Those Were The Days........

From Colonel Mike Naser Taib:

Those were the days, my friends ....
Wong Peng Soon was our favuorite badminton player



Ghani Minat was our favourite soccer hero, and

Rose Chan was our favourite entertainer.

You are not cool if you do not have a long side burn, greasy hair (held together by Brylcream) with a floppy "bun" in front. Then you are either an Elvis fan or a Cliff (Richard) fan. You cannot be neutral.

Films by P Ramlee always enjoyed by all Malaysians. How can we forget classics like Do-Re-Mi and Bujang Lapok, and seeing P Ramlee dueting with Saloma on "Gelora", aaaaah ... that was something else.

Because we reared Siamese fighting fishes, the seller was our idol.



Driving license renewal was by pasting an additional slip at the back of a small red booklet

Susu lembu was house delivered by our big friendly and strong Bahiii ............. on his bicycle in a stainless steel container. The container cap served as a funnel.



Kacang puteh man came a-peddling, walking and balancing on his head 6 compartments of different type of murukus ...and we barter our old exercise books for a paper cone of kacang putih.



We can enjoy monthly credit "facilities" from our friendly neighbourhood sundry shop by using the little "555" book. This was the "credit card" of the day.



F&N orange was served in wooden crates and displayed on the table in the homes during Chinese New Year.



M&M 's was called Treets ..



Eating chicken was a treat that happened only once on Chinese New Year and once on "Chap Goh Meh", Deepavali, Christmas or Hari Raya.



We always carried in our pocket a packet of fire crackers during the Chinese New Year.



We always carry a one ringgit note at night in case we are stopped by a mata-mata (policeman) for not having tail lights on our bicycles.



One noodle 'chow kway teow' cost 30 sen and we bring our own egg.



One 'roti canai' cost 15 sen and one banana for 5 sen.



We bought bangkali bread from the Indian roti man who paddled his bicycle around the neighbourhood with the familiar ringing sound from his bicycle.



Sometimes we bought cold storage bread wrapped in wax paper. Spread the bread with butter and kaya wrap with the wax paper and take to school.



Crop crew cut by the travelling Indian or Hockchew barber; 30 sen a haircut, all the way to the top. Reason?.. easy to dry when curi swimming.



During weekends, went swimming in the river, no swimming trunks, only birthday suits. No one laugh at you whether your "kuku bird" is small, crooked, etc.



On Sunday morning, listened to Kee Huat Radio's "Fantastic Facts and Fancies", andSaturday, "Top of the Pops", both hosted by DJ Patrick Teoh who always ended his show with, "Here's wishing you blue skies."



Saturday morning, go for cheap matinee shows at the Cathay Cinema, usually cowboy shows or Greek mythology like "Jason and the Golden Fleece".



The Cathay Cinema at Jalan Bukit Bintang [opposite the Federal Hotel]. First opened in 1959 with the film, "Campbell's Kingdom".

Father gave 70 sen for cheap matinee shows which normally started at 10.30 am on Saturdays and Sundays - 50 sen for the ticket and 20 sen for return bus fare, makan not included. Nobody paid 1 ringgit for the 'Reserved' seat.



Believe it or not, we had double-decker buses owned by the Toong Foong Omnibus Company. Whenever we boarded the bus, we would run to the upper deck to get a view of the journey.



The familiar double-decker Toong Foong bus

5 sen for kacang putih and 10 sen for ice "ang tau". Sometimes, ice ball only 5 sen "pau ang tau" and half red sugar, and the other half black sugar or sarsi.



Never, never, never talked or mixed with girls until Form 5. Learned the Waltz, Cha Cha, Rhumba, Foxtrot and Offbeat Cha Cha from a classmate's sister. First time dancing with a girl, nearly froze and the heart went "botobom, botobom ..."



Standard cure for headache, take Aspro. We took a lot of sweet stuff like candy floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups .... and diabetes was rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was a remedy for fever. Tonic water always taken at the first hint of Malaria.



First time used a modern toilet, I squatted on it as I was used to using the "bucket system" toilet. Our children will not know the danger of visiting the outdoor toilet at night, nor jumping in fright when the man collect the bucket while you are doing your business.

Toilet paper is torn up newspaper on a hook which you have to crumple first before applying. White toilet paper was an unknown luxury until I left home.

With mere 5 pebbles (stones), we could turn it into an endless game. With a ball (tennis ball best), we boys would run like crazy for hours.



We caught guppies in drains/canals and when it rained, we swam there.




We ate salty, very sweet and oily food, candies, bread and real butter, and drank condensed milk in coffee/tea, iced kacang, but we weren't overweight because we ran, cycled or climbed trees all day. We fell from the trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and still we continued the stunts.



