Color Blindness

              Imagine a world where everything is in black and white, like in the old movies. It would be extremely hard to extinguish between players in FIFA, and my aesthetic collection of t-shirts would be useless without colours. I like to believe that the world would be  an extremely gloomy and boring place, where the rainbows in gay parades would be just black and white, and  it would be difficult to detect jaundice among newborn babies.

      I cannot imagine what would happen if our receptors could only see in shades of grey, but it seems that some people love to see the world in black and white. Not literally of course, because then people wouldn't have undergo the hassle of making colour televisions.  People like to differentiate themselves from others by  their beliefs and their identities. When everyone seeks to be different and outstanding from others, their lives become individualistic and competitive. Nobody wishes to be another brick in the wall, like the red bricks of those homogenous houses all around UK which looked all but the same.

         Acemoglu and Robinson, in their book Why Nations Fail, theorizes that the among the reason a country could grow wealthy is due to the individualistic nature of the society. The citizens who seek to be better people than their friends and neighbours would seek to improve their trade or innovate; create something new or simply better, and this led to the creation of steam engines and cotton spinners. While many would assert that those innovations are the product of material pursuit , I believe that individualism-the pursuit to be unique is one of the driving factors. Seeing how aggressive is the  competition to get into universities and the craze in research and development in this country further proves my thought.

           An agrarian country, where everyone either plant rice or rambutans would be an extremely dull place to live. There would be nothing else to talk about other than rice and rambutans, and there would be little improvement in life other than about those two plants. I believe that the world is a much more interesting place is you can meet people of different jobs and experiences daily, ranging from skydivers to cooks. The spectrum of colours in life is so vast and wide, yet why do some people choose to see the world in black and white?

               Islamists  in the middle east, during their early days only sees the world in black and white. They divided the world between muslims and the kafir west, and failed to appreciate other differences. As a result , it becomes difficult to accept anything that originates from the 'enemy', even if it is something good.  It was difficult for Islamists at first to accept democracy ,and they were skeptical of ideologies that came from the west.   Liberal ideas become something alien and labeled as  blasphemous and dangerous in Muslim countries, even though some of  these ideas are the same with the promises of religion.

                Some people in Pas views the society in black and white; those who support the hudud versus those who go against hudud.  When there are various reasons that cause people to oppose the hudud, the debate become closed when all who oppose hudud are regarded as blasphemous, enemies of the religion. Why would a muslim accept the views of the enemy of a religion? The failure to view the world in its full colours would kill discussions before they even started. There are people who opposed because they believe the hudud Pas is trying to bring does not follow the original text by  a hundred percent. There are others who believe that the social conditions should be conducive before syariah is implemented, and others who are concerned about Pas' lack of preparation for the technicalities of the laws. Those people who opposed the implementation are not concentrated wholly into a group who opposes hudud just for the sake of it. We must recognize all the different colours of opinions that exist, instead of labeling them all as blacks.

              I refuse to see the world in black and white. Tariq Ramadan mentions in What I Believe, that a human being is an agglomeration of numerous identities. He refuses to identify himself merely as a muslim, but also as a citizen of his country, a member of a race, a father, a son and a neighbour, all of which constitutes a human being. When we view ourselves and others simply as muslims and non-muslims, we somewhat fail to recognize that 'they' too are human beings which share the same intrinsic values of justice and kindness. By seeing the world in black and white, we put other differences as trivial and secondary, and I believe that that makes a bleak worldview.

Sahih International

O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah , witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.

               When ISMA sees the world in black and white, they view muslims as brothers, and non-muslims as enemies. It is therefore natural to say hurtful things to someone you consider as enemies, to put extreme caution around them ,or make conspiracy theories about those evil beings . In the same time, it becomes natural to defend and justify whatever your brothers do, however corrupt and wrong it is, because that is what families are for, right?

                 The world is full of bright colours and weird things, so why would one see the world in black and white? Black and white movies are outdated and ancient, and now ,the upcoming 4K television can show you  millions of contrasting tones and shades.

