イラストレーターShiekoreto

Rest in peace ❤Aleesha Farhana 1985-2011 ❤

2011-08-01T16:53:00.010+08:00

'A word not often used… — Omar Salahuddin'

'Aleesha Farhana: Not just Another Woman'

''Courts have precedence on Aleesha's name change''

''Seksualiti Merdeka: Not too late to give Aleesha her name''

''‘Aleesha must not die in vain’''

''‘Tribute to Aleesha (alias Ashraf)’''

''Zaid: Give leeway on sex change''

''Aleesha Farhana''

'Understand transgenders, Govt urged''

'SIS Statement on the passing of Aleesha Farhana''

-we sang for her together during a virgil for her that night same day of her passing
''Judy Garland - Somewhere Over The Rainbow''

life as a transgender in malaysia

2011-04-01T18:09:00.001+08:00

slingshot 2011 organizer

2011-03-23T12:23:00.004+08:00

some good infos frm slingshot collective organizer 2011

'slingshot collective'

Sister solidarity

2011-02-25T13:03:00.002+08:00

Sister solidarity
By HARIATI AZIZAN
starmag@thestar.com.my

EVEN popping into the convenience store down the road can be dangerous – if you are a transgender (Mak Nyah). That was what Muna* learnt last year when she went out to get the paper one morning.

Before she realised what was happening, she was surrounded by a group of men who claimed to be religious enforcement officers.

“They ordered me to hitch up my shirt and show them my bra. I was so shocked that I could only stare at them, so one of them pushed me face down to the ground and held my hands to my back while another pushed my shirt up and tugged my bra. The others only laughed,” Muna recalls.
‘They are who they are,’ Angela Kuga Thas says of Mak Nyahs.

Although it was not the first time she had been stopped by the authorities, it was the first time she had been groped and manhandled, on the street and in daylight. The incident rattled her, and for many months after that Muna was too frightened to step out of her house.

Violent abuses against the transgender community, specifically male-to-female transsexuals, also known as Mak Nyah, appear to be rising in Malaysia in the past few years, not only at the hands of the authorities and the religious police but also the ordinary Joe on the street.

Reported cases allege that during “raids” some errant enforcement officers often ask for bribes and sexual favours from the transgender. In custody, they are usually asked to strip in front of the authorities, while their breasts are groped and they are hurled with derogatory sexual remarks.

Like Muna, many in the transgender community suffer mental anguish from the fear of discrimination, abuse and persecution. Worried that they can be arrested at any time, they feel uneasy about going out.

Former Boom Boom Room dancer Dara Othman admits that it is a stressful way to live. “For most transgender, it is down to knowing where and what time is safe. But now, it seems like anytime and everywhere is not safe.”

Hence, some people – mainly those who have been working with PT Foundation (a community-based, voluntary non-profit organisation that provides information, education and care services relating to HIV/AIDS and sexuality in Malaysia – have banded together under Justice for Sisters to highlight issues surrounding violence and persecution against this community in Malaysia, as well as provide them support and assistance.

They had met up with a group of Mak Nyah in Negeri Sembilan, heard their stories and documented some cases. S. Thilaga, one of those behind the movement, says: “At that point, many were pretty sick of the situation and wanted to change it. So we met up with a few lawyers and were told that what we can do is to challenge the law.

“Our transgender friends are up for it but they don’t have the money to challenge the law. Some can’t even make ends meet! So we thought we should do something to help them raise funds and create public awareness on the issue.”

Thilaga adds that they work closely with the transgender community and try to involve them in all their initiatives. “Ultimately, we would like them to be in the forefront.”

Last December, Justice for Sisters was launched with a fundraiser concert at the Annexe Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. Recently, another fundraiser was held at Map KL, Dutamas – its third since the launch.

The target is to raise up to RM60,000, says Thilaga, not only to help the transgender community challenge the matter in court, but also to help those who are left in dire financial straits while pursuing their legal defence.

Unfortunately, Justice for Sisters has only managed to raise slightly more than a third of that sum.

Also Malaysian

There are an estimated 30,000 plus transgenders in the country, for whom dealing with rejection from the so-called “normal” members of society is a daily preoccupation because they don’t fit in the identity box assigned by society.

Being called names and getting dirty looks are normal occurences, Thilaga says. “Some people go to the extent of throwing bags of urine at Mak Nyahs and throwing things into their house when they are not around.”

Considered a “high-risk” group, most in the transgender community are caught in a vicious and pernicious cycle of violence and persecution for being who they are.

“Many suffer rejection by their families and some are even kicked out of their homes. They are subjected to various forms of humiliation so they stop schooling. They’re rejected for jobs and loans, and struggle to find safe shelter. They’re constantly coerced in every way and face every kind of pressure to conform (usually through violence).

“Quite a number leave their homes to look for work as early as 15 years old, but they are unable to get reasonably paid employment because people are reluctant to hire them. And if they do get hired, they are often underpaid,” says Angela Kuga Thas, another key mover of the human rights campaign.

The crux of the issue is the blatant refusal to understand and appreciate Mak Nyahs for who they are, she opines.

“They exist in every single country in this world and are as diverse as the extent and level of changes that they physically seek, yet as a community, this is their identity, this is who they are.”

In Malaysia, their identity can constitute an immoral conduct offence under civil criminal law. This is mainly used against them if they are caught in a vice-related context.

Under the Syariah criminal law, however, the Muslim transgender can be persecuted for being a man who dresses like a woman (lelaki berlagak seperti perempuan). In almost every state, this offence carries a jail term of six months (or one year in some states) or a RM1,000 fine (up to a maximum of RM5,000 in one state).

These are very hefty costs considering that Mak Nyahs are being arrested once every two months, or more frequently, says Kuga Thas.

And should one be arrested for the third time, and found guilty all three times, she can be sent to prison, Thilaga says. “It is like the three strikes rule,” she notes.

According to Justice for Sisters, there is an alleged growth of arbitrary arrests of the transgender persons, especially in certain states. One transgender activist, who declines to be named, say she was even arrested for being a woman who dressed as a man.

“I was in jeans and T-shirt and looked androgynous, I guess, so they charged me with ‘menyerupai lelaki’ (dressing as a man) instead.”

However, she is used such arbitrary charges.