We never had birthday parties until we were 21.



We never heard of "bumiputra" and neither "1Malaysia", because we were already one Malaysian.




When parents found out we were caned in school, it's certain we would get another round at home. Parents always sided with the teachers.




We fly kites with string coated with pounded glass powder and horse glue, and we cut our hand on the string. Happiness is winning a kite with a local samseng. I forgot, we also have to make our own kites to suit our "fighting styles".



We are the last generation to know how to use logarithm tables and slide rulers.



We had telephones which were really, really heavy weights.



And I believe, this generation produces the best parents because we remember the hard times.

Silent No More? Is Iskandar Fareez Part Of The Minority Or Majority?

Found this in the Malaysian Insider:


The Malay phobia: Isma fearing its own shadows – Iskandar Fareez

MAY 17, 2014

I grew up listening to various Malay folklore and legends. Among them were the stories of Si Tanggang and Hang Jebat. Si Tanggang was a poor boy who grew up and ventured out to be the captain of his own ship and married a princess. As the legend goes, when Si Tanggang returned to his home village, he was ashamed of his humble origins and refused to recognise his elderly mother. Then, he was cursed by his mother to turn into stone.

Hang Jebat was the closest companion of the legendary Malaccan hero Hang Tuah. Hang Jebat turned against the Sultan of Malacca when he believed that Hang Tuah had been executed by the ruler. After learning that Hang Tuah was still alive, the Sultan ordered him to kill Hang Jebat. Hang Tuah managed to stab Hang Jebat after a long and challenging battle. Until today, the death of Hang Jebat is often cited as an example of the price one pays for disobeying a ruler.

Listening to these stories in school, we were made to study the lessons that we can learn from them. I realised that these folklore are merely stories passed down from one generation to the next and interpreted in a way to instil fear in the hearts of listeners so they will be in good behaviour.

They do not teach us to love our mothers. They teach us to fear the consequences of defying her. They do not teach us to respect our leaders. They teach us to fear the consequences of going against them. In the end, being conditioned from the beginning, fear motivates every single one of our thoughts. Fear becomes the guiding inspiration for every single one of our actions.

I believe it is this fear or phobia that motivated the president of Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), Ustaz Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, to label the Chinese as trespassers brought in by the British to Tanah Melayu to oppress and bully the Malays. He also went on to suggest that these “proxies to the Jewish Zionist evangelists” are seeking to dissolve Malays' racial construct and bury Islam as the national identity.

Abdullah Zaik is not alone in his quest. Recently, Abdul Rahman Mat Dali, vice president of Isma, questioned the loyalty of non-Malays and suggested that when they came to Tanah Melayu, they could not even speak a word of Bahasa Malaysia.

These statements show that Isma suffers from a major issue of inferiority complex. This issue evolved into a severe case of xenophobia, "an irrational or unreasoned fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange". Unfortunately, this not only true for Isma but permeates within the majority of the Malay Muslim community in Malaysia.

Extreme paranoia has led us to believe that everything in the world is against us. All things foreign or different are considered as a conspiracy agenda of the Illuminati, Freemasons, Jewish Zionist Evangelist, Shiites, Wahhabi, communist, socialist, capitalist and Red Bean Army. It is more worrying when we start to justify these phobias along religious lines.

Indeed, this is the danger when we mix religion with race. In Malaysia, a Malay person must be Muslim but a Muslim may not be Malay. In Isma’s struggle to defend Malay supremacy, they have overlooked this reality. They have portrayed a version of Islam that is racist and unjust. By taking the extremists' view, they may be isolating those who want to learn more about Islam. How then can Islam thrive if we take this extreme approach?

Despite Isma’s claim that Islam is under threat by foreign elements, it seems that it is Muslims themselves who are taking this narrow and extremist approach that are threatening the religion. It is unfortunate that those who are as well educated as Isma, most of which are who Muslim professionals who pursued their studies abroad using taxpayers' money mostly contributed by non-Muslims or non-Malays, are very regressive in their thinking.

Phobias like this motivate us to act reactively to issues that arise without discussing the crux of the matter. This approach causes us to resort to extreme measures such as the banning of Faisal Tehrani’s novels and Darwin’s translated works, out of fear that these materials will corrupt the mind of the community.

We are reduced to becoming a superficial society where we judge one another by how Islamic they portray themselves to be. Muslims nowadays are satisfied to practise only the ritualistic part of the religion while abandoning the essence of Islam that preaches peace and acceptance.