*this article does not intend to insult color-blind people

                 

Romanticized Rallies and Brainwashed Comrades

               My hands hurt, my back aches and my eyes are heavy. I've had too many cups of coffees, and am currently demoralized because I have to take exams while my fellow Malaysians had the chance to join the Mayday rally. I have the thought that studying overseas is definitely boring because the student movements here have no initiative whatsoever to do protests in the street, and even if there is , they are of things which are none of my concern. What is happening? Have I became one of Pakatan’s blinded sheep?

         I have to agree that the UK streets are too cold for mobs, and the winds can make you cry in the nights, but I felt that my life is incomplete and annoyingly normal when the student movement does nothing other than giving long talks that can make your ears bleed and speak continuously of cheesy wonderfulness of marriage between brainwashed comrades. I have the rights to an interesting radical life, and as it is now, it isn't interesting in the slightest. Perhaps this is what you could call a first world problem, but I digress that if you could make life better, then by any means you should.

       I went to almost every protests held in KL during my two years in preparation at Mantin, and I even skipped an exam to join the Black 501 rally. I feel extreme jealousy towards my friends who had the pleasure to be with the proletariats yesterday in the capital, and much more towards those who have the chance but stayed home. I shall demand the explanation for your absence.

            Many reformists and revolutionaries had spent their time as students either organizing street rallies, protests or simply participating in somewhat radical movements. Such was the life of Mandela,  Ghannouchi, and Anwar during their university days, Ghannouchi entered socialists, Islamists, tabligh and democratic movements one after another as he studies, while Anwar led students to a rally against the injustices done to the poor in Kedah. Mandela joined the fight against apartheid while he was studying law and working at a law firm at the same time. I read Dr Ridhuan Mohd Noor’s book about the history of student movements in Malaysia, where students held protests even for things that doesn’t need protesting. When I saw that my father had led UTM students in a rally during his younger days, I felt embarrassed and challenged that I haven’t done anything to rival that achievement.

                Shimogamo Yasaburou, the main character of the show Uchouten Kazoku lived his life with the motto that ‘there is no time to feel bored, as life around him is too interesting’. He was a tanuki, a being which has the ability to transform into any form of objects and living things at will. With such powers, one have no reason to feel bored with life. I had lived my life in pursuit of making things interesting, mainly by doing stupid and unreasonable things. Many of these pursuits backfired, such as the decision not to do any homework for two years at school, or my stupidly heroic action to catch a snake with bare hands and parade it around during primary school. Radical actions can have meaning and can contribute to the society, even though the actions might be abhorred by the government or the public.

             Murakami’s protagonist in Norwegian Wood is a guy who alternates between his lectures and visiting his crazy girlfriend at a rural mental sanctuary. In the background, the student movement at his university ran amok and even took over the campus, disrupted lectures and conducted boycotts against the university, but he never ever cared about them. His life in the story was sad and depressing, and I figured that if he joined some of the unorthodox students, his life would have been slightly interesting. Better than just a crazy girlfriend.

           I missed the heavy but harmonized energy present during the Bersih rallies, the way the big crowd  masses in strength like a big Genkidama, waiting to be thrown against the Frieza-like dictator of a  government. I missed the exhilaration of running from tear gas and water cannons, the  feeling of solidarity and of the peace of mind. The rallies were a schmuck of heat and smell, and the number of people around you might induce claustrophobic tendencies, but they were fun, and more importantly , they made life interesting.

            Then it dawned on me that perhaps, I had not have the urge to join street protests in order to protest against government policies and the like, but simply for the sake of the rally itself. While Ghannouchi sees protests simply as an instrument of democracy, when he decided to join the popularity of the labour uprisings in Tunisia, I had been addicted with the atmosphere and the energy of the rallies, instead of the original cause.

  

          To be involved in such movements had been almost a common trait among extraordinary people, except Najib Razak during his times as an undergraduate at Nottingham, because he wasn't exactly extraordinary.  It would seem  that, in order to make life interesting, a student must undergo such phases of rebelliousness and anti- establishment  vibes. I believe some of us students had joined rallies simply for the sake of the rally, instead of voicing for the original cause. How many of the protesters actually understand what GST is, and how does it affect their lives?