“Sometimes these so-called enforcement officers have no identification, nor do they follow rules and procedure. They are like polis koboi (lawless cowboy enforcement officers) . Once when I was arrested, one of them grabbed my boobs and said, ‘Your butt looks like a man but you have boobs,’” she recalls bitterly.

Make-up artist Miss A* hits out at the authority’s common tactic of stripping them down to their underwear or asking them to flash their bra to prove that they are transgender.

“We are really confused. Who do we offend with our underwear? Whose business is it what we wear under our clothes anyway? So, what do they want us to do, let everything hang out?”

Kuga Thas, who is an advocate for women’s empowerment and non-discrimination, believes those in power and in authority need to realise that no amount of coercion and violence will change the transgender community because “Mak Nyahs are Mak Nyahs.

“They are who they are, inside and outside of their homes. They are not pretending to be women and they are certainly not impersonating women. They identify as women, not men, and many often begin to feel that way between the ages of seven and 10.

Dara concurs: “People have no right to ask us to change. I always feel that God made us the way we are for a reason, so it is not up to the people to judge.”

Kuga Thas alleges that ever since they started challenging the law by having the arrested transgender plead “not guilty” to the charge against them under Syariah law, there has been a crackdown on them.

“They are targetted for arrests as soon as they step out of their homes. . This form of persecution would have received a massive amount of protest if it were to happen to other Malaysians.”

To Thilaga it is a simple human right issue. “Just because they are transgender, and a minority group, doesn’t mean that they don’t have rights. While they are visible, they are a muted group. That is why, in solidarity, we should stand with them to fight for their rights. We should be outraged that their rights are being violated because of who they are.

Kuga Thas agrees. “As Malaysians, we should be appalled that our transgenders continue to suffer violence and persecution for their identity.

“Everyone else has the freedom to be out as late and as long as they want, to dress the way they want to, to have any hairstyle they like, to meet up with friends for food and drinks, and have a social life.

“Why not the Mak Nyahs? Why shouldn’t they have this freedom? They are fellow human beings and they are fellow Malaysians,” she adds.

* Not her real name.

Those who are interested to find out more about Justice for Sisters or contribute to the cause can e-mail justiceforsisters@gmail.com.

'The Star - Sister solidarity'

justice for sisters

2011-02-12T09:12:00.003+08:00

For one solid day of sisterly solidarity, Malaysian punk rockers, indie folks and artists band together to support the rights of the Malaysian transsexual community.

JUSTICE FOR SISTERS
"Sis, let's reclaim our rights!" Festival @ MAPKL
Sat 12 Feb, 2011 | 2pm to 10pm

MAPKL @ Publika, Level G2-01, Block A5, Dutamas
1 Jalan Dutamas 1, Off Jalan Duta
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

...
Entry by donation: Vary according to programme
(Please feel free to DONATE more to help with the cause!)

This full day festival features everything from post punk gigs to post avant garde arts to poetry reading, all in support of Malaysian male-to-female transsexuals, also known as Mak Nyah, who face gross abuse, persecution and discrimination regularly in this country. Let's celebrate the diversity of being in Malaysia with a diversity of music and arts!

+the amazon goddess SHELAH! will be hosting part of the show

SCHEDULE

2pm - 4pm | Entry by donation: RM10
Featuring:
Jeannys & The Melody
Chill please!
Corporate Youth
Kaptain
The Fays
Swampy Zombie Fever

5pm - 7pm | Entry by donation: RM15
Featuring:
Dung
Elektrikasyok (Elaine Foster)
Furniture
Furious George + Operasi Sabo (George Wielgus, Faisal, Kuning)
Illya Sumanto
Krisis Halusinasi
Priya K
Think! Tadpole! Think!
and more...

8pm - 10pm | Entry by donation: RM15
Hosted by the one & only Malaysian Drag Idol, SHELAH!!!
Featuring:
Dara Othman
Davina Goh
Ferns
Kathleen Choo
KG
Meichern
Nabila Nasir
PT's Angels (Sajad & Sharon)
Reza Salleh
Sheena
Tanjong
Tshiung Han See

Also featuring Chi Too
& the Buka Kolektif (Fared Ayam, Rahmat Haron, Poodien, Sharon Chin)

JUSTICE FOR SISTERS is a grassroots campaign organised by concerned members of the public to raise public awareness about issues surrounding violence and persecution against the Mak Nyah (male-to-female transsexuals) community in Malaysia. The campaign also aims to raise funds amounting to RM50,000 to finance court cases that have been recently brought up against transgenders who have been charged in the Syariah court. Join us in this human right campaign to reclaim the rights of the Mak Nyah.

If you can't make it to the festival but would like to donate to the fund or help in other ways, please contact Angela [angela@kryss.org] or Thilaga [thilaga.sulathireh@gmail.com].

THE KING OF KOWLOON

2011-01-18T23:36:00.003+08:00

“in 1949 there have a Chinese man hit the streets in Hong Kong. he use this way to tell public that his family was the king of this island. he name himself The King of Kowloon. he used to write his family tree names and history on the street wall，Electricity box，pole. etc…
his life survive by collect scraps, also he lived in a small room which full of scraps..he was be put in an insane asylum for his graffiti on streets in the 70s，until a doctor just come back from U.S and saw graffiti there then know what he doing，the doctor set him free..

The King of Kowloon left this planet last year, but he leave many works on his streets，if you lucky, you still can see his work in Hong Kong which be protected by the government now，after he dead.

an Electricity box which have his writing on the surface can be auctioned for 150000 d by art dealer. but its nothing to do with him，even maybe he don’t know the name of Graffiti which be speculation by the business system now..cause He just the King of Kowloon.”

'the king of kowloon' via 'faith47'

'HK mourns graffiti king'

'via artcrimes'

The Next Net

2011-01-06T11:00:00.002+08:00

The Next Net
By Douglas Rushkoff

The moment the "net neutrality" debate began was the moment the net neutrality debate was lost. For once the fate of a network - its fairness, its rule set, its capacity for social or economic reformation - is in the hands of policymakers and the corporations funding them - that network loses its power to effect change. The mere fact that lawmakers and lobbyists now control the future of the net should be enough to turn us elsewhere.

Of course the Internet was never truly free, bottom-up, decentralized, or chaotic. Yes, it may have been designed with many nodes and redundancies for it to withstand a nuclear attack, but it has always been absolutely controlled by central authorities. From its Domain Name Servers to its IP addresses, the Internet depends on highly centralized mechanisms to send our packets from one place to another.