As much as I disagree with Isma’s statement, I do not wish for them to be charged under any laws of the country. In a democratic society that aspires to practise freedom of speech, any idea, no matter how racist or idiotic, has to be given space. It is then up to us to provide constructive counter arguments so that a healthy discourse can flourish. We have to speak up and voice our concerns. If our voices are not heard, extremists like Isma and Perkasa will continue to speak on our behalf.

The western civilization achieved progress because they embraced knowledge. Knowledge is like a beacon of light that brought the western civilization out of the midst of the dark ages. When we choose to remain ignorant, we will forever dwell in the shadows of fear, suspicion and doubt. If Malay Muslims want to progress, we have to stop blaming others. Embrace knowledge and learn, as it will be a guiding light for a brighter future.

"I went to the West and saw Islam, but no Muslims; I got back to the East and saw Muslims, but not Islam." - Muhammad Abduh. – May 17, 2014.

* Iskandar Fareez reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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Watch This:

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Dr Asri Zainul Abidin weighs in:

Ex-mufti slams extremist Islamist groups, says Christianity and Islam closely related

BY HASBULLAH AWANG CHIK
MAY 17, 2014

Islam is not under attack in Malaysia, and extremist Islamist groups that constantly warn of alleged Christianisation are only shaming their own religion, says prominent Islamic scholar Dr Asri Zainul Abidin (pic).

The former mufti of Perlis said efforts by any religious community to spread their teaching was a natural phenomenon in all countries, and it did not merit knee-jerk reactions from Muslims in Malaysia‎.

"I want to remind Muslims not to be shocked if there are people who invite them to join Christianity. Of course religious leaders will feel that theirs' is the true religion, and would want to invite others to join them.


"Some Muslims are so shocked by this, as if it's the end of the world... (but) Muslims in the UK, the US and Europe also campaign for Christians to join Islam.

"So the same is being done here. It is a normal phenomenon that does not require us to react in such a chaotic manner, as if our country is in a state of emergency," Asri told The Malaysian Insider.

"The closest people to the Muslims are Christians. The Quran‎ says you will find that the people who love Muslims the most are Christians."

Asri was responding to the controversial seminar on Christology and the use of the word Allah, held‎ last week at the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Several speakers had warned Muslims against the threat of Christianisation and belittled the Bible as containing "tales‎", while copies of a book titled "Exposing the Christian agenda" were distributed among the students.

The recent events had strained ties between the two biggest religious communities in Malaysia, which were already in conflict over the decades-long tussle over the use of the word Allah.

Christians make up 2.9 million of Malaysia's 30 million population, with two-thirds of the adherents residing in Sabah and Sarawak.

Asri reminded Muslims in Malaysia that they had no reason to be worried about the fate of their religion, as no attack had been launched against Islam.

The Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) had fanned the flames of religious intolerance when it called Chinese migrants brought to Malaya as "trespassers", and warned of "foreign races" and Jewish Zionist evangelists who were intent on burying Islam.

The groups' remarks have triggered outcry among Malaysians‎, but Putrajaya ‎has remained silent over Isma's statements.

Asri said extremist Islamist non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were tarnishing the image of Islam and spreading confusion among Muslims over the true teaching of the faith.

"We must not be so extreme. There are NGOs‎ which want to promote themselves, but are over the top in doing so," said Asri.

"They make Islam look as if it is so weak. Islam has strong arguments that proves it is the true religion. ‎(The NGOs) should not be so worried. We are worried because we are not doing our work properly," he said, although he did not mention the name of such groups.

Asri added that while Islam does not stop its adherents from criticising other religions, it should be done academically and not be based on emotions or simplistic arguments.

"If we spark enmity in a peaceful environment, eventually people will fight one another, despite the fact that they were originally living in harmony.

"This is not allowed in any religion, unless someone has initiated a war," said the scholar.‎ – May 17, 2014.

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This Malay girl must beat the Chinese man in Teluk Intan! The country needs her to win.

UPDATE 18th May 2014:
Shahrizat an example of how UMNO has failed women, says Dyana Sofya

May Day Anti-GST Rally. YNWA

5,000? 10,000? 20,000, 30,000, or 50,000? More? Will it matter?

Have attended so many such rallies protesting this and that, in the past few years. Did they stop the government from doing anything? NOT EVEN ONE THING! Certainly there must be more effecting means of protest when even the ballot box failed.

You'll Never Walk Alone

Liverpool FC -The 12th Player. Story Of The Kop

The Kop at Anfield dates back to 1905-06. At the end of that season which saw Liverpool lift the second of their league championships the directors at the club decided to reward the loyalty of the fans by building a new brick and cinder banking at the Walton Breck road end of the ground. It was christened as the Spion Kop by Ernest Jones in memory of the many scousers who died in battle over a hill in South Africa by the same name during the Boer War.