                  Street protests had been romanticized as the epitome of a rebellious student life, similar to how Luffy romanticized adventures throughout the wide seas as a pirate, calling it as otoko no roman, without any justification for his actions at all. The reason for his radical actions are purely individualistic; he seeks adventure in order to be the Pirate King, while I only wish to make life interesting. Is that too big of a wish?

       The rallies are a platform for the poor and the oppressed to voice out their resistance. Those who only have enough to feed their families, those who are tired of discrimination and the corrupted bureaucracy. A student who has everything in his disposal , rich sponsorship and had never experienced discrimination would have two options before joining the huge masses. The first is to join the protests simply for the sake of following the intellectual fashion, and the second is to understand and recognize the cause, and to empathize with it. Other than that, we have no business with large mobs of sweaty people.
           
Happy Labour's Day

          

Awkward People

                  PRC ( Pas Representative Council UK-Eire)  had a chance to meet a number of PAS leaders in Sheffield a few days ago, and to be honest, I was quite disappointed to find out that they are just human beings. There were no fireballs coming from their mouths when they speak, and when they pray, nothing magical or out of norm ever happened. Perhaps it was wrong to put high expectations before meeting someone you have never even seen before.

          

from left; Aiman Athirah, Mumtaz Nawi and her husband, Anas At-Tikriti, Suhaizan Kayat and Jupri Bade from PRC

              Suhaizan Kayat , Salahuddin Ayub, Mumtaz Nawi and Aiman Athirah Al-Jundi ate together with us , sitting on the cold floor and sharing food on the same tray as if we had been friends for decades. They spoke of normal things like any decent human would do, instead of spewing complicated ideological bullshit and clichéd words of reform. We talked about the never-ending grass fields of Sheffield and the weird British weather, fat sheeps and queer locals, and at some point we even sat in complete silence and awkwardness as a result of the failure to hold an interesting conversation.

            We had expected many things from the leadership, but it was never thought that the Youth Chief and the Vice President can be awkward at times. It is perfectly human and normal thing which happens every time we make new friends and meet new people, and it happens to the best of people. I managed to further prove that they are just regular human beings due to the fact that Senator Mumtaz  did not  freeze things with her bare hands, and Aiman Athirah became tired after speaking for two hours.

          My friend told me how disappointed he felt after meeting the leaders for the first time, due to  the fact that they too are humans, as human beings are a boring bunch. We had been expecting special people with traits of an alien being, batman-like ideals and superhuman strength. It was widely rumored that these people are excellent speakers and experts in oratory skills, but I bet some of my colleagues can speak way better than they did. They weren't extremely pretty or extravagantly beautiful either, only somewhat good looking-on the fine line of being not ugly.

           Suhaizan Kayat , the friendly Youth Chief who is the role model for all young Muslims is quite fat, despite the stereotypical expectations that a leader of Muslim youths should have been a man with taut muscles and tough expressions. They all looked tired and lethargic after long hours of flight and endless travel through the grass fields, and that made us feel guilty to have them speak all day and greet all kinds of Malaysians that came.

           It made me realize that they have nothing to offer by themselves to us in order to join their fight. Suhaizan even told us that he can't even sing ,at the end of our short meeting, and it was frankly frustrating. He was trying to sing some folk songs during his last speech, which resulted in a number of non-rhythmic lines which doesn't sound like music at all.  Senator Mumtaz is quite pretty, but she is already married and is really quite proud with her husband . What was the point of them coming thousands of miles from the homeland, and why were they celebrated with respect and admiration?

                I found that they are regular people, who became leaders and special people due to their unwavering will to bring Islam back to their nation. Suhaizan Kayat was a university lecturer who was then fired, but unlike millions of people around the world who were fired from their jobs, he was fired because he wanted to deliver Allah's words to his students. Salahuddin Ayub and Mumtaz Nawi rejected numerous offers of wealth and status in order to fight for the jemaah, despite the fact that they are barely able to sustain themselves and their families. Aiman Athirah had been a fighter since her days as a students, and she had experienced police violence and harsh criticism from the public and even from members of the party. They had prevailed various sorts of tribulation , mentally and physically, and had always risen to the occasion, whenever an issue arises.

