicken is full-flavoured and succulent. One plate of this tasty chicken rice will only cost you RM 7.50. However, I discourage you from going to the UOA food court during the lunch hour because it can be very, very busy and chaotic. Unless of course, you find pleasure in long queues and not having a table to eat on—then by all means, go ahead. Gloria Jean’s Coffees Ground Floor, Menara I&P 1
Photos © Kelly Xiao Ran
If you are a caffeine addict, then this is the place for you. San Francisco Coffee has one rule that they never break: their coffee beans are never used more than one month from roasting. Their signature drinks include the Golden Gate, Carmel By The Sea, and Bay Bridge Sunrise. I highly recommend the Golden Gate; it has a similar taste to Terry’s Chocolate Orange but with an espresso twist. I am aware that San Francisco Coffee is a little over the “usual” student budget but their Breakfast Sets are quite affordable. The Breakfast Set comes with hot Americano or tea; refills are also available at RM 1. My personal favourite is the T.E.C Croissant which is just basically a turkey, egg, and cheese filling in a croissant. The Pastry Set is also one of my favourites as they cater a wide range of pastries; curry puff, tuna puff, sausage roll, chocolate roll and cinnamon bar. Both the T.E.C Set and Pastry Set are RM 8.90. If you want a more filling breakfast, then you can try the Breakfast Burrito at RM 9.95 which contains lettuce, tomatoes, scrambled egg, sausages, cheese, and salsa: wrapped in a tortilla. San Francisco Coffee is also having a Buy One Free One promotion for their Extreme Frappes at the moment. Here’s a tip: always remember to get your loyalty card stamped every time you buy a drink. When you’ve filled up your card, you are entitled to redeem a drink of your preference of any size.
greatly recommend the rich and moist Chocolate Valrhona Cake (RM 12.90). Swich has recently altered their operating hours; now, they are only open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Swich Level 1, HP Tower.
I admit that Swich is a little bit expensive, but indulging in their meals or desserts once in a blue moon won’t cost you your first born. Swich serves breakfast from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. and in my opinion, they have the best French toast ever, hands down. Swich’s French Toast is topped with orange zest, icing sugar, and cinnamon; it is served with maple syrup and spiced orange butter. At RM 11.90, this heaven on a plate is quite reasonably-priced with its sizable portion. Currently, Swich also offers two new Under RM 10 Burgers. The Neat Joes is served with beef Bolognese, tomato sauce and mozzarella while the Mat Joes is served with Swich’s chicken rendang and cheese. The cake selection available at Swich is also mouth-watering. I A-Voice March 2013
A good place for small bites or to have drinks with friends. Gloria Jean’s is my favourite place to have snacks in between classes because the environment at Gloria Jean’s is perfect for relaxing when you’re having a long day; it’s also a great for study group sessions as their seating area is very cozy and reserved. They also have a delightful assortment of fluffy and light pastries, so they are not too filling. My recommendations are the Spinach Puff (RM 6.50 per puff), the Beef Pot Pie (RM 6 per pie), the Custard Danish, and Chocolate Twist (both available for RM 5.50). Besides that, their delicious muffins are available in two flavours: blueberry and chocolate (RM 5.50 each), whereas their Mixed Berry Smoothie is sweet and refreshing. A regular size of the Mixed Berry Smoothie will cost you RM 13.50. I hope this informative food guide will make your breakfast and lunch choices at HELP much easier to decide. I would like to think that I have persuaded you into believing that it is necessary to spend that little bit of extra money to make sure that you are well fed. (Do not always succumb to eating horrible, bland food to save money!) As Virginia Woolf once said, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” So, happy eating and remember, “ask not what you can do for your country, ask what’s for lunch!”
