Gender and Life Cycle

This post is based on research and our sources is of course...the internet.


UNICEF -> Early childhood; modern diagnostic tools have made it possible to determine a child's sex in the earliest phase. Where there is a clear economic or cultural preference for a son, the misuse of these techniques can facilitate female foeticide. Foeticide refers to the deliberate killing of the foetus. It does not refer to natural cases of miscarriages.
Motherless newborns are between 3 and 10 times more likely to die than newborns whose mothers survive.

Middle years: It is usually the girls who suffer from educational disadvantage. For 100 boys who are out of school, there are 115 girls who are in the same situation. There's a sad yet stereotypical view since the beginning of time that the female homo sapiens are only useful as home makers and nothing more. This contributes to the reason why girls are mostly kept at home and taught the basic home making skills rather than sent to school. Recent estimates indicates that only 43% of females of the appropriate age are enrolled for secondary education.

Reading all these facts (there's more but I don't have enough time to summarize 13 other sites) made me realize that women are weak. They are subjected to so much discrimination even in developed countries. They are robbed off their ability to speak up and say no to such horrendous acts; female genital mutilation, discrimination, foeticide, domestic violence, etc. Some might say that female genital mutilation/cutting is a religious practice but NO. It is actually a social custom. This is usually carried out in certain parts of Asia and Africa. One of the main purposes of doing this would be to "cleanse a woman for her husband". I personally find this RIDICULOUS. Fauziya Kassindja's story was enough to highlight the obvious; the social custom has to be stopped. Why would a young woman marrying an obese, obscene and ugly man of 40 (who's ALREADY MARRIED WITH A FEW WIVES) perform this act of "cleansing"?? The man should do the circumcission again considering he's not clean for his new wife.

Women are silenced due to fear of men. Or even fear of a necessary change. They are too afraid to leave that comfort zone where "a man leads a family". This has to change.

Listening and Hearing....

Problem statement: Hearing is exercise for the ears but listening is exercise for the brain.

This was the problem statement given to us Future Foresters and we agree with it. Why?? It's simple. Hearing and listening are two different activities. You can be hearing someone talking but you need not necessarily be LISTENING to that person's speech.

Listening according to various dictionaries can be....

1. to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.
2. to pay attention; heed; obey (often fol. by to): Children don't always listen to their parents.
3. to wait attentively for a sound (usually fol. by for): to listen for sounds of their return.
4. Informal. to convey a particular impression to the hearer; sound: The new recording doesn't listen as well as the old one.

Hearing on the other handbrings forward these meanings...

1.the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived.
2.the act of perceiving sound.

In other words, when you simply HEAR speech, it does not necessarily mean that you're LISTENING to it. Listening actually requires you to interpret what the other party is saying and respond to it thus making it an exercise for the brain.

HEARING however is when you DON'T bother about what the person is saying and just let the words literally in one ear and out the other =)

That is the best explanation we can give =)

Youth Subculture; Goth

As what we have learned in the previous English lectures with Madam Joyce, there are different youth subcultures. Youth subculture is a youth-based subculture with distinct stules, behaviours, and interests. The youth subculture that interests us Future Foresters would be the dark GOTH. Yup. Some may confuse emo with Goth. They DO share the same type of clothing and style (well...almost); the make-up, the black 'do', the half-stoned faces...that's what they have in common. But unlike the real Emos, Goths do not have depression or emotional problems. Let's take a look at what Goth/Gothic really is...
The origins of contemporary goth style are found in the Victorian cult of mourning. Goth fashion can be recognized by its stark black clothing (or hair or makeup).

Goth.net, a resource set up for the "benefit of the Goth community", defines Goths as, "A group of people who feel comfortable within each other's company. There is no specific thing that defines what you need to do or be to fit into the Goth scene (except of course the implied black clothing). People in Goth scene all have different musical tastes, follow different religions, have different occupations, hobbies and fashion sense."

Are violence, paganism and death a part of the goth subculture? The characteristic "Goth" is reclusive and melancholy, yet smart, and many come from educated backgrounds. Goths DO wear mostly dark clothing and share a general dissatisfaction with society and/or a desire to be different. Music, art and literature are also part of the Goth subculture. Music can include a number of dark, tragic and mysterious sounds. Violence, however, is not a part of the traditional Goth scene, with most members describing themselves as pacifistic, open-minded and accepting of everyone. And, modern Goths do not associate with any religion. They are not Satanists, as is usually thought, but instead encompass a wide range of religions, from Christianity to Buddhism.