                 What they have to offer to us was the promise to topple corruption and cronyism once Putrajaya is taken. What they have to share with us during this short but meaningful meeting is the vision of prosperity and harmony under Allah's blessings, once Islam reigns over the nation.  We believe that these honest and strong people would lead Malaysia to her better days ,and that they would prove that Islam is indeed rahmatan lil alamin.

                 The way they treat themselves like common people assures us that these people are indeed qualified representatives for the oppressed majority, the poor and the disabled . Had they bring with themselves an air of importance and arrogance, I would have felt disgruntled and doubtful of their intentions in this fight . Seriously though, it was funny to find out that they can be awkward at times.

          

                  

Rise of the Planet of the Goats

                     I just started playing the Goat Simulator, and it is as awesome as I thought it  would be. In the game , you take the role of a goat whose raison d'être is to terrorize the citizens of a city and destroy everything .  The goat makes cars and trucks explode just by headbutting them, leaving a trail of destruction and horror  throughout the small map.

         It is a game made for those who had dreamed for so long to be a goat, and indeed it is a dream come true. What is better than being an overpowered goat who has the ability to shoot into the space simply by colliding with a truck?

                 One who is estranged to the world of gaming might perceive that the Goat Simulator is the height of folly, a waste of time, or even a disgrace to the goats, due to the blasphemy done by the developers by giving it strange powers. Some might even brand this masterpiece as trash not worth looking at, but I strongly disagree. Only in a way which is strongly philosophical and retrospective could one fully appreciate being a goat.

 

           Being a goat means living a liberal life free of problems and transgression of the modern society. One is freed from the fears of the upcoming exams and the pressure that comes with it. There is no mortgage to be paid or children to take care of. It is a life of blissful ignorance and complete disengagement with the society. Nobody could call you a liberal or a secularist when you are a goat, or condemn your laziness which was an actual genetic trait.

        To top it all, being a goat in the Goat Simulator is to be immortal. No amount of damage or injury you take would kill you, and the goat avatar would simply rise again in all its glory and awesomeness after being hit by a convoy of trucks. It is only during the unfortunate case in which the computer crashes or blows up due to the meaninglessness of the game would the goat ever die. You are free to do whatever you wish , from licking the citizens with its overly long tongue or destroy petrol stations with a headbutt. Truly a magical experience; there is nobody that is able to stop the path of destruction.

          What makes the Goat Simulator a truly better experience than our harrowing daily life is that the goat has the freedom to do things we are so afraid to do, and to make choices in its stupid life without the fear of being judged or stigmatised. We human beings can’t even read some books due to the fear of being brainwashed or being led astray. While it is true that goats can’t read, the freedom of which it is granted symbolizes that it actually has the potential and the will to do things by itself. I am waiting for some day during which the goat simulator has the ability to read and outwit those cowardly human beings.

 

         The main principle of the life of the goat is that it is not restricted to any law and creeds of weird organisations which pressure their members to conform to the backwards and unyielding ways of thought. The goat is free to think whatever it wants to; whether to  destroy tanks at the north corner of the town or break into houses of innocent people. It has the power to decide by its own discretion, which is wrong and what is beneficial for the benefit of the goat and its community as a whole.

        Secondly , the goat does not have to worry about what his human neighbours have to say about him; well; he’s a goat after all. The immature and childish thoughts of the proletariat beings around him will not deter or destroy his mind and desire. His raison d'être is clear and immaculate; destruction and havoc.

 

            After experiencing the free life of a goat , I figured out that we do not have the freedom of thought and the strength to venture into a dimension of strange ideas which is so vast and interesting. Our religion had emphasized so much upon the discovery of knowledge , the importance of reading; so much that it was the first ayat in the Quran. What are we so afraid of? What can a book do to the mind? Corruption of the mind is a choice made by oneself, not by ideas in writings. Be free like the goat, my friend!

             In these times where we are too afraid to seek the truth from issues due to the incapability to trust our own judgement, we should follow the path of the goat. We humans should be able to grant ourselves freedom to read and think about liberalism and those other  ‘Western’ ideas we were so afraid of, the real meaning and philosophy behind it,  or else the free life of the goat would always be better than our small existence upon this planet.

                 I believe that it is the obligation of those who wish to fight for a cause to study and seek profound knowledge of what he is fighting for. Being someone without authority does not reduce our mental capacity to think and discover by ourselves, neither should we restrict ourselves from thinking about choices that we make.