The ease with which a Senator can make a phone call to have a website such as Wikileaks yanked from the net mirrors the ease with which an entire top-level domain, like say .ir, can be excised. And no, even if some smart people jot down the numeric ip addresses of the websites they want to see before the names are yanked, offending addresses can still be blocked by any number of cooperating government and corporate trunks, relays, and ISPs. That's why ministers in China finally concluded (in cables released by Wikileaks, no less) that the Internet was "no threat."

I'm not trying to be a downer here, or knock the possibilities for networking. I just want to smash the fiction that the Internet is some sort of uncontrollable, decentralized free-for-all, so that we can get on with the business of creating something else that is.

That's right. I propose we abandon the Internet, or at least accept the fact that it has been surrendered to corporate control like pretty much everything else in Western society. It was bound to happen, and its flawed, centralized architecture made it ripe for conquest.

Just as the fledgling peer-to-peer economy of the Late Middle Ages was quashed by a repressive monarchy that still had the power to print money and write laws, the fledgling Internet of the 21st century is being quashed by a similarly corporatist government that has its hands on the switches through which we mean to transact and communicate. It will never truly level the playing fields of commerce, politics, and culture. And if it looks like that does stand a chance of happening, the Internet will be adjusted to prevent it.

The fiberoptic cables running through the streets of San Francisco and New York are not a commons, they are corporate-owned. The ISPs through which we connect are no longer public universities but private media companies who not only sell us access but sell us content, block the ports through which we share, and limit the applications through which we create. They are not turning the free, public net into a shopping mall. It already *is* a shopping mall. Your revolutionary YouTube video has a Google advertisement running across the bottom. Yes, that's the price of "free" when you're operating on someone else's network.

But unlike our medieval forebears, we don't have to defend our digital commons from corporate encroachment. Fighting and losing that un-winnable battle will only reinforce our sense of helplessness, anyway. Instead of pretending that the Internet was ever destined to be our social and intellectual commons, we can much more easily conspire together to build a real networked commons, intentionally. And with this priority embedded into its very architecture and functioning.

It is not rocket science. And I know there's more than a few dozen people reading this right now who could make it happen.

Back in 1984, long before the Internet even existed, many of us who wanted to network with our computers used something called FidoNet. It was a super simple way of having a network - albeit an asynchronous one.

One kid (I assume they were all kids like me, but I'm sure there were real adults doing this, too) would let his computer be used as a "server." This just meant his parents let him have his own phone line for the modem. The rest of us would call in from our computers (one at a time, of course) upload the stuff we wanted to share and download any email that had arrived for us. Once or twice a night, the server would call some other servers in the network and see if any email had arrived for anyone with an account on his machine. Super simple.

Now FidoNet employed a genuinely distributed architecture. (And if you smart hackers can say why that's wrong, and how FidoNet could have been more distributed, please continue that line of thought! You are already on your way to developing the next network.) 25 years of networking later, lessons learned, and battles fought; can you imagine how much better we could do?

So let's get on it. Shall we use telephony, ham radio, or some other part of the spectrum? Do we organize overlapping meshes of WiMax? Do we ask George Soros for some money? MacArthur Foundation? Do we even need or want them or money at all? How might the funding of our network by a central bank issued currency, or a private foundation, or a public university, bias the very architecture we are trying to build? Who gets the ability to govern or limit what may spread over our network, if anyone? Should there be ways for us to transact?

To make the sorts of choices that might actually yield our next and truly decentralized network, we must take a good look at the highly centralized real world in which we live - as well as how it got that way. Only by understanding its principles, reckoning with the forces at play, and accepting the battles we have already lost, might we begin to forge ahead to create new forms that exist beyond any authority's ability to grant them protection.

Teaser image by Glenn Zucman.
sharing frm 'The Next Net By Douglas Rushkoff'

'grow a grassroots,
citizen-owned internet'

'THE TIME FOR CHANGE AND ACTION IS UPON US.'

human

2010-11-26T22:52:00.001+08:00

illustrations & words: Andy frm Cracks in the wall zine
i shall repaint this into a mural

Shh Diam! @ TG workshop

2010-10-29T11:40:00.003+08:00

Shh...DIam - Julie

Shh...DIam - Dugongku

Shh...DIam - Lagu bodoh

'Shh...Diam!'

SeksualitiMerdeka2010 (1)

2010-10-20T23:07:00.009+08:00

This year, Malaysia’s only sexuality rights festival, Seksualiti Merdeka, celebrates the spirit of family. Exploring the bonds that bring us together, the festival aims to promote both the family and the community's role in embracing diversity.

As the nation strives to realise its full democratic potential, with Malaysians becoming more aware of our constitutional rights, let's not forget about our sexuality rights. It is our right to be responsible for our own bodies, to be free from discrimination, violence and injustice, and to be treated equally, regardless of gender, sexuality, age, class, ethnicity or beliefs. Each of us has these rights, as enshrined by the UN International Human Rights Charter, the Yogyakarta Principles, and promoted by many human rights organisations local and international.

Whether we are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersexed, asexual, or simply fabulous, we are brothers and sisters on this great journey toward independence and equality for all.

'seksualitimerdeka'

SeksualitiMerdeka2010 (2)

2010-10-20T22:03:00.008+08:00

had so much fun in this year seksualiti merdeka, thanks everyone
xoxoxo

more details here: 'seksualitimerdeka'

Selamat Hari Hartal 2010

2010-10-20T21:57:00.002+08:00

Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka from fahmi reza on Vimeo.

'10tahun'

Cracks in the wall #5 (A)

2010-10-03T16:17:00.008+08:00

Cracks in the wall #5
I bought this zine during 'zinefest' last July with couple of other zines but just finished reading it yesterday. Probably because of the nice rainy weather outside.

This is definitely the zine im going to carry around when travelling. Some parts related to the Fifth Estate article in my previous post. The part where when human detached themselves from nature & couple of other stuff (media,information,ideas,economy,politics,history,environment & basically life) which in a way relevant to the world we live in today, at this moment & time regardless which country you're coming from. I've asked Andy for his permission to scan & distribute & put it here since its a Anti-copyright, read & share copy & spread note behind the zine.