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Lecturers’ Notes
Incoming supreme leader.... Hello! I have been very privileged to be able to work with such an excellent team for the A-Voice as teacher-adviser. When I first joined HELP Academy as teaching staff several months ago, I was already impressed with the level of professionalism displayed by the team. They were efficient, mature, and had a strong sense of work ethic. If university is the “training grounds” for commitments and responsibilities in the so-called “real world,” then the A-Voice team has already demonstrated strong journalistic sensibilities. I’m glad to be a part of this. The idea of university as training ground for future engagements is something that is relevant to this issue. Our focus on the subject of “Choices” was deliberate: the Malaysian General Elections is just around the corner (as I am writing this, rumours of Parliament dissolving today are spreading on the Internet). Most students taking the A-Levels would be below the national voting age, but that is no barrier to understanding the democratic process and the issues concerned. Campaigns for Student Council presidency are underway as I am writing. I’m very encouraged to know that the Student Council is committed to ensuring transparency and integrity in the election process, and that other students are genuinely excited to be a part of it. It’s a good sign for the future of our country’s democratic health. I’m encouraged too, to know that the AVoice (our version of “the media!”) is doing its part to keep the Student Council accountable in this election process. I hope that the A-Voice will continue to be an avenue for students to explore, express, and develop their thoughts and convictions, to convey opinions and catalyze change, and build the experience that will help in future engagements and undertakings. Mostly, I hope that the A-Voice will continue to be an outlet for the student body to make themselves heard.
Catalina Rembuyan
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Outgoing supreme leader.... This issue of the A-Voice is a bittersweet one for me. Its shiny cover, its professional layout, and its polished articles: I can only say that I have had an incidental impact on the creation of this particular issue. And yet, nothing makes me prouder than to see the undeniable quality of this magazine. The A-Voice has had a long, illustrious history. Under the guidance of Ms. Caroline Gnanu-Arun, it started off as an 8-page newsletter in 2003, filled with newsy articles on the goings-on at the then-named HELP Institute, when the A-Levels programme was still housed at Pusat Bandar Damansara. The A-Voice has only grown since then, and now averages about 34 pages per issue. When I took over in 2011, I decided to take the A-Voice in a slightly different direction—I wanted the A-Voice to be a platform where young writers would have to have opinions, and would be given an opportunity to express them, and where readers would be forced to think and feel outside of their comfort zones. I wanted the A-Voice to truly harness all of the amazing energy that I saw in the students around me—I wanted this new generation to find its voice. Hence, our motto: “Make yourself heard.” Since then, I have been continuously impressed by the level of thinking that goes into many of our articles, and our writers’ willingness to tackle difficult, controversial topics that will inevitably require a degree of reflection, investigation, and self-examination. This sort of thing isn’t easy—but then again, I know now that I should have more faith in young people. I think that I can safely say that the A-Voice is one of the best student magazines in Malaysia. No bias whatsoever. Our students are not only effective writers and editors—they have a sense of style, they are fearless, and they have not just a willingness, but a drive to experiment and challenge the status quo. And the reason that I’ve so enjoyed working with them: they have an inimitable sense of humour. This year’s editorial board had very large shoes to fill, but they have done so with grace and aplomb. Mellissa and Kailash have grown into strong, innovative, and effective leaders, constantly looking for ways to improve the way they (and we) work. Hazel, too, has led our layout team to new heights, and sets consistently high standards for the look of the A-Voice. Our sub-editors Andrea and Lii Yung have spent countless hours guiding and coaching our writers. Thank you all for your hard work and perseverance, and for creating a working environment where greatness is possible. I know that the next generation of A-Voicers, under the extremely able tutelage of Ms. Catalina Rembuyan, will continue to strive for this greatness. To all of the writers, photographers, marketing peeps, and anybody who contributed in any way to the creation of the A-Voice: thank you for your bravery, and for your willingness to learn and grow. You’ve helped to create something extremely special: an attitude towards written expression and the potential of young people that will transcend this and every issue of the A-Voice. That is why we’re here, and that is why we do this. Thank you for making yourselves heard. Cristabel Tan
A-Voice March 2013
A-Voice March 2013
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