Be better than goats.

*goats referred above are those exclusively in the simulator, not those that are being domesticated.

** 'Siri Serangan Pemikiran' books are always available in bookstores .

***images courtesy of Kotaku.com

A Doublethink

            When I was 17 ,my history teacher told me in the classroom, that should I insist to disagree with the National Constitution, I should migrate to a country of my own creation .  I was dissatisfied with the textbook which has too much of the name UMNO in it, and I did not agree that Tunku Abdul Rahman should be called the Father of Independence. He was born in a rich royal family, and did nothing except for going to London to talk with some rich people there.  There was nothing he did that I could count as a struggle.

                       I did not agree with the reasons stated in the textbooks for the uprisings of  Mat Kilau, Tok Janggut and Dato' Bahaman. They seemed superficial and trivial; that was what I thought. Tok Janggut was suggested to refuse to pay tax to the imperialists, while those people who conspired in the murder of J.W.W birch supposedly did so because they interfered in the customs and traditions of the Malay people. Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong were said to fight for the rights of farmers over the lands. Some of the fighters were known as clerics, as ulama' , and the lack of a religious motive in their struggle was very suspicious. I thought that to fight over socioeconomic matters weren't as  important as hudud and Islamic laws.

     It wasn't a profound opinion , only logical. And as time flows, they become logical no more.

       I could not accept that the reason for uprisings were petty things such as refusing taxes, or that the British interfered in our customs and traditions. Yes, to a child, taxes and customs do not really matter.

      I believed that there were bigger motives than a mere scuttle for power or land disputes, to bring back Islam as the ruler and the law to the Peninsula. I begun to imagine those freedom fighters as Mujahideen, the frontrunners of the muslim society at that era.

      I thought that they were actually fighting for hudud and to reinstate muslims as rulers.

       Without proof of any sort, I rejected what the textbooks supplied, and proceeded with my own belief, since it seems more logical that way. I had read Orwell's 1984, and I am currently under the impression that the government could easily alter history, rewrite the textbooks, since nobody would ever bother to check.

        It seems to be a very acceptable conspiracy theory that the text writers concealed Islam as the reason for uprisings because Malaysia as a secular country cannot afford such history . It would only lend credit to islamic political movements, and that is not beneficial to the ruling party.

       I went to talks by students about the rise and fall of Islam, during which they seemed to voice the same opinion that I had. The talks ,though always supported by vague and unverified information, supported my view that those people who fought against the British were actually leaders of some sort of an Islamic uprising against the toghut.

       But then time flew, and I had to pay things with my own money. I found out there and then that the struggle against taxes and the rising cost of life is real. It is in no way something petty. I had learnt about exploitation of labour, inequality in urban areas, and how people struggle to make ends meet. If Islam is indeed rahmatul lil alamin, why would the fight for the poor and against living costs not  part of its core? Why shouldn't it be ?

          I was mistaken for saying those reasons as petty motives and were not worth dying for.

      I was mistaken for seeing that refusing taxes and fighting for land rights as not part of a fight for Islam. 

               
      I was too vehement to believe that they fought for islamic laws and its rule, and taxes and lands were worldly matters, not important enough as a motive.

      There were many verses in the Quran about good governance , the land and taxes, as many as there were rules. To disregard them as a part of Islamic struggle is to be a secular in its pure form. I had thought that they were worldly matters, and money is not a religious thing.

Sahih International

Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.

Sahih International

And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with an even balance. That is the best [way] and best in result.

Sahih International

There was for [the tribe of] Saba' in their dwelling place a sign: two [fields of] gardens on the right and on the left. [They were told], "Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land [have you], and a forgiving Lord."

      People who talk about the rise and fall  of Islam often gloat about the glory and the size of the empire, buf often fails to mention that the charity of the people was part of the glory, and it should be a part of the current struggle. The most emphasized  part  were always the beautiful architecture, the rules and the development of technology, but matters concerning economic developments and the social conditions were always left out, as if they weren't part of the religion.  