It's well written, not too heavy & the most interesting part is the cut & paste cartoon with re-written dialogue & his cheeky hand-drawn cartoon as well. It's a bit wordy but find a good time away from any disturbance, turn off the phone to fully enjoy this zine & i can imagine his voice reading it to me. Good read! <3

cover

pg1-2

pg3-4

pg5-6

pg7-8

pg9-10

pg11-12

pg13-14

pg15-16

pg17-18

Cracks in the wall #5 (B)

2010-10-03T16:09:00.007+08:00

pg19-20

pg21-22

pg23-24

pg25-26

pg27-28

pg29-30

pg31-32

pg33-34

pg35-36

pg37-38

Cracks in the wall#5 (C)

2010-10-03T03:23:00.016+08:00

pg39-40

pg41-42

pg43-44

pg45-46

back cover

Cracks in the wall #5
I bought this zine during 'zinefest' last July with couple of other zines but just finished reading it yesterday. Probably because of the nice rainy weather outside.

This is definitely the zine im going to carry around when travelling. Some parts related to the Fifth Estate article in my previous post. The part where when human detached themselves from nature & couple of other stuff (media,information,ideas,economy,politics,history,environment & basically life) which in a way relevant to the world we live in today, at this moment & time regardless which country you're coming from. I've asked Andy for his permission to scan & distribute & put it here since its a Anti-copyright, read & share copy & spread note behind the zine.

It's well written, not too heavy & the most interesting part is the cut & paste cartoon with re-written dialogue & his cheeky hand-drawn cartoon as well. It's a bit wordy but find a good time away from any disturbance, turn off the phone to fully enjoy this zine & i can imagine his voice reading it to me. Good read! <3

Are we in hopeless dead-end part1

2010-09-29T03:45:00.004+08:00

recently i get some free zines from friends from the states called the fifth estate & discovered this article which i find interesting & typed it out myself. enjoi

Fifth estate zine
section: Cul De Sac

Title: Are we in hopeless dead-end?
by Le Garcon Dupont

FE Note: Usually,Fifith Estate essays are filled with the vision that alternatives exist to our current predicament. This article explores the possibility that humanity has already been extinguished and that there maybe no hope of fashioning a different world. If that's the case, do we just cease our resistance?Comments welcome.

When many of the original people who inhabited Australia realised that their culture was being wiped out, they refused the entreaties of anthropologists and took their knowledge with them when they died.

They knew the world was being changed, that human things were being snuffed out in favour of a new,anti-human form of social organisation. To enable the survival of an empty culture, one with form, but no content, would be an absurdity, they reasoned.

Their culture would become an academic product, an ideological or political product, and a product for sale. The heroes who took their knowledge with them may not have articulated this possibility in the way i just have, but they knew it. Their intelligence far outstripped the intelligence of those kind anthropological scientists who blew in on a blood-soaked breeze.

Their intelligence was greater, but in this battle between two forms of social organisation, their power was less. They were strong enough to be still and quiet in their last breaths of their community when they could have been remembered and celebrated in the new culture as the last of the true people. They knew their words and knowledge, if spoken out loud, would be put on show, or worse would be misunderstood. In the face of circumstances that were consuming them, they remained tightlipped.

When i speak about the original inhabitants of Australia, I mean all people across the world who lived in pre-civilisation societies. In its most basic definition civilisation means living in cities, and the best definition of civilisation is a society organised by the power residing in the cities.

Other definitions of the word civilisation, for example, one where it is defined in opposition to 'savage' or 'primitive', only strengthens the validity of the above definition. Civilisation has only occurred whenever city power has arisen.

The civilisation we live under today is global with one economic system. This system is capitalism; it is a perfected from of civilisation.

The formal definition of Capital (the root word of capitalism) is wealth available for use in the production of further wealth.

Wealth is all goods and services which have monetary or productive value.

Productive means producing goods and services that exchange value.

Exchange means to hand over goods in return for equivalent value in kind or the representation of its value.

The key phrase here is exchange value. What things in this world have exchange value?It is disconcerting when you realise that the only useful part of you is that which can be sold or made part of an economy. Have i really exchange my time and effort, my life, for the dubious pleasure of continuing to survive?

Ah, but, we are no longer tied to an endless search for food and shelter; we can rest and relax. We have our time after work, our weekends, our retirement, It is in these moments that we can do exactly as e please and pursue our own idle pleasures; listen to music, play computer games, carve wood or go camping. Life is not hard as it once was.

HOWEVER, HISTORY TELLS US that most mediaeval European serfs only worked for two-thirds of the year and that pre-civilisation humans generally lived in the state of relative abundance.

When the aboriginal people of Australia met the Europeans, they had no concept of work. They did not understand when Europeans told them that if they did tasks for them they would be paid in food or others items. They could not make the connections underlaying the system of economic exchange.

Why are we led to believe that the past was a place of hardship and travail? Maybe it is because there was indeed one period of history that fitted that description, but it is quite recent.

My father and mother lived through the end of this period; they saw the world change from one of genuine struggle to survive, to one where survival was assured. This period lasted from the end of mediaeval times tot he years immediately after the Second World War. This is the period that encompasses The Industrial Revolution and world colonization, and was the time during which modern economy, capitalism, established itself and refined its operations.

People of my age grew up being told that we were getting everything on a platter, and we heard the stories of hard ship from our parents. We grew up thinking that the past was hard and uncomfortable. Maybe this is why we think that progress, in general terms, is a good thing.

All societies are determined by the way people "make a living" In Pre-civilisation societies that living was directly connected to the land. In modern society we all make a living by serving some function in the economy, for which we are paid money. Once we have this money we are able to buy what we need to live.

Capitalism, which has replaced all other modes of living, is an economic system that has reached so deeply into the heart of humankind that is able to recreate itself automatically within the mind, brain and creative impulse of human beings. Our economic system is based on the large-scale brutalism which resulted in the successful spread of this single economic system to all parts of the world. In this massive process of revolutionizing the way the world works, we have also changed as human beings.

When rural workers were forced from the land to work in the factories of Europe and North America, they were physically and emotionally shocked at the new work routines they encountered. They fought these new regimes by not coming to work. By breaking machines. They would claim spurious Holy Days as justifications for a sleep in and a day off. Such obstruction could not be allowed to continue, so life in the factories become more authoritarian and brutal.