A new study published in the British Medical Journal says that: After quizzing 1258 young people about self-harm and their links to various youth cultures, it was found that Goths had the strongest link to self-harm. While the rate of self-harm among young people in general turned out to be between 7 and 14 percent, 53 percent of those linked to the Goth subculture reported self-harm, and 47 percent had attempted suicide.

Gothic Poem

Piercings, paintings all over their body,

Would scare any figure walking down the alley,

Haunting your nightmares with that gruesome smile,

Try to forget it but it may take a while.

Satanists, devil worshippers may be what the rest calls them,

But inside is a human who feels condemned,

If we look beyond what lies on the surface,

If we listen beyond what's spoken,

If we choose to understand instead of running,

We'll see that they're just a little different from you and me.

Race and Religion Distribution in Malaysia

Malaysia has more than 25 million people which consists of the Malays (the nation's biggest ethnicity) and other indigenous groups including the Orang Asli, Dayak, Kadazan Dusun, Melanau, Murut and more. Joining them are the large Chinese and Indian populations, and a group of mixed descent, such as the Baba-Nyonya and Eurasians of Portugese and other European ancestry.

Malays: 60%

Chinese: 30%

Indian: 8%

Others: 2%

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic society and has a variety of major religions which occupy an important place in the daily life of its citizens. The country is officially an Islamic nation and Islam is the state religion of Malaysia. However, Malaysia guarantees freedom of religion and Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Christianity, Sikhism, and indigenous religions are all practiced freely although there are many ways in which Islam is privileged. For the most part, religious affiliation follows ethnic lines. Almost all Malays, the dominant ethnic group in the country, are Muslims and, because Malaysia is an Islamic state, many Muslim schools, mosques, and religious organizations are supported by the state.

The next largest ethnic group, the Chinese, practice a mixture of Daoist, Confucianism and Buddhist beliefs, although a small number are Christians. The third group, the Hindus, practices popular Hinduism; this group is comprised mostly of Indians who have migrated from Southern India and are Tamil speaking. The small Sikh community derives from the British importation of Sikhs for employment in paramilitary and police units and is ethnically homogeneous. Christianity was spread by missionaries and while few peninsular Malaysians are Christians, a higher percentage of the indigenous inhabitants of Borneo have converted to Christianity. Christianity is the one religion which has spread, in small amounts, to all ethnic groups. Many of the tribal communities, in Borneo and in peninsular Malaysia, continue with their traditional animistic beliefs and religious/cultural activities.

The tolerance and acceptance of a variety of religions is clearly shown in the calendar of national holidays in Malaysia in which the most important celebrations of the 4 major traditions are all national holidays. Muslim national holidays include the celebration marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the end of the Hajj pilgrimage season, and the birthday of Mohammad. Chinese New Year, the Buddhist celebration of Vesak (the day in which the Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment, and died), the Hindu holiday of Deepavali or Festival of Lights, and the Christian holiday of Christmas, are all national and school holidays. However, it is worth noting that Easter is not a national holiday and that each religion other than Islam has only one official national holiday. In tribal areas, other holidays celebrating special events common to that indigenous population, are celebrated as local holidays.

Customs; Overview of Religion and Folk Beliefs of the Malay Society

This article is typed solely based on opinions and reference from the book entitled Malay Folk Beliefs, An Integration of Disparate Elements by Mohd Taib Osman and wikipedia.

As with all Muslims, the observance of Islam among the Malays centers around the five pillars or foundations of Islam which are:

a. Syahadat or testimony to be pronounced by every Muslim that there is but one God, Allah and Muhammad is His chosen prophet. When a Muslim is born, the azan is whispered into his ear. When he is on his deathbed, he should utter the same testimony.

b. Five daily prayers. This is compulsory for all Muslims especially once they reach puberty.

Those who are not capable of carrying out this task are not totally exempted from doing it.

There are certain rukhsah or 'loop-hole' so to speak which fits to their needs.

c. Fasting during the month of Ramadan.

d. Paying the annual tithe of tax

e. Pilgrimage to Mecca

The practice of Islam is both an individual and communal affair. Islam DOES NOT support a clerical class but it recognizes leadership based on piety and knowledgeability in religious matters. The beauty of Islam is the simple fact that NOTHING is forced. To put it simply, if you have a gastric, you can break your fast. If you have paralysis, you can pray by sitting down on the floor. If you can't afford the annual tax or zakat, you just pay according to how much you can afford. If you can't afford a pilgrimage to Mecca, you don't have to go! There is no such thing as you'll be less a Muslim if you are NOT ABLE to fulfill or build these pillars perfectly. What matters is your faith in the religion itself and your practices of what is haram and halal.