In 1928 The Kop was altered to terracing and a massive roof added to protect the thousands of fans who gathered to watch their beloved team play. Other teams named their stands as the Kop but the one at Anfield was the original and the best.

The terrace housed the greatest fans in the game and it was often thought that the fans were worth a goal start to the reds. They would try and suck the ball in if their team was losing and in one of the Kop's famous nights they put the fear of God into Inter Milan in a European semi-final.

The Kop was turned into a shrine in 1989 to the 96 fans who were innocently killed at Hillsborough. The fight for Justice still goes on today more than 10 years after the disaster. After the disaster new guidelines were issued about terracing at football games which brought to an end standing at top flight games. And so in 1994 the Kop changed from a terrace to an all-seater Kop Grandstand. The Kop's Last Stand came against Norwich City in May 1994 and Jeremy Goss went down in history as the last player to score in front of the famous terrace.

Pieces of the Kop were put up for charitable sale when the terrace was demolished and some can still be bought in aid of the Forget-Me-Not Campaign.

Reclaim The Kop

Reclaim The Kop, often referred to as RTK, is a campaign among fans of Liverpool Football Club to restore the matchday atmosphere within The Kop specifically, and Anfield more generally. It was established by a group of Liverpool fans in October 2006, and publicly launched in January 2007.


Formation

The Reclaim the Kop campaign attributes its origins to a UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool and Bordeaux on 31 October 2006, at which the group's instigators felt disappointed with the formulaic and disrespectful nature of the chants and songs used by Liverpool supporters. The campaign was subsequently formed as a means of promoting and disseminating traditional Liverpool fan songs, and generally campaigning for an improved atmosphere at Anfield, with greater levels of fan participation. In particular, the campaign claims that it intends to educate supporters about the uniqueness of Liverpool fan culture, and to offset the influence of sources of generic football fan culture, in particular the Sky Sports show Soccer AM.

Activities

The group and its aims were initially promoted by the official Liverpool F.C. website, which published a series of "Reclaim the Kop" articles highlighting and encouraging the uniqueness of Liverpool's support through features such as photographs of homemade banners, poems, and recordings of fans singing various traditional Liverpool football songs, with karaoke style displays of the words to help visitors to the site to "learn and sing" and join in. This promotion, however, did not run for the 10 weeks that had been originally planned and was dropped by the club's official website. The launch of the campaign briefly attracted the attention of Liverpool's local press and was reported on and discussed on local radio stations such as Radio City.

On 6 January 2007, Reclaim the Kop organised a protest during the third round FA Cup match between Liverpool and Arsenal which was broadcast live on the BBC. The intention of the protest, which was dubbed 'Truth Day', was to highlight the anger of Liverpool fans that the BBC had employed Kelvin MacKenzie as a presenter, in spite of his comments during late 2006 that he did not feel any regret that while working as editor of The Sun he had published an article in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster which fabricated claims about the behaviour of Liverpool fans- including that fans had urinated on police and stolen from the bodies of the dying. The claims made in the story were subsequently found to be untrue and dismissed by the Taylor Report. On the day of the protest 12,000 fans in the Kop were given cards to hold up, forming a mosaic spelling out the words "The Truth". The mosaic was visible while Liverpool supporters chanted "Justice for the 96" for six minutes, signifying the length of time that the Hillsborough game played on for before being abandoned. In addition to being visible during the BBC's transmission of the match, the protest was widely reported in national newspapers.

The Reclaim The Kop group were responsible for the demonstration in support of the club manager, Rafa Benitez, in November 2007. The demonstration is widely regarded as being a huge success. Massive TV and newspaper coverage saw images of several thousand fans parading round the streets of Anfield in support of their manager, and in protest against the unpopular regime of then club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. The march and demo is featured in the film 'Passport to Liverpool' as an example of how Liverpool people will bond and take to the streets when faced with injustice and adversity.

Reclaim The Kop are currently engaged in expanding the so-called '306 section' at the rear of the Spion Kop at Anfield. Several hundred supporters - the RTK and likeminded fans - relocated their season tickets to this block in the famous Kop in the summer of 2007. It was so that fans who shared the same ideas and wanted to help promote the Kop's traditions could sit (or stand) together. It resulted in an improvement in both the volume, and the quality, of the vocal support from The Kop. Several old songs have made their reappearance amongst The Kop's repertoire and the RTK were responsible for the Fernando Torres song and its accompanying 'bounce'.

The Hillsborough Tragedy. A Cover-Up Uncovered

Coming clean. When can Malaysian society evolve into one with a sense of fair play based on social consciousness and conscience? I doubt we can ever if we cannot overcome racial and religious prejudice, and also move away from welfare mentality towards social responsibility. This BBC reports how the truth has prevailed after 24 years!