This new regime for living spread beyond the workspace. When pre-civilisation people were used in factory situations in the new empires across the globe, they simply died from the trauma of it. In Medieval Europe, ordinary people worked far less that we do now. They would be aghast at how little we know of the land, and how much of our time we spend working for faceless others. They would understand, however, why we are consumed by stress and mental illness. We are not the same people that our distant ancestors were. The survivors amongst us are harder, we glint, like steel. We have lost our sensitivity, our kindness.

In pre-civilisation times the occupants of the land travelled and exchanged tools and artifacts across continents and beyond. This was a kind of economy, but it in no way resembles the one under which the world we lives today. The point of what was done in a pre-civilisation society was to reproduce the human community in which the people lived.

The capital of this society (and any pre-civilisation society) is the human being. It is the human being that is recreated and reproduced. In modern society we live under an economy which only reproduces human as a bi-product.

What is recreated and reproduced now is wealth, or capital.Modern society is geared to recreate the wealth of individuals, business and corporations; while most other humans play only a part as small, interchangeable cogs in this process. Their part is equal to the materials or land used. Just like oil or land, most humans are now a commodity to be used in the re-creation of profit and wealth. Even those individuals who seem to benefit from great wealth are only part of a process in which they have also sold themselves. Like the rest of us, they are commodities too.

Humanity has lost its animal status, and this is not a good thing. All animals adapt to their environment in order to keep that environmental healthy. Non-adaptation results in strange phenomena. It can result in massive population explosions, for example among rabbits introduced in Australia, or humans who have divorced from the land and turned into slaves of wages.

These population explosion are signs of non-suitability; they will be accompanied by massive, periodic epidemics, famines and constant battle.

Are we in hopeless dead-end part2

2010-09-29T03:43:00.004+08:00

Humans are conscious beings; they are able to treat their won lives an an object, something they can consciously change and affect. They can consciously change and affect. They are therefore able to imagine possible futures and strive to achieve them. Their consciousness of the possibilities of their won existence fives them a practical, individual freedom.

This freedom is determined and restricted by material circumstances. In the present day, the activity of humans is bound within the parameters set by the way that humans must secure a means of living. The activity if humans in the present day is, therefore, not free activity.

In pre-civilisation societies humans were also restricted in their ability to pursue free activity. They made their own history, their own lives, but within a certain framework. Their activity was not free either.

The human mind is a creature of the material circumstances in finds itself in.

Since humans are conscious of their activity and life (even if they are often misguided about what is really happening) they are able to stand apart from it. Unlike animals, which are defined largely by their activities, human activity is not what defines them. It is the consciousness of their activity which defines them.

The chances they have to change their way of living, however, are not to be found in their ideas because their ideas are always bound by the parameters determined by material circumstances. The only successful genuine revolutionary event that has been well documented is the revolution from the Medieval mode of production of the Capitalist mode of production. Capitalism was a burgeoning economic force, which was already superseding Feudalism by the time of the 1688 English Revolution, the French revolution and the Russian Revolution which were all instances of the economic order overturning the established political regime.

These revolutions did not happen because people had ideas; they happened because of economic forces.

But we have misled ourselves about the power of ideas. We now think that ideas can change the world. But they don't. The only thing they can do is strengthen the current economic system. Thus, plans for the new world, as drawn up by the traditional left revolutionaries will reflect current economic modes. Their revolution is more likely to be a self-managed counter-revolution than anything else.

Both types of society, modern and pre-civilisation, lack the individualist freedom that is so highly valued in modern civilized society. Freedom is a concept coming out of the era of the bourgeois revolutions.

Freedom did not exist in pre-civilisation times. The modern ideals of individual freedom, or love or friendship, have developed in a society that is based on the alienation of humans from their daily existence and from each other. They are romantic ideals conceived to alleviate the existence and from each other. They are romantic ideals conceived to alleviate the existential despair of living in a society which champions individualism over commodity.

What pre-civilisation societies retained was a conscious symbiosis with the land that made their existence closer to that animals. Although the parameters of their thought were constrained by this symbiosis, they had more than us. They existed as part of something, whereas we exist in isolation from any reference points apart from those given by the economic system.

We can no longer feel and know the earth, even as it falls through our fingers. We do no longer look around us and know the trees and the hills as our real home, our real parent. The high points of human culture and sophistication, which are only to be found in pre-civilised society, have long gone.

Every opposition we throw against the dominate social and economic organization of our lives only feeds into that structure and makes it stronger.

We are caught inside an existential loop from which there is no escape.

September2009-April2010

Please support & get the zine, lots of interesting articles~
Available free by hand & at certain distros but i guess you just pay for the postage

'http://www.fifthestate.org/'

2010-09-28T23:09:00.000+08:00

Blue Wednesday #8

2010-09-27T18:12:00.002+08:00

'Blue Wednesday #8'
Date/day: 29th September 2010 (Wednesday)
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Annexe Gallery, Central Market, KL
Admission: FREE!!

Featuring:

Azmyl Yunor
Mislina Mustaffa
Tshiung Han See
Shh...Diam!

Pustaka Semesta infoshop

2010-09-27T16:07:00.005+08:00

contributed some mural art to Pustaka Semesta infoshop

'Pustaka Semesta Infoshop fundraiser'
'Pustaka Semesta'
'Kudeta Kolektif'

Deadlines exhibition 2

2010-09-27T16:01:00.006+08:00

pix by KK

'DEADLINES: An Art Exhibition About Things We Just Can't Seem To Escape'
22 September at 20:00 - 10 October at 20:00
Venue: The Annexe Gallery, 2nd Flr, Central Market Annexe Centrel Market Annexe Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Deadline exhibition

2010-09-27T15:42:00.009+08:00

'DEADLINES: An Art Exhibition About Things We Just Can't Seem To Escape'
22 September at 20:00 - 10 October at 20:00
Venue: The Annexe Gallery, 2nd Flr, Central Market Annexe Centrel Market Annexe Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Artforgrabs Sep2010

2010-09-27T15:24:00.008+08:00

pix by KK
'ArtforGrabs'

Indignation exhibition/deathpenalty/blackhole Singapore 2010

2010-09-27T14:40:00.009+08:00

'give Vui Kong 2nd chance'