       It is wrong to think that the fight for charity and human rights is not a major part of what Islam is. We had been so far left behind in the matter of human rights, exploitation of labour and the sort. The prophet was an advocate in freeing slaves, one who spoke against malpractices in trade, taxes , and he taught us against asobiyah/racism. It is embarassing to see that Muslim countries always regard matters involving human rights and discrimination as minor issues; or simply failed to acknowledge that those problems ever existed.

             I was always under the impression that should Islamic laws and rules come into fruition, social problems and human rights issues would be solved by itself, but indeed I was wrong. As long as economic and social issues weren't considered as part of Islam itself, we haven't practiced Islam as a whole, and more than that, we became secularists ourselves.

Peace.

       

                

Long Live the Ducks

                    In my university , there are a lot of ducks. The ducks come in various species and types, size and colour. The University Park Lakeside is the habitat for several types of geese and a  number of swans. Swans here are so majestic and beloved that they are protected by the Crown- the freaking Queen herself. These water fowls  are always there in large numbers, be it summer , winter, spring or fall. I had spent so much time watching ducks that I decided to write about them. It seems that I am so obsessed with the ducks, that I spent more time watching ducks than studying.

  

                 Them ducks are friendly creatures; especially if you have bread in your hands.   If I am with those ducks in Malaysia, they would be safe in the warmth of ovens and hot soup, but people here does not seem to eat them. I watched those ducks with an eager feeling to catch one and roast it at home, but all to no avail.      

         My friend told me that the ducks are creatures with a  defunct digestion system. I was told that they do not absorb whatever they eat, instead they process it all into loads of duck shit. It is a mystery that they are able to live healthily in large numbers, as their source of nutrients are presently unknown. I figured that Nottingham ducks have evolved into beings able to absorb nutrients from the sunlight, or turn molecules in the air into glucose through alchemy. Being a student of Economics with no knowledge in animal sciences whatsoever, this is the most reasonable conclusion that I could come up with.

              As a result , those ducks produce a lot of waste, so much that the whole place is covered with it. The university is a place with wide, green fields, and imagine myself as an excited foreigner who tried to frolic with the green grass in September last year. I found myself covered in duck shit.

                The ducks have betrayed my expectations about studying overseas. I mean, how could they? I started to resent the ducks ever since, as they refuse to respect my wishes and dreams. I found out soon after the 'rolling in shit'  accident that there is no grass in this place that is safe to step on. I digress that, perhaps,  this was the original reason that some people forbid others from stepping on the grass.  It is also the reason that the local people never sat on the grass , as opposed to us foreigners.

                  I will not write about ducks if they did not literally shit all over the place. It is a shame that while the place is so beautiful , one cannot even feel peace and safe while walking around. The ducks are indeed abominations that deserve being roasted or fried alive.

         But then spring came.  I wish you were here so that you can witness yourself how beautiful the fields are right now. Pink cherry blossoms crowned the sakura trees white. Yellow and orange daffodils bloom in large spots under the trees. The changing of seasons made me feel as if I was sent to another kingdom of fairy tale proportions. Trees began to sprout new leaves after two seasons of cold and decay. I saw that all the layers over layers of duck shit were made in preparation for this; sakura trees out of Japan  and flowers all over the field. It made me feel grateful that I broke my leg, since I had the chance to watch the seasons change longer than anybody else does; because I hop around so slowly.

                 I started to thank the ducks and appreciate their beauty, since their heaps of shit turned into a sight so beautiful, I wish I can draw them here. Isn't it wonderful that something so dirty and disgusting to my eyes  turned into majestic sakura trees, and brightly coloured flowers?

[94:6] Surely there is ease after hardship.

[94:7] Aye, surely there is ease after hardship.

                 I learned from the ducks then that bad things happen in preparation of something good; something of heavenly proportions. It made me believe that  after all the tragedy and bad news happening in our country , there would be something bright at the end of the road. Something happy and not depressing in particular. I also made myself promise, that should I ever cook a duck, I would cook them with love and passion.

          

               

                            

ضريبة السلع والخدمات- GST

           It is getting colder here, in Nottingham. I’ve seen the leaves turn from green to red and yellow, and now the trees look lifeless and barren as autumn dictates its rules. As I struggle in these unknown territories of freezing mornings and nights with chilling winds, I really could not care less about my country thousands of miles away and its problems- I need to warm myself first.