I never knew of this cover-up and always thought it was due to crowd indiscipline and gatecrashing. 96 Liverpool fans died tragically that day (15th April 1989).

Beauty Pageant Saudi Style.

Saw this on Facebook. Pun intended. 

However, I think we should not be so quick to condemn this even though a cattle show remains a cattle show if we go by women's dignity alone. 

As they say, beauty lies in the "eyes" of the beholder i.e. it is a matter of perception. In the case of the Miss Saudi contest, lets try this; take each of our 5 senses in turn starting with "Sight". Since the contestants are all "wrapped up" there is nothing much for the eyes feast on nor to differentiate (except the eyes per se of course). 

"Touch" is taboo so that too is out! 

What about "Smell" then? Since it is not a perfume brand contest, what can the judges be smelling? You go figure but I hardly think Smell is a criteria. 

"Taste"? Well, I cannot imagine! 

That leaves, "Aural" sense. Well maybe this is what the contestants are judged on. If this be the case, I wonder whether it is form or substance that is more important? Furthermore, if "Aural" sense is the main criteria, then contestants should merely be required to submit sound files of their voices! 

In the final analysis, I think it is the "Sixth Sense" that is primary to the judges. How else can divine intervention be brought in to decide the winners? Hmmm...the Devil made them participate but God decided the winner! Can't imagine I just spent the last 10 minutes writing the load of crap above that you spent time reading! LOL!!!

Karpal Singh - Icon

All things said...

Post by Malaysiakini.

Luis Suarez - Icon

In August 2011, I posted this about Luis Suarez. Look at Suarez today and the defensive leaks are still there:

Luis Suarez will become Liverpool's greatest ever striker if he fires them to the title, says Steve McManaman
Uruguay star can surpass legendary names such as Robbie Fowler, Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush if he scores the goals that ends their 24-year wait for the English title
PUBLISHED 26 MARCH 2014 12:46 PM

Luis Suarez will become Liverpool’s greatest ever striker if he fires them to the Premier League title, according to Anfield icon Steve McManaman.

Suarez’s hat-trick in Saturday’s 6-3 win at Cardiff City took his tally to 28 goals in 25 league games this season, equalling Robbie Fowler’s Premier League-era record for the club with eight matches remaining.

And McManaman claimed the Uruguay star can surpass legendary names such as Fowler, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in the pantheon of Liverpool greats if he scores the goals that ends their 24-year wait for the English title.

Liverpool go into Wednesday night’s home game with Sunderland four points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand and the form of Suarez will be crucial to their hopes of closing that gap.

He is also only six goals shy of Andy Cole and Alan Shearer’s record of 34 for a Premier League season, despite missing the opening five games of the campaign through suspension.

Speaking ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur, McManaman said: “Suarez? Better than the ‘Growler’ [Fowler]. He’s going to break his record.

“He missed the first five games of the season and that suggests he will go down in Liverpool history.

“If he takes them to the league title, everybody will say he is the greatest centre-forward ever.

“Liverpool have been blessed with some centre-forwards haven’t they?

“You quickly forget because we live in the present, but the fact you are even talking about Suarez – after just a couple of years at the club – in the same breath as Robbie or Rushie or Kenny and whoever else shows how much he has learnt at Liverpool and how much he has improved.

“He had a great year last year and he has gone and bettered it despite playing fewer games."

Suarez tried to force through a move to Arsenal last summer but was ultimately convinced to stay and sign a new contract.

His form could spark renewed interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs but McManaman said: “I think he will stay anyway as he has just signed a new contract.

“Listen, it is important for superstars to play in the Champions League every week, that is the over-riding factor. You want to test yourself against the best players.

“Liverpool are on the right track. If they suddenly finished sixth there would be question marks but if they win the league or qualify for the Champions League, I don’t think there will be any assumption about whether he stays or goes.

“I think he will stay and it will be up to Liverpool to decide if they want to sell him rather than the other way round.”

MH370

MH370. Watching things pan out since the plane went missing on 8th March, one thing stands out; prayer. Every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to be praying. Started with praying for the safety of crew/passengers lah (the pilot and co-pilot were excluded for a while), for their families lah, then for the souls of the crew/passengers lah, now for the safety of the Search & Rescue guys lah, and maybe later for the journalists lah, blah, blah, blah. There is so much outpouring of compassion and commiseration it seems almost unreal; even got some atheists praying.

Mind you, Tom, Dick and Harry on a normal day will not spare a thought even for worse on-going human tragedies globally of which the list is long and well known. Now, because of social media and a sensational occurrence involving a couple of hundred victims, Tom, Dick and Harry are falling over themselves to publicly show how much each cares. I wonder if most are motivated more by personal gratification or for grandstanding rather than genuine caring. I wonder if we put a price to the show in say, Facebook by imposing just RM20 per MH370 prayer message, we would get the kind of numbers?