LanggarLari 2010

2010-09-27T14:18:00.006+08:00

'LanggarLari-Pusher'
'LanggarLari-TBIAPB'

Massa Kritikal June2010

2010-09-27T13:50:00.003+08:00

'MassaKritikal/The Garrison'

KL Zine Fest/Gudang Noisy July2010

2010-09-24T14:08:00.008+08:00

'KL Zine Fest/Gudang Noisy July2010'
'KL Zine Fest1'
'KL Zine Fest2'
'KL Zine Fest3'

Hitchhiking pt4 Ipoh - Gopeng

2010-06-21T10:54:00.021+08:00

Hitchhiking pt3 Ipoh - Gopeng
hitchhiking from KL > Kkb > Tg Malim > Ipoh > Gopeng > Kampar > Tapah > Bidor > Sungkai > KL with Mimi,Gaga,Hehe & Koko

The bus stopped at the main road. Like the bus conductor said "from here it's just 3km walk to the cave (Gua Tempurung)". We asked a local & she said with a tone like you must be out of you bloody mind to walk there. By now we've noticed that time & distance varies depends on the people & the place where they're coming from. We walk quite a bit until this pakcik who's riding on an old kapchai stopped by & ask. Without a second thoughts Gaga is already happily hop on the bike & out of sight in no time. All of us reach our destination safely regardless what's the worse thing could happen that's been playing around our heads. In an infinite green thickness of the jungle anything can happen.

Like i told everybody about the trip. The cave was like Lord of the rings meet Harry porter. It's an exaggeration but magical. There are some drawings from the communists army who's using it as their camp. It's a an elaborate drawings of an assasination plan of Henry Gurney. Google.

From Gua Tempurung to Kelly's Castle we get to ride on an old pakcik's beat up van, It's his main transportation & for his fishing trip. It was a bumpy ride all the way but we enjoyed it. It's a 2 in 1 body,mind & soul massage & point A to B van.

There's nothing in Kelly's castle, don't go there. From Kelly's castle we're hitchin a ride on another photography studio van which heading back to KL. It was a bit cramped with all the camera equipments but enough space for 4 of us to cuddles inside & enjoy the view from the back window. They drop us at Tapah. Another small colonial left overs town. Thanks for the ride guys, by now i've forgotten their names but i remember that strange blue contacts one of the guys was wearing. If i'm not mistaken its blue in colour & its pupil is like cats eyes, it hard not to stare long enough. They were eager to know about our journey & was asking if we have a facebook account.

Hitchhiking pt3 Tg.Malim - Ipoh A

2010-06-21T09:36:00.010+08:00

Hitchhiking pt2 Tg.Malim - Ipoh
hitchhiking from KL > Kkb > Tg Malim > Ipoh > Gopeng > Kampar > Tapah > Bidor > Sungkai > KL with Mimi,Gaga,Hehe & Koko
We reach Ipoh around 8pm it was drizzling & cold like the aircond from the bus just now. Dinner & already tired. The plan to sleep on the street was canceled since we found a cheap room for 4 of us.It was a very nice old hotel. Lots of old buildings here they look so beautiful i wanted to draw them.

Hitchhiking pt3 Tg.Malim - Ipoh B

2010-06-21T09:04:00.017+08:00

Hitchhiking pt2 Tg.Malim - Ipoh
hitchhiking from KL > Kkb > Tg Malim > Ipoh > Gopeng > Kampar > Tapah > Bidor > Sungkai > kL with Mimi,Gaga,Hehe & Koko

From Ipoh town we manage to get a ride on a 4 wheel drive out to small town Gopeng. From there we took a bus to Gua Tempurung which the bus conductor said its not far from the main road, just 3km. (Depends on which planet you're coming from. Some people may experience 13km & some 30km)

Hitchhiking pt2 KKB - Tg.Malim

2010-06-20T21:21:00.013+08:00

Hitchhiking pt2 KKB - Tg.Malim
hitchhiking from kL > Kkb > Tg Malim > Ipoh > Kampar > Tapa > Bidor > Sungkai > kL with Mimi,Gaga,Hehe & Koko

Thanks Antares for the stay at Bamboo palace & Azlan for the ride to train station. The last pix above is us on the bus to Ipoh.

Hitchhiking pt1 KL - KKB

2010-06-20T14:27:00.013+08:00

Hitchhiking from kL >Kkb >Tg Malim > Ipoh > Kampar > Tapa > Bidor >Sungkai > kL with Mimi,Gaga,Hehe & Koko
After Artforgrabs we have to get out of KL away from the city. The magick river was really magickals

'Illustrations''Portfolio'

monster bike

2010-06-10T00:26:00.001+08:00

via 'FGGT'

night rider

2010-06-01T14:25:00.006+08:00

so sunday

2010-06-01T01:04:00.006+08:00

No coal for Sabah! postcard project

2010-05-18T00:00:00.003+08:00

'No coal for Sabah' - 'sign petition online' - 'Top 10 Countries Killing the Planet'

2010-04-29T14:42:00.004+08:00

One Percent For the Planet | Sweetpea Bicycles from felt soul media on Vimeo.

sweet pea bycicles

(Sat 17/4/10) S8 to 1Cafe to S8

2010-04-19T14:23:00.021+08:00

Sat 17/4/10 S88 to 1Cafe & back to S8
Both of my thighs still hurt today. Last Saturday we started cycling from S8 around 6pm & reach 1 cafe near Chowkit around 50 minutes later. Right after we got into the motorbike lane the rain started to fall & we took shelter with other motorcyclists under the bridge. Lightning & thunderstorm was on top of us. When it started to drizzle we continue back our journey. Going uphill was a sheer torture on a fixie & i get jealous looking at them free gears coasting or glide effortlessly downhill. I guess not many cars on the road on Saturday if to compare on normal weekdays but still they were like missiles you have to avoid & giving a hand signal can really save lives.

Sweat was pouring like a wild river, i remember swallowing some back in. 100plus was dancing on my mind. At 1cafe there were plenty of other riders. Sitting down still breathing heavily & sweating profusely while enjoying the bike scenery, bundles of them parking right outside the cafe. Most of them locally assembled & some of them clearly ordered from somewhere over the seas.

Besides cycling another reason was to check out the gig. Overall the bands were ok, Saw them playing before but Crimescene gave everyone something to remember especially the organizers or the pub owner. Bought a couple of zines & meet the regulars & some were really wasted.

