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Gangsterism

Sunday, June 15, 2014
            Gangsterism, as defined by the oxford dictionary by the root word gangster: A member of a gang of violent criminals. Whereas the act whether involving bullying with brute force or verbal abuse is considered one of the many social plagues that has infected our morality throughout the ages. It is not uncommon result to have on a survey whether anyone has encountered such events of gangsterism in their lifetime, be it in pre-school even in the workplace.


             What may seem like harmless bullying to some, it is regarded distasteful for our society to be plague by such trivial brotherhood that brims with hatred towards others. Malaysia is no stranger to this pandemic. With the recent case of female school students ganging up on one student in particular, pulling her hair, punching, kicking and screaming verbal abuse, it has become evident that this plague has worsen. With cases of students disrespecting their elder, to the point of punching him in the face, we have to ask ourselves, where do we trace back the source of such behavior?

             Stories of bullying have become rampant in social media. It’s hard to go by daily without any updates on gangsterism, bullying and misconduct. Technology itself has become a tool, a tool to spread such behavior. To the young, perhaps it is in their mentality as to show off prowess that they record their bullying and later parade it to their friends. But then again, they should not take the blame. Indeed many say that the students these days are becoming wilder due to parents spoiling them, to the point of defending them by threatening to sue the school. It is worrisome that parents have become too involved in the students’ lives that they believe whatever they are told, regardless if there is any truth to it. This is indeed a pandemic, a pandemic that gives students power to misconduct in school.

              On that note, we can see the relation of gangsterism between parents and the school. Is it not considered bullying to sue the school for their children’s misconduct? Methods of disciplining children have been skimmed down due to many complaints yet when their children behave badly; it is yet again the school that is at fault. Their behavior might as well reflect the behaviors of the parents. With the recent political endeavors; we can summarize that the fruit does not falls far from the tree. During the PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) internal polls, reports of flying chairs were evident. The many misconduct of their internal election was everywhere, be it social media or mainstream media. There were reports of fighting and vote tampering, yet they are all considered sane adults. Adults who can think wisely and make decisions themselves. The Teluk Intan election too was marred by reports of threats and gangsterism. Are we not a developing country? Must our reputation still be disgraced by such folly?

          Taking politic into perspective, many NGO have entered the arena to cry foul on the current political stage. Yet, where are they when their members attack police officers, rampaging the streets of Kuala Lumpur with their cries of revolution and clean election? Where are they when the internal election done by PKR was discredited by reports of vote tampering, fighting and many more? Where were they when lies were told to discredit the ruling government such as blackouts and imported Bangladeshi voters were proven not true? Are they truly fighting for clean elections or only garnering attention by standing defiance against the current ruling government, putting a blind eye on their member’s misconducts?

               The sports arena does not stray far from these behaviors. What started as a clean fight between two teams ended up with brawling of their fans unsatisfied of the results. The recent fighting between football fans at Stadium Tan Sri Hassan Yunus, Larkin, has many argue the safety of others who just came to watch the match. The behaviors of those who are obsessed with their football teams reflected badly upon the state the team represents. Shouting vulgarity and throwing firecrackers at the field, it really does say a lot about the mental state of our fellow countrymen. Sanity is no longer virtue shared by all. 


              Truly there is no peace to be enjoyed if we continue to let such behaviors plague our country. Gangsterism does not focus on a certain age group or political party; it is a plague that has infected everybody regardless of status. Let’s look back and reflect on one self and make a change, for you can’t change the perspective of the world if you don’t start with yourself. Report any form of bullying. Let’s make the world a better place to live in. 