For one who knows what it is like to grieve, my comment is made not in schadenfreude for MH370 victims and their families but for the stench of hypocrisy that pervades.

Manchester United 0 Liverpool 3. How Did Liverpool Do It?

A defining game, an emphatic win. How was it achieved? This article in the Liverpool Echo is enlightening:

The ECHO takes a look at how the tactics of the boss helped the Reds at Old Trafford

Manchester United FC v Liverpool FC in the Barclays Premier League at Old Trafford. Brendan Rodgers on the touchline. Pic Andrew Teebay.

This season has raised a number of questions for Liverpool, but most pertinent of all is this: how?

It is a question that can sometimes be forgotten, neglected even.

As Luis Suarez slaloms through another set of limbs, or as Daniel Sturridge glances over his shoulder and takes aim, or as Jordan Henderson runs and runs some more, the question of how? is hardly asked. Instead, there is just an embrace that it simply is happening.

But it is something that should be asked. The Reds have gone from seventh to genuine title contenders in a season, scoring three or more goals in 16 league matches – including five against Tottenham and Arsenal, four against Everton, and three against Manchester United.

It is those three goals against United which has catapulted Liverpool into the title race, and into public consciousness. Brendan Rodgers has spoken of conversations throughout the season; right now, his side are the hottest topic in Europe and have tongues wagging, moving just four points adrift of Chelsea with a game in hand.

But how did it happen? Specifically, how did Rodgers take his side to Old Trafford and produce one of the most comprehensive beatings to United in recent memory?

To simply point at Suarez, Sturridge and Steven Gerrard would be unfair; so, too, would wryly suggesting David Moyes' presence in the home dugout was the sole contributing factor.

If the United result is one to announce the Reds as a genuine runner in this title race, then it should also herald Rodgers as one of the league's finest tacticians.

It is something he, arguably, doesn't receive enough praise for. But this was another big game won with his indelible imprint upon it.

Against Everton, his deployment of Suarez, Sturridge and Raheem Sterling across the front three left John Stones in a spin; against Arsenal, his use of Philippe Coutinho as a third midfielder opened up what had been – until then – a solid back-line.

Manchester United FC v Liverpool FC in the Barclays Premier League at Old Trafford Pictures: Andrew TeebayView gallery

Rodgers went with a diamond against United - similar to the one at Southampton, with Sterling taking the place of Coutinho at the tip of it.

This was crucial to combating Marouane Fellaini; the speed and surprising strength of Sterling flummoxed the Belgian throughout. While Coutinho may have been enveloped by the former Everton man, Sterling had the pace to drive past him, and once he was past him, Fellaini had no chance to catching him.

Sterling made three dribbles, although he was also dispossessed three times, while he attempted 30 passes with an 87% accuracy – good figures, particularly given he wasn't playing in his natural position.

The impact on Fellaini was also noticeable too. He successfully tackled Sterling just once, while Sterling went past him three times; he was also dispossessed three times, and was forced to play much deeper, the fear of Sterling on the counter attack pinning him back.

Indeed, Rodgers entire midfield shape was key to the victory. Joe Allen and Henderson were used slightly advanced of Gerrard and pressed their United counterparts.

United's penchant for crossing balls from wide areas has been well documented, but the presence of Allen and Henderson ensured their wide players – Adnan Januzaj and Juan Mata – had no time on the ball.

When either wide man received the ball, Henderson or Allen would do one of two things – look to retrieve it themselves, or cover for full-backs Jon Flanagan and Glen Johnson, who would press immediately.

Mata and Januzaj managed only two successful dribbles combined, while six failed. They also attempted just two crosses (United had 20 overall), neither finding the mark. Credit should go to Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel, who led the defence wonderfully, and made it compact; no wonder Januzaj and Mata thought twice about sending the ball into a cluster of white shirts.

With Moyes opting for a two-man midfield with Mata and Januzaj out wide, it also meant Liverpool dominated the centre. Mata and Januzaj were forced to come inside and help Fellaini and Michael Carrick. As a result, their threat from out wide was non-existent, with Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie both toiling, isolated, higher up the pitch. Eventually, Rooney was shifted wide by Moyes as a desperate last throw of a loaded dice.

Allen and Henderson made 17 tackles between them, winning nine of them, and managed two interceptions; the duo were also good in possession - Allen in particular, with 90% success rate - while Henderson had more touches (86) than any other Liverpool player.

