Recently, I have been writing pretty much stuff about I read related to nonsense that circulate the peninsular of Malaysia. Nuts. It’s just that after reading what Jeremy Clarkson wrote in Sunday Times ignite the old flame of mine in writing. Of course, it won’t be soon for me to criticize His Tonyness, or saluting comrade Stalin or mocking V from “V for Vendetta”. Instead of studying about the magnetic forces and gravitational force that was lectured by Dr. Clark on friday, I’m here just observing the funny force that makes this world goes round.

I was reading a news article online about Chin Peng, a former guerilla fighter for the Malayan People Anti Japanese Army and leader of the Malayan Communist Party. As the name suggests, he used to be a leader in fighting the cruel and brutal occupation of the Imperial Japanese army during the World War 2. He was also the leader of the Malayan Communist Party that stroke feared into the times and life of Malayan back in the pre-Merdeka days. He was even awarded the Order of the British Empire for his effort but later removed of his title. According to Times magazine, British Intelligence Officer Lieut. Colonel F. Spencer Chapman, who spent three and a half years dodging the ‘zeros’ in Malayan tropical jungles, called him “Britain’s most trusted guerrilla representative.” After the war, he led the communist party and from there, he was known as a terrorist by the British in Malaya. Soon after the Baling Talk in the midst of the Malayan Emergency of 1948, he left for Thailand and retired.

Chin Peng was awarded for his courage and effort against the Japanese.

Just last week, the 83 year old appealed for another chance to return to Malaysia as a citizen. His bid was rejected as he doesn’t possess documentations of his birth in the then Malaya. According to sources, his birth certificate was confiscated during a police raid at his previous house. If you look at it this way, what are the odds of a non-malayan would fight in a war in Malayan at the age of 17.

Sometimes, I thought, he is one the heroes of our nation. He fought bravely against the Japanese alongside the British soldiers. Yeah, he did kill some people here and there to achieve his personal believe. Basically, he just didn’t agree with British refusing to even listen to the Malayan’s bid for Independence. Hey, even nowadays Malaysian politician “kill” people in order to achieve their own personal goal.

I just felt, if Chin Peng would to be killed in action during the war like one of our brave fighter, Lieut. Adnan, he would been a national hero and has his OBE carved on his tombstone. It’s just that he was known as a “communist war lord” by the British and until now, us Malaysian. I am not asking for Malaysians to accept his legacy and his believe, I just want us to reconsider the person he was, during the WW2 and then the Malayan Emergency, and maybe, he might be a unknown freedom fighter after all.

Speaking of Malayan Emergency and the sudden thought of Penang food, I would like to pay respect to Sir Henry Gurney, a former British High Commissioner in British Malaya, who was ambushed on his way up to Fraser’s Hill, offered himself to the terrorist to save his wife and driver, and was shot cold blooded. Rest in peace, sir. I hope people eating in Gurney drive will understand its origin too.

Sir Henry Gurney's tombstone. RIP.

Recently, Miss California, the beautiful Carnie Prejean. Yeah, she created controversy in the recent Miss USA pageant contest when Perez Hilton, an open gay contest judge asked her about gay-marriage and she answered,

“I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be between a man and a woman.”

Soon after she gave that answer, part of the audience started to jeer and boos can be heard. Perez Hilton, which I always thought was a woman, wrote in his blog, calling the Californian girl a ‘dumb bitch’.

Come on! Aren’t you guy from the self proclaimed greatest nation in this world, The United States of America? I thought it’s legal to practice freedom of speech or some crap like that. She specifically said, “…. I think that I believe….. and that’s how I think”. Is it a crime now or should I be put to a firing squad just because I have my personal believe. Hell no.

Take this as an example. Well, if it’s wrong to have personal thought, then, shoot me. I think that you look like a boy and I think if I’m a girl, I would look so much prettier than you. Is it wrong to have a thought for myself? It’s just I thought about how you look but I never said you’re ugly. Read properly.

Even I personal believe that marriage should be a union for a man and woman but I don’t think gay marriage is wrong, stupid or disgusting. People should be allowed to choose, right? Freedom is the ability to choose.

Cut her some slacks. I bet she feels pretty upset and heartbroken by what people said and done to her. But, I guess she can take heart that she is one of the prettiest girls in this world that able to gain so much publicity without having to win the beauty contest.

post-script : After last year’s Miss World contest, “I think” Ms. Ksenia Sukhinova is my long lost Russian bride.

*notice the girl behind her is crying*

Cheering on always,

Hanjun Tan