By YONG YEN NIE

Someone once said that it doesn’t matter who arrived in this land first; what matters is who controls the land thereafter. Today, the Native Indians hold little claim to the land called “America.� The Aborigines are known to be relatively under-represented in the Australian parliament compared to the other races in the country. And here in Malaysia, the Orang Asli community too continues to fade into invisibility, appearing only once in a while in travel brochures and advertisement campaigns.

The Orang Asli community lives in the jungles of Malaysia and make up less than 0.5 percent of the country’s population. Not only are they the minority of the country, they are also the most marginalised, sidelined - call it by any other term - abandoned by … Click here for the full article!

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Want to know what people are saying about the issues? In an effort to further promote discussion among our readers, theCICAK is going to highlight a thought-provoking comment every week - the best of the responses we’ve gotten for past articles in the previous week. And we want you to argue with their main points and present YOUR side of the story. Who knows; it could prompt someone to write a whole new article with a brand-new perspective!

This week, reader kampongbouy ponders the hotly debated issue of racial injustice and how the passionate minority can positively influence the apathetic and conflicted majority, in response to Fabian Ooi’s article “We need you, young Malaysians abroad!” He puts the onus on the so-called “wronged party” i.e. non-Malays to effect change and help bumiputeras understand why the minority feels like Malaysia is against them.

We want to know if YOU think some races are more passive about injustices done to other races, and if the methods suggested by kampongbouy are enough to get people to bring about understanding and change? Post your comments below!
… Click here for the full article!

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As you may be aware, Johor has been ravaged by a series of floods brought on by extreme weather conditions. A second wave has since struck the southern West Malaysia state leaving many homeless, hurt and in danger of catching water-borne diseases.

It seems fitting that theCICAK officially closes its “Write It!” 2006 competition themed “Action Against Inaction - Combating Apathy Among Malaysian Youth” - with a call to arms for Malaysian youth to make a difference.

HELP JOHOR RELIEF EFFORTS - Here’s a quick list of how :

1. Send donations to The Star : Through its offices around Malaysia (Full list here), you can support The Star’s donation drive in aid of relief efforts.

2. Help Yayasan Salam’s relief efforts : Donate items, help pack and load items, sign up as a volunteer to go down to Johor or give out free massages to volunteers. Yayasan Salam’s premises in Petaling Jaya are easily accessible for Klang Valley folk who’re interested in getting a piece of the relief action. Click here for their website, or follow their progress via their blog.

3. Publicise other efforts : If you know of organisations or even individuals who are making the drive down south to lend a hand and need support or donations from the public, publicise it here. TheCICAK will update and maintain this post on our website for as long as it takes to keep aid flooding in.

4. Inspire others : Share with us your experiences helping out Johor flood victims. No matter how big or small your contribution, if you’re a youth who has crossed the boundary between apathy and activism for this cause, we want to hear about it! Comment below!

Lastly - spread the word. Like all big things, it’s the little things that spark it. Although the sun has come up in Johor once again, there is still work to be done and government funds will not be enough to help flood victims back on their feet. Link this post (http://www.thecicak.com/?p=179) on your blogs so others may be aware of how they can lend a hand.

It’s now or never - Flood Johor with Your Aid.

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Watch videos of the announcement on Saturday, 13 Jan. 2007, and the reaction of the winner… … Click here for the full article!

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Our third and final Honourable Mention for theCICAK’s Write It! 2006 competition sees DAVID TNEH CHENG ENG lamenting the lack of interest in reading and writing among young Malaysians. He tells us what we’re missing out on by confining our reading to sticking our noses in our textbooks, and offers some practical suggestions for a literary Renaissance.

… Click here for the full article!

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Bad rhymes aside, here’s a summary of the top five articles in the running for theCICAK’s Write It! 2006 competition’s Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award.

The “Write It!” 2006 competition is now over, but do click HERE to see videos of our winner, Davina Goh! Thanks for your support!

Where have all the young politicos gone?

Is there a conspiracy to keep politically minded young people from succeeding our established older politicians? CHANG LISIA looks at what she believes to be one of the root causes of political apathy among young university and college students in Malaysia – the Universities and University Colleges Act. She writes about the act’s flaws and its contribution towards the state of Malaysian politics today. Click here to read Lisia’s article.

CHANG LISIA is a first-year law student. After passing the STPM with a CGPA of 3.0 she realised that she was inherently unsuited for the science stream and thus made the switch. Being outspoken and interested in current issues, it seems she has made the right choice.

Covered-up racial conflicts root of political indifference

SUNNY CHEONG airs his incendiary and rather unorthodox view of how conflict may be the best medicine for an ailing local political system, in an article which suggests that tensions may be simmering very close to the thin surface of racial harmony. Click here to read Sunny’s article.

SUNNY CHEONG is a 28-year-old Kelantan boy who doesn’t talk much because whenever he opens his mouth it usually gets him into compromising situations. He rarely gets invited to social gatherings which his friends agree is for the best. He admits to suffering from severe job hunting apathy.

Do you hear the Gen Y sing?

Looking at apathy from a young educator’s perspective, CHRISTOPHER CHOONG WENG WAI talks about ways to empower and engage our youth by turning the education system inside-out in order to relate to Generation Y. Click here to read Christopher’s article.

CHRISTOPHER CHOONG WENG WAI is a young graduate who struggles stubbornly to keep his ideals. Disillusioned with the corporate world, he decided to join academia. He is currently lecturing/tutoring at the foundation level of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, while also being engaged in his own private studies. Visit his site.

Coming out of the idealistic closet

DAVINA GOH shares with us her secret “shame�? – being too helpful. She writes about how young Malaysians can get involved in losing the self-centred kiasu attitude, and help to make our country and the world a nicer, friendlier place to live in along the way. Click here to read Davina’s article.

DAVINA GOH is an assistant event manager and moonlights in the local performing arts scene. Her character in Perantauan Pictures’ debut production S’kali was an avid contributor for theCICAK. She hopes her life will imitate art. Visit her site.

Asking and acting: The first steps in combating apathy

In his piece about how Malaysian youth can get more out of the information presented to them, NG WEI LEEN proposes a simple two-step method of ensuring that your next mamak session isn’t just another waste of time. He talks about how we can become more interested in the issues which matter, one tiny step at a time. Click here to read Wei Leen’s article.

NG WEI LEEN is an average guy who tries as much as possible to stay in touch with the country of his birth, which isn’t easy even though it’s only a bridge away to the north. Pragmatic but idealistic, he wants to reconcile rationality with patriotism.

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In the second article in our Honourable Mention category for Write It! 2006, MARC VAGHT looks at the important, yet oft-ignored civil duty we youth have to vote and be interested in how the country is run, and why and how we should get involved before the country goes to pot.

… Click here for the full article!

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As a lead-in to the results of theCICAK’s Write It! 2006 competition, we will be publishing our three Honourable Mentions over the next week - the best and strongest of the articles which almost made it into our final shortlist.

Here’s the first in