Teori Konspirasi MH370

Tuesday, April 29, 2014
            

Tragedi MH370 yang melanda negara pada 8 Mac 2014 memberi impak yang sangat kuat terhadap emosi masyarakat dunia dan setempat. Mana tidaknya, sebuah pesawat besar yang membawa 239 orang penumpang dan anak kapal hilang begitu sahaja sejurus selepas sejam ianya berlepas. Segala usaha mencari dilakukan bersama 25 negara terlibat menemui jalan buntu.
            Merujuk kepada artikel dari Mingguan Malaysia 6 April 2014 bertajuk ‘CIA dan Teori Konspirasi Hilangnya MH370’, saya tidak menolak kemungkinan wujudnya konspirasi disebalik insiden ini yang didalangi oleh kuasa-kuasa besar. Jika difikirkan logik akal, benar juga apa yang diwar-warkan oleh masyarakat luar bahawa Amerika Syarikat (AS) mendalangi peristiwa ini selepas keruntuhan Pusat Dagangan Dunia pada 11 September 2001.
            Sudah lama kita berdiam diri, mungkin sudah tiba masanya untuk kita berfikir di luar pemikiran yang biasa. Acap kali teori konspirasi ini terlintas di fikiran tetapi kita masih berfikiran positif untuk menyedapkan hati masing-masing. Namun, selama mana harus kita berfikiran sempit sedangkan dunia sudah mula menerima teori konspirasi ini.
            Malaysia mempunyai hubungan diplomatik yang sangat rapat dengan China. China pula dicemburui oleh AS kerana pembangunan ekonomi yang sangat pesat. Apakah AS mempunyai agenda tersembunyi dalam memusnahkan hubungan baik Malaysia-China? Apakah motif wartawan Perancis bertanya soalan pelik pada Hishamuddin ketika persidangan media MH370 sedang berlangsung?
          Bagaimana pula dengan wartawan asing yang sengaja memburukkan-burukkan Malaysia di mata masyarakat China kononnya Malaysia mengambil mudah dalam menyampaikan maklumat terkini dan menyembunyi fakta sebenar MH370? Saya yakin bahawa media asing mempunyai agenda tersembunyi yakni dikaitkan dengan ‘Agenda Setting Theory’.
            Tidak tercapai dek logik akal untuk kita fikirkan bagaimana hilangnya pesawat  tersebut melainkan semuanya telah dirancang dari awal dan melibatkan kepakaran individu tertentu serta kuasa-kuasa besar. Kesimpulannya, tiada apa yang mustahil di dunia ini, jika ini yang dikehendakkan Allah swt ‘Kun Faya Kun’, maka ianya akan terjadi dengan cara apa sekalipun. Adakalanya, kita perlu berhenti menjadi lurus dan harus mempunyai sikap curiga bagi mengelakkan kita diperbodohkan oleh kuasa asing.

Bahana ketagihan telefon pintar.

Sejajar dengan pembangunan teknologi yang semakin pesat masa kini, Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara membangun tidak terlepas dari menerima tempiasnya. Malah, golongan muda khususnya sangat terpengaruh dengan peranti mudah alih dan gajet-gajet yang berteknologi tinggi.
Lebih 100 juta telefon pintar dijual di rantau Asia Pasifik setiap tahun dan jumlahnya dijangka meningkat sehingga dua kali ganda dalam tempoh lima tahun akan datang. Teknologi pada perantinya dilihat semakin canggih dar masa ke semasa. Malah, pelbagai syarikat pengeluar telefon bimbit seakan berlumba-lumba mengeluarkan peranti canggih di pasaran.
            Jika pada tahun 90an dahulu, telefon bimbit mula diperkenalkan dan hanya boleh dimiliki oleh golongan yang berkemampuan. Kini, golongan remaja mampu memiliki sekurang-kurangnya sebuah telefon pintar bahkan kanak-kanak juga lebih mahir menggunakan telefon pintar berbanding ibu bapanya sendiri.
            Bahana yang dikesan berpunca dari ketagihan telefon pintar juga semakin meluas. Bermula dari laman sosial yang dapat diakses melalui telefon pintar, golongan muda sudah mula terdorong untuk bersosial di alam maya tetapi dalam masa yang sama menjadi anti-sosial dengan masyarakat sekeliling.
            Maka, wujudnya jurang perbezaan diantara golongan muda dan warga tua yang kurang mahir akan teknologi masa kini disebabkan oleh taraf pemikiran yang berbeza. Kualiti masa yang diluangkan bersama keluarga semakin berkurang dek kerana telefon pintar yang mempunyai akses internet setiap masa dan pelbagai lagi aplikasi canggih disertakan.
            Pelbagai kes telah dilaporkan melibatkan ketagihan pada telefon pintar sehingga ada yang mengalami kemurungan dan ada yang sanggup membunuh jika tidak mendapatkannya. Malah, runtuhnya sebuah rumahtangga dan organisasi kekeluargaan juga disebabkan telefon pintar.
            Justeru itu, gejala ini harus dibendung secepat mungkin kerana jelas, telefon pintar membawa seribu padah sekiranya tiada kesedaran dalam diri setiap pengguna. Kita tidak harus membiarkan masyarakat kita terlalu taksub dengan peranti canggih yang dikeluarkan negara luar kerana dikhuatiri akan merosakkan moral dan pemikiran sesebuah masyarakat.