The problem of today's Malay society is we are somewhat...confused between religious obligation and cultural/customary obligation. The division between customs and reliigon can be so close that in some areas the two tend to merge.

1: The Malay Wedding Custom

A Malay wedding spreads over two days beginning with the akad nikah ceremony. The groom signs the marriage contract and agrees to provide the bride with a mas kahwin. After that, their hands are dyed with henna during the berinai ceremony. The second day. teh groom is accompanied by friends, relatives, musicians and palm blossom carriers to the bride's house where they are usually greeted with the sprinkling of yellow rice and scented water.

Sometimes, the traditional Malay Martial Art is performed.

During the bersanding ceremony, the bridal couple will be seated on the dais. Each guest will receive a bunga telur, which means 'flower' and 'egg'- a symbol of fertile union.

We often hear/read from media sources how people (in the case the Malays) spend thousands and maybe even hundreds of thousands for a wedding. In Islam, this is not advisable. A wedding in simple translation would be the holy union between two beings. There is no need for the groom to pay a huge amount of money for the dowry (duit hantaran). In fact, the dowry is not even necessary! But customs and religions have been mixed in a huge pot of confusion throughout generations and the end product is a rule; dowry is compulsory.

In the end, some may end up not married simply because they cannot afford a lavish wedding and a big dowry. Some even compete to see who gets the best dowry.

In Islam, it is a sin to waste. Think about it logically, why should you spend RM 15000 for ONE wedding dress when you'll only wear it for a few hours? You might as well spend it on a downpayment for a car or something. Please take note that in most weddings, the bride and groom would have at least THREE pairs of wedding outfit. One for the akad nikah, one for the persandingan, and another for the photoshoot. It's hilarious isn't it? But this is true.

2: Understanding and Practices.

In most places, religious studies and instructions are carried out at the mosque, including the reading of the Qur'an. In Malay life, marriage contract, divorce, inheritance and even social interaction, to a certain extent, are all governed by Islamic law. Violation of such law would amount to renouncing the faith itself. Hence religion to the Malay is more than just an act of piety, it is a guide to conduct in life. All these 'instructions' and guide-lines can be obtained from the Holy Qur'an itself.

Most Malays also inherit the belief of supernatural forces alien to Islam. Most believe that there are situations in which there is a margin of uncertainty or chance involved, they have to to come to terms with various forms of spirits. Customs and traditions have taught them how reduce the danger by proper negotiation with the spirits. This is incompatible with the teachings of the Qur'an. The ideas and rituals involving the spirits predate Islam in the Malay Peninsula, but they continue to have a place within the framework of the customs of the Muslim Malay.

Malay folk beliefs continue to persist and coexist with the belief and practice of Islam. Just as how the imam is the central figure in the religious life, there are also specialists whose role in Malay community covers that area involving spirit beliefs, magic and the curing of diseases and ailments. These specialists are called pawang or bomoh. They are also practitioners of magic engaged in divining lost properties and in dispensing charms and spells for good or evil ends.

They sometimes use verses and sentencs from the Qur'an to 'ward off' the evil spirits.

An example of a religious+custom practice would be Mandi Safar. Nowhere is it prescribed in the Qur'an, nor can it be traced to the traditions of the Prophet. But the Malays mark the occasion by bathing in or drinking water which has been consecrated with a Qur'an verse written on a piece of paper or leaf. The idea is to wash themselves clean of every spiritual taint and uncleanliness that may draw misfortunes and accidents during the coming of the year.

In conclusion, customs play an important role in a Malay's life. Just because you're a Malay, it does not make you a Muslim. It all boils down to how you practice your religion. It finally ends when you can set a difference between customs and religion. Customs and traditions paints the pure, white, untouched religion with vibrant colours. It is something that makes this world a more interesting yet confusing place to live in.

An Introduction of A New Beginning

Greetings to our sole reader Mrs. Joyce Morris Kapong!! (hopefully we'll have more readers after this) This blog was successfully created at 1200 hours at the language lab on the first floor of Social Sciences Faculty by three underage Diploma of Forestry Sem 1 students.

a. Siti Nurfaryani binti Safari

b. Mohd Zakuan bin Silah

c. Nurul Alia'a binti Harun

Basically we have fun working together as a team and hopefully we can upgrade it during our free time to make its features more interesting. Now that we're sitting at the last row in the lab, we've got the air-cond right behind us so please excuse the lack of creativity; our reason (excuse) would be TOTAL BRAIN FREEZE. =) That's all for now. We need L.U.N.C.H.