Their endeavour and workmanlike approach epitomised the entire team, and permeated through it. There was uncertainty how Moyes would approach this game, whether it would be similar to his tactics frequently used in Merseyside derbies of old, or instead look to roll back the years to Sir Alex Ferguson's gung-ho, all-out attack.

Liverpool made all of that redundant, snapping at heels from the opening whistle; Flanagan, in particular, buzzing around the pedestrian home side. He would end with nine tackles, three tackles and seven clearances.

Manchester United FC v Liverpool FC in the Barclays Premier League at Old Trafford. Jon Flanagan challenges Marouane Fellaini. Pic Andrew Teebay. 

Make no mistake, teams do not go to Old Trafford and win 3-0 without individual brilliance. Gerrard, in particular, was phenomenal; penalties aside, he produced one of the finest midfield performances of a generation, building the platform for Allen, Henderson and Sterling ahead.

Suarez and Sturridge were pests throughout, too; at one point in the second half, with United edging on top, the pair exchanged passes from 25 yards – Suarez with the outside of his knitted boot, Sturridge with his leather instep. It showed how capable they were of getting a third; it panicked United into not pushing high up the pitch again.

But that individuality counts for nothing without intelligence to supplement it. The Mona Lisa would simply be the wife of Francesco del Giocondo if not for paintbrushes, after all.

Rodgers is adorning his own canvas with colours bright and beautiful. For all the talk of Suarez, Sturridge, Gerrard and others – and how the talk is deserved – it is time to recognise that the excellence on the pitch is being matched in the dugout. The two go hand-in-hand.

And so, for one moment, focus on the how. How have Liverpool managed to get themselves into this position, and how did they win 3-0 at Old Trafford? The answer is not limited to this alone, but needs to be said regardless: Brendan Rodgers.

MH370 - Be Careful What You Pray For

Now the world can see EVERYTHING in Malaysia is about politics or will be politicized. However, in this case from an article in the Daily Mail, the truth is beginning to look stranger than fiction...

MH370. Hoping For Miracles?

Almost everyone is abuzz since early Saturday about Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 Boeing 777 that has gone missing en route to Beijing. Circumstances and questions surrounding the disappearance of the plane are already well publicized and need not be reiterated here. Many pray to God for a miraculous outcome while the rest of us hope somehow for the best.

Courtesy of Malaysian Insider

That the plane is no longer in the air is obvious (or is it?). For me, until the wreckage is found the most likely "miracle" people on MH370 are still alive is that extraterrestrials are involved. Maybe we should be looking up instead of down.

Alien Mother-ship

6 Important Facts About Flight MH370

Who Are We? Proud To Be Chinese...

Something to ponder. The following was circulating on the Net:

EVERYTHING is BIG in CHINA e.g. The Great Wall of China

With 1.3 billion Chinese in China, mathematically speaking one out of every five people is a Chinese in the world. It is said that wherever the ocean touches land, there the Chinese be. Wherever the Chinese is he survives, in fact more than survive, often making indelible contributions to the community where he lives. He could well be in isolation, but his resources know no bound . . . his initiatives no less . . . his resilience, diligence, dignity; pride second to none. The Chinese people are the most unique “natural resources” of the Chinese nation.

The Chinese as a race, I always contend, are the most assiduous in their economic pursuit, totally self-reliant, resourceful, diligent, resilient and smiling even under threat. In a word, Chinese are great survivors!

The latest book “One Man’s View” by LKY, Spore’s Minister Mentor covering similar themes about the Chinese has been receiving good worldwide commendations. There’s no basis of it being “racist” as facts bespeak the gospel truth. – Paul Chong

Here below Chan-Lui Lee presents some very basic plain truth of the Chinese.

Address by Chan-Lui Lee, Ph.D. Honorary Life Member & Past President, AFS 
Melbourne, Australia.

Proud to be born an Overseas Chinese. 

Proud to be born a Chinese. Each and every race has their own Pride and so long as they do not infringe into others’ right, I don’t see any problem of them taking their own PRIDE, wonder why some Malaysian politicians are so taboo about this?

 Why do Chinese people work so hard to succeed in life? Here is the plain truth.



#1. There are over 1 billion of us on this earth. We are like photostat copies of each other. You get rid of one,5 magically appears (like ballot boxes). Yes, it is scary, especially for us. We acknowledge that we are replaceable, thus we are not particularly ‘special’. If you think you are smart, there are a few thousand more people smarter than you. If you think you are strong, there are a few thousand people stronger than you.



#2. We have been crawling all over this earth for far more centuries that most civilizations. Our DNA is designed for survival. We are like cockroaches. Put us anywhere on earth and we will make a colony and thrive. We survive on anything around us and make the best of it. Some keep migrating but others will stay and multiply.