Cycling back home wasn't so bad either, same thing it was drizzling all the way back to S8. At night there were less cars on the road which i felt much safer & again some parts of the road was real torture especially uphill, you can tell if its uphill when suddenly you thigh giving you the throbbing signal. I was literally breathing straight from the lungs itself plus we haven't had any dinner.

It was 12am that we got back home & crash at the mamak for dinner+supper. Good thing it wasn't a thunderstorm and riding in the drizzling rain & getting all wet was really good. Now i'm contemplating of getting another (gear) bike which maybe a good idea for a long distance cycling. Make car history(hopefully).

My bike wasn't assembled 100% accurately due to human error. This uncle succeeded in doing some minor corrective surgery now she's one happy post-op & living her life to the fullest.

Vialka at RiceAbove#8

2010-04-09T13:03:00.005+08:00

Vialka hail from deepest France, via everywhere and nowhere. They are a devilishly high-spirited guitar/drums duo who tour hard and fast across the world. Their music skips joyfully across borders, channeling desert blues, Chinese folk songs, scatter rock and European gypsy song dynamics in a whirlwind of dervish energy. Their endless gypsy punk folk rock tales, hard hitting poly-rhythms and yelps and howls make for a danceable and intoxicating brew. Like A Hawk And A Hacksaw or The Ex their openness to new sounds and cultures makes you feel alive and shows that 'world punk rock' need not be a dirty phrase.

'Vialka','Vialka myspace'

RiceAbove#8

2010-04-08T11:02:00.007+08:00

'RiceAbove#8'
'Vialka','Vialka','MarlinSpike','Khayal','Ciplak','DengDengEtc'

beware of cars

2010-04-08T00:49:00.014+08:00

Bike hunting & assembling. Buying a bicycle & using it is also a political move, a choice & an ideology to push for it as a main transport & everyday use & of course also for health benefits. hopefully its not just a pipe dream for some of the cyclists here who's using it as their main transportation. we definitely want this city to become or at least bicycle friendly city.

Few days back we went for bike hunting. 1st the 'Gwcycle' shop in Shah Alam (got lost & went through a thunder storm before we reached the place), at least we got 2 happy cyclists who got their bikes there.They carry mostly used, imported bicycle mostly from Japan & another 1 is from 'here' also used & imported Japanese bike. I couldn't find mine, at least i've to see the bike in front of my eyes or test it before purchase. Some friends recommended the ABC bike shop & it is the perfect place, i heard many ppl around the country come to this place even international cyclists. The bike connoisseur who put a bike together in a few hours according to your needs or what he thinks is right for you and also fix everything bicycle. In a couple of hours & its done & its locally made. (^_^)

Sharidar/Nizam

2010-04-05T12:48:00.011+08:00

at KLsingsong 09

at recent MAP arts festival.

This is the 2nd time i watch them live & they're really amazing skilled & humble musicians. Been around long enough but don't have any album even though they've recorded their songs. All they wanted to do is just to play live. After the goreng/solo people never failed to clap & cheers even if their 1st time watching them.

MAP Arts Fest 2

2010-04-05T11:47:00.014+08:00

'MAP Art Fest'
7.30pm
Opening of “Once Upon a Time in Malaysia” group art exhibition curated by Arteri
Arteri presents the launch of the MAP arts space with a group exhibition “Once Upon a Time in Malaysia”. Drawing upon the popular medium of story-telling, it features emerging artists from Malaysia, looking at how the diversity of the Malaysian narrative shape the way we understand ourselves and one another. The 28-artist exhibition will showcase works by some of the most established names in the Malaysian art world such as Wong Hoy Cheong, Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Ahmad Fuad Osman, Hamir Soib. In addition to this, a large part of the exhibition will also be dedicated for the introduction of emerging talents such as Samsudin Wahab, Shieko Reto, Saiful Razman, Phuan Thai Meng, Melissa Lin, Poodien, Rahmat Haron and Ilham Fadhli.

MAPs Art Fest 1

2010-04-02T21:28:00.007+08:00

'MAP大型艺展 | MAP Arts Festival'
'MAPKL'

VORTEX featuring Mike Cooper, C-drík aka Kirdec & Shaun The MindFuckingBoy

2010-03-19T13:02:00.003+08:00

'VORTEX featuring Mike Cooper, C-drík aka Kirdec & Shaun The MindFuckingBoy'

'Mike Cooper (Italy)'
For the past 40 years Mike Cooper has been an international musical explorer, performing and recording, solo and in a number of inspired groupings and a variety of genres. Initially a folk-blues guitarist and singer songwriter his work has diversified to include improvised and electronic music, live music for silent films, radio art and sound installations. He is also a music journalist, writing features for magazines, particularly on Pacific music and musicians, a visual artist, film and video maker, collector of Hawaiian shirts and appears on more than 60 records to date.

'C-drík aka Kirdec (Belgium)'
I'm a musician, producer and sometimes gig organizer and dj who was born in the so-called Democratic Republic of Congo (ex-Zaire) during the 20th century when people thought the 21st century would look like a science-fiction world (in fact it is but most people don't see it).
I'm of Greek, Zairian and Belgian descent. Not white, nor black, for some I look like what people call in French "un quarteron" (something you could translate by "a quadroon" in English but the meaning is slightly different), for some I look like an Arab, for some I look like a Malay or an Indonesian, for some like a gay [ah, well, you know a guy full of make-up and wearing a skirt...] for some like a punk for some like a girl so at least I'm supposed to be something called a human : I have one head, two arms, two legs, a body and all the rest.

'Shaun The MindFuckingBoy (Singapore)'
Shaun Sankaran alias Mindfuckingboy is one of the pioneering harsh noise artists in Singapore. His music is a catharsis of emotions, a purge of self and an expression of those intimacies that are denied words. Since 2003, he has performed in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom as well as neighbouring Asian countries like Malaysia, Philippines and recently Indonesia. Shaun also plays guitars for /Elekore/ together with C-drik Fermont from Belgium and Marc Chia (One Man Nation). Shaun received his B.A. in Recording Arts from Middlesex University, UK. His latest release, a self titled album, is an ode to the kind of noise that reminds the listener that there is a connection between matter and abstraction, that noise is not “noisy” as much as stimulating.