          Who cares about complicated taxes and screwed up politicians anyway?  We students are better off playing games on the next-generation consoles or reading rather pointless writings upon philosophy and absurd ways of life. If you are a slightly decent person then I would say that we should just concentrate upon our studies and get stuck in libraries reading things you can’t understand over and over again.

            If you don’t enjoy games, then you can watch movies or try to write some funny things on your blog to increase your followers. Or else, just watch some cat videos on Youtube  or weird stunts made by Japanese people. Sleeping the whole day is a better thing to do , rather than writing about taxes. It’s a depressing thing to write about, when the economics class doesn’t really make any sense anyway.

           I decided to write today because human beings have a sense of responsibility and some sort of love towards justice and equality, no matter how complacent   and indulgent they are. Thus, after hours of gaming and doing pointless things as written above, I hereby decided to purify my soul and do some good.

                GST is a tax. We should really care about it, and we have no option but to care, since the ones paying the six percent is ourselves. Unless if you were born a millionaire and you have too much money to spend, then you are better off doing something else. It’s a substitution to the income tax.

              Income tax is an inefficient method of taxation, as many people can get away with it. Our nation’s income tax has a filing system, which involves filling in information about our income and expenses in a year, details about assets and family members. This information will be processed by LHDN, and that will determine the amount of tax you have to pay. People can easily falsify this information to avoid paying tax, by simply cheating on the number of children and wives they have, or through creative accounting, and many other ways.

                  Since most Malaysians are middle income earners, they are not even obligated to pay taxes.  Only about a million out of 12 million workers in Malaysia pay income taxes, and that explains the inefficiency.

               GST on the other hand applies to almost every kind of goods and services, and thus even those who avoided tax before will have to pay the burden. GST is a substitution tax, in the sense that when it is implemented, income tax is lowered-it is a substitute to the ineffective income tax.

          Sales and services tax (SST) which was implemented before was just as inefficient. It is limited to only 25 groups of trades, and applies only to retailers-the ones at the end of the production chain. In other words, you don’t have to pay tax if you are not the final consumer. GST applies tax to all stages of production, so if the retailers are not qualified for GST, manufacturers will have to pay the tax for they purchases from suppliers of raw goods , and then they will sell the produced goods to retailers at a higher price  and taxed with same percentage. The difference between the 6 percent paid to the supplier of raw foods and the 6 percent sold to the retailer is paid to the government.

                 I need to learn the art of simplifying things. Sorry if you don’t understand that- go read some more.

To make it simple, as GST applies to all stages of production, people have no choice but to pay. Period.

             We are not against taxation or specifically, GST. It is an efficient taxation system, and it will definitely bring more income for the government. Honestly, it is an improvement, and we should support a better system of bureaucracy.  Supposedly, as the nation’s income increases, there is more room for development and the betterment of people’s lives . Without taxes, the beloved government can’t afford to build  roads and schools for our children.  Damaged trains will not be repaired, teachers be unpaid, doctors starved to death, hospitals stop working , and there won’t be any subsidy for  gas and food either.

                 Therefore , we should be thankful to the government who had to raise taxes for our sake, albeit rather reluctantly. Without  them the country would have turned into a sparse desert, a warzone without a 

legit currency. Like seriously.

                  What the heck.

            It is an undeniable fact that the government had been complacent in the handling of our money, or as one can see in the Auditor’s report, they revelled in wasting it. Why should excess in spending caused by corruption and misuse of funds be paid by the people? Shouldn’t they limit their expenses before asking people to pay more?  Stating that GST would not raise the price of goods is a lie. Even implementing it will cost a lot to firms, as they are required to hire accountants , buy computers and programming systems to calculate taxes that need to be paid to the government. Production costs will increase , as electricity bills will rise , and so will the price of raw goods-the exception of GST to electricity only includes the first 200 units.

                   I like to reiterate that we do  not have problems with taxes. It is for the sake of the country and the people. The only problem we have is with the way the money is spent, and the motivation of those rulers spending it.

         It is cold here, and we pay GST  at the rate of 20% in the UK. Yet we feel nothing wrong about it. Because the governance is trustworthy, and we know where does our money goes to.