Online article review – Balkanisasi Siber : Gangguan kepada semangat 1Malaysia

Assalamualaikum,

      Saya terpanggil untuk membuat ulasan mengenai artikel ‘Balkanisasi Siber: Gangguan kepada 1Malaysia’ di laman suaramurba.blogspot.com. Artikel tersebut begitu memberangsangkan hingga membuat saya termenung seketika sambil berfikir situasi media baru yang melanda negara kita.
       Terbabit dalam arus permodenan dan globalisasi, Malaysia juga tidak terkecuali dalam pembangunan teknologi terutamanya ‘media siber’. Begitu juga pengguna media dan penonton yang semakin hari semakin taksub dengan dunia siber yang tiada hadnya khususnya bagi golongan remaja dan belia.
     Penulis Dr. Rahmat Ghazali menerangkan dengan jelas maksud ‘balkanisasi’ yang mungkin kurang diketahui dalam kalangan masyarakat kita. Secara ringkasnya, ianya bermaksud pengasingan yang berlaku dalam sesebuah kelompok masyarakat disebabkan oleh pengaruh media siber yang berleluasa.
        Ada benarnya setiap yang dicoretkan oleh penulis. Saya teringat akan satu ayat yang dapat menggambarkan kesan media siber terhadap masyarakat iaitu, media menjauhkan yang dekat, dan mendekatkan yang jauh. Interpretasinya adalah, media siber membuatkan kita mengendahkan orang disekeliling kita kerana leka melayan rakan-rakan jauh yang wujud di alam maya.



          Ternyata, laman sosial membuatkan anak-anak leka berinteraksi dengan rakan alam maya tatkala berada di meja makan bersama keluarga. Malah, dimanakah kualiti masa yang diluangkan apabila telefon pintar sentiasa di genggaman ketika kita sedang bercuti? Hal ini boleh dikaitkan dengan ‘Media Dependency Theory’ oleh Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin Defleur pada 1976.

“The more a person depends on media to meet needs, the more important media will be in a person's life, and therefore the more effects media will have on a person.” (Ball-Rokeach, Defleur, 1976).


Media Dependency Theory atau Teori Kebergantungan Media lazimnya menggambarkan keadaan yang berlaku sekarang dimana masyarakat semakin dingin diantara kelompok berlainan etnik kerana konsep balkanisasi. Dalam kebanyakan laman sosial Facebook yang dilihat, pengguna hanya berinteraksi dengan pengguna lain yang bersamaan kaum atau etnik.
       Segala maklumat berada di hujung jari. Apa sahaja yang diinginkan akan dimakbulkan dengan adanya pencarian pantas di Internet. Skop pencarian juga semakin kecil dan pelbagai kumpulan bersosial yang kian spesifik juga tumbuh bagaikan cendawan selepas hujan. Jika dilihat dari sudut positif, ianya memang mendatangkan kebaikan kerana perkongsian dan perbualan adalah bersifat peribadi. Tetapi, jangan sampai wujudnya semangat ‘Asabiyah’ diantara kaum.
Pelbagai lagi persoalan Balkanisasi yang boleh dirungkai dan dikaitkan dengan Teori Kebergantungan Media dan kesan terhadap penyatuan semangat 1Malaysia. Pendekatan masyarakat terhadap telefon pintar beserta media siber semakin menjadi-jadi sehingga membawa kepada ketagihan. Bahkan, konsep Balkanisasi pula semakin meruncing di Malaysia dan boleh membawa kepada perpecahan masyarakat.

Online Journalism is dangerous to Malaysian multi-ethnic society

Nowadays, the world is being enhanced with advancement of technological devices. So does the media. Since the new media has grown from the past few years, online media such as online newspaper, blogs, social networking sites (facebook, twitter, instagram) and et cetera has been introduced.
            Malaysia as a developing country is also included among the countries with new media development. We could not deny that the new media has made a major contribution towards our country in terms of delivering the messages. Thousands of news sources are being established in the new media from time to time.
            The new media are closely related to the online journalism. In Malaysia, we have newspapers of Utusan Malaysia, Sinar Harian, Berita Harian, Metro, The Star, Harakah and many else. With the globalization of the new media, they had constructed their own online newspaper and have been a hit to the audience across the country. Apparently, most of them follow the rules and ethics of a journalist as a official news provider.


            Unfortunately, the rise of unofficial and unaccredited reporters also hits the online journalism. There are many private blogs, news journals and social networking accounts that are trying to act as the approved journalist. This has been a major issue in online journalism with negative effects towards the society and country.
            There are many cases involving these groups that threaten the peace and harmony of Malaysia. Once before, the case of the sex-blogger Alvin and Vivian that creates sexually explicit content blog and humiliate the Muslims by publishing their picture of having ‘Bak Kut Teh’ (Pork-meat teh) with the message of ‘Selamat Berbuka Puasa’ (Happy Breaking the Fast).



            This case had clearly brings hatred by Muslims toward the individuals and has been a controversial issue of online media at the time. The tensions arise between the Malays and Chinese. Of course, it threatens the Malaysian multi-ethnic society that consists of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Javanese, and not forget, the Sabahan and Sarawakian multi-ethnic society.

            Therefore, the gatekeepers play important roles of monitoring and controlling the media freedom in Malaysia to avoid any controversial case happens again. Although we cannot wholly control the new media, but at least the gatekeepers are preventing any cases that threat Malaysian peace and harmony.