RiceAbove#6

2010-03-19T11:41:00.010+08:00

'RiceAbove #6'
Too many people, couldn't get to the front & take the band photos. Only the energy & surroundings.Bands playing: Infectious maggots, Apparatus, Enslaved chaos, Kuchalana & Infinite delay. Good to hear the original line up of the Maggots playing but without the samplers. Raw stuff.

Wheel Love BikeAite Fixie party

2010-03-17T13:12:00.005+08:00

Art for Grabs March 2010

2010-03-09T15:42:00.008+08:00

fun fun fun like a bowl of hor fun

kongheikonghei

2010-02-23T11:43:00.000+08:00

RiceAbove#2

2010-02-23T09:34:00.005+08:00

'RiceAbove#2'

RiceAbove #1

2010-02-23T09:23:00.003+08:00

'RiceAbove#1'
'TheGarrison'
'Pusher'
'Carburetor Dung'

arkitipxevanhecox

2010-02-10T13:59:00.001+08:00

Evan Hecox from Arkitip, Inc. on Vimeo.

'evanhecox'

Education

2010-02-09T15:47:00.003+08:00

I wish i've seen this when i was young in school. Should be taught in kindergarten,primary school,secondary school,college,universities and at home. Period.

A People's History of American Empire by Howard Zinn

2010-02-03T02:16:00.004+08:00

HOWARD ZINN: YOU CAN'T BE NEUTRAL ON A MOVING TRAIN
Film Screening
Fri 5 Feb, 8pm
Presented by The Annexe Gallery & Friends
Wiith the support of Central Market
Admission by RM2 donation

In celebration of the life and work of Howard Zinn who passed away recently, The Annexe Gallery & Friends are delighted to present a screening of “Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral On A Moving Train (2004)”.

The documentary, directed by Deb Ellis and Dennis Mueller, looks at the amazing life of the renowned historian, activist and author. Following his early days as a shipyard labor organizer and bombardier in World War II, Zinn became an academic rebel and leader of civil disobedience in a time of institutionalized racism and war. His influential writings shone light on and became a voice to factory workers, immigrant laborers, African Americans, Native Americans and the working poor.

Noam Chomsky, who claims that Zinn "changed the consciousness of a generation," is featured in several interviews, along with Marian Wright Edelman, Alice Walker, Tom Hayden, Daniel Ellsberg, and Zinn himself. The documentary also features rare archival footage.

78 mins. English. Narrated by Matt Damon. Featuring music by Pearl Jam, Woody Guthrie & Billy Bragg.

+

ABOUT HOWARD ZINN

Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010) was an American historian, author, activist, playwright, intellectual and Professor of Political Science at Boston University from 1964 to 1988. He wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential “A People's History of the United States”. Zinn also wrote extensively about the civil rights, civil liberties and anti-war movements.

KL ZZZZZZZZ

2010-02-02T01:22:00.005+08:00

KL Dreaming & BEYOND OUR CITY: LIGHTS & MYTHS

TheStoneRevivals

2010-01-31T17:05:00.002+08:00

electric version from the previous Blues Wednesday event

accoustic/sax version from KLSingsong event
http://www.myspace.com/thestonedrevivals

sweatshop

2010-01-30T15:16:00.005+08:00

teaching/communication. Thx Koon!

seksualiti

2010-01-29T01:34:00.008+08:00

On sexuality rights in Malaysia....considered it as last minute job,
an impromptu & a picture of a nice guitar with some caption..
both mural painting and the guitar are brilliant tools to eliminate fascism..

Everything's going to be alright

2010-01-11T14:23:00.014+08:00

This event or maybe group performance was made in conjunction with the 4th church being attack by unknown individual or coward useless entity. The event started at Bukit Bintang in front of Maybank and then move on to the Pavillion.
Some people were clueless and asking what is it about and some just walk pass by and smile after being given a flower... There's a police van park by the Pavillion entrance trying to shoo us away but Marina Mahathir was there explaining what and why we're doing the peaceful demo. Thank you Marina for the immunity. By today there are 8 churches being attacked in an attempt halfheartedly to set the sacred place ablaze. Is this place going to be a taliban country or jamban country?... both doesn't smell good, let's see what happen next. One after another stupid things happening pushing this country to a brand new low. Let's see what's coming up next...but to optimistic or halfhearted optimistic like me, "everythings is going to be alright!"

01.01.10.

2010-01-03T13:07:00.006+08:00

it was 7:45pm, i was walking about (a failed effort towards jogging), a guy passed by on my right side while talking to his mobile quite loudly "you doing your family thing?" it's 1st Jan 2010 everywhere all around the road was empty, only few signs of movement here and there, probably not zombies but its a scene quite like any zombie movies i've seen, like a deserted town, every shops was closed...back to the guy who just passed by, i figured he might feel a little lonely & was calling his friend for a dinner but his hope was shattered to pieces by the "dinner with family"...i wish i could turn my head and shout Hey!, let's have a drink..." but Mien have already ordered the pizza, hmmm...haven't had that healthy meal for ages...

Nothing much on 1st Jan 2010, my horoscope tells me the year of the tiger will bring far reaching changes for everyone...isn't it the same every year?
they just edit the words here and there. Now who's behind this horoscope-scam?!

We had pizza for dinner & was watching Dr.Who season 1,..i've seen most of the season except season 1 but today i've completed season 1, yes! what an accomplishment for the start of the year! After that we're watching Life on Mars, another one of good BBC series. What captured me between these 2 programs are both of the show's main characters mention the same line which stuck in my head. Now what are the odds of watching these 2 shows and both of their lead actors mention the same line? "have a wonderful life" said both of the lead actors to the other 2nd-lead actresses in both of the shows,...and so i shall take this as a good message, and to everyone who's reading this "Have a wonderful life!" in 2010!

'This year you will...'

ArtforGrabs Dec09

2009-12-20T16:26:00.010+08:00

...lately im not good with words or having trouble putting them into a proper sentences...i just let the photos do the talking....

Sentuh-ed

2009-12-19T10:47:00.005+08:00

'Illustrations'
'Portfolio'

projeksentuh

2009-12-05T03:11:00.002+08:00

'Sentuh@Frinjan'

Tebabo tshirt@PopTv/Bir

2009-11-11T22:17:00.003+08:00

Go Fahmi!