#3. NOBODY cares if we succeed as individuals or not. But our families take pride in knowing we have succeeded. Yes, some will fail. We take nothing for granted. We don’t expect privileges to fall on our laps. No one owes us anything.



#4. We know we have nothing to lose if we try to succeed. Thus, we have no fear trying. That is why Chinese are addicted to gambling.We thrive on taking risks. All or nothing.



#5. From young we are taught to count every cent. What we take for granted like money management, I have found out recently, is not something other cultures practice at home with their children. It surprised me. But truth is not all societies or cultures teach their young this set of skills because it is rude to them. Yes, most of us can count because we are forced to and the logic of money is pounded into us from the beginning of time (when mama tells us how much she has spent on our milk and diapers)

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#6. We acknowledge life cycles. We accept that wealth in a family stays for three generations (urban myth?). Thus, every 4th generation will have to work from scratch i.e. the first generation earns the money from scratch, second generation spends the money on education, third generation gets spoiled and wastes all the inheritance. Then we are back to square one. Some families hang on to their wealth a little longer than most.



#7. It is our culture to push our next generation to do better than the last. Be smarter. Be stronger. Be faster. Be more righteous. Be more pious. Be more innovative. Be more creative. Be richer. Be everything that you can be in this lifetime. Be KIASU.



#8. Our society judges us by our achievements… and we have no choice but to do something worthwhile because Chinese New Year comes around every year and Chinese relatives have no qualms about asking you straight in your face – how much are you making? When was your last promotion? How big is your office? What car do you drive? Where do you stay? You have boyfriend? You have girlfriend? When are you getting married? When are you having children? When is the next child? When you getting a boy? Got maid yet? Does your company send you overseas? etc etc etc. It NEVER ENDS… so, we can’t stop chasing the illusive train – we are damned to a materialistic society. If you are not Chinese, consider yourself lucky!



#9. We have been taught from young – if you have two hands, two feet, two eyes, and a mouth, what are you doing with it? People with no hands can do better than you (and the OKU artists do put us to shame)



#10. Ironically, the Chinese also believe in giving back to save their wretched materialistic souls. Balance is needed.

The more their children succeed in life, the more our parents will give back to society (not for profit) as gratitude for the good fortune bestowed on their children. Yes. That is true. And that is why our society progresses forward in all conditions.
 Nobody pities us. We accept that.
 No one owes us anything. We know that.
There are too many of us for charity to reach all of us. We acknowledge that.
 But that does not stop us from making a better life. This lifetime 
Opportunity is as we make of it.
So, pardon us if we feel obliged to make a better place for ourselves in this country we call home.

It is in our DNA to progress forward for a more comfortable life.

But if history were to be our teacher, look around this globe. 
Every country has a Chinatown (seriously) but how many governments/countries are ‘taken’ over by the Chinese people.
 Don’t be afraid of us overwhelming your majority, we are not looking to conquer. If we have moved away from China and Chinese governed countries, we are NOT looking for another country to administer. Our representatives are only there to look after our collective welfare. They are duty bound. We prefer to blend in and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We enjoy the company of like minded people of all races. After all, we are only passing through a small period in the history of time . . . so, use our skills and we can all progress forward together.


The Future of China



Chan-Lui Lee, Ph.D.
, a marine biologist, Senior Lecturer, Northern Territory University and Chinese migrant, Honorary Life Member & Past President, AFS
 Melbourne, Australia.

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Every person of Chinese descent ought to watch this historical documentary  

Produced by the Americans.

The Battle Of China

Subject: The Battle Of China

The evil that men do lives after them. Every person of Chinese descent ought to watch this historical documentary.

Contrast this with current US propaganda on China, also note they acknowledge even then that Tibet and Xinjiang were part of greater China.

This is excellent footage and archival material on the invasion of China by the Japanese. I sat through the 7 videos to see how our ancestors fought back the invaders despite overwhelming odds and unspeakable atrocities committed, particularly in Nanking in 1937. Now we know why China had to be what she is today, for never again will she suffer humiliation from foreign invaders. China has come of age, reminiscent of days of old, with a culture that goes back four thousand years. How true: China may be invaded but never, never conquered .

BATTLE OF CHINA

World War II Films about China - produced by US Government. A very good history lesson. Worth viewing the whole 7 segments.

Every Chinese should watch this wonderful series of documentary films, to really learn about China and the true history.

The amazing adversities and abilities of our ancestors can inspire us to take it easy with any difficulties we may have in our life and become a winner.

The film is in English with very good Chinese subtitles. Now go to:


WW-II 1



WW-II 2



WW-II 3



WW-II 4



WW-II 5



WW-II 6



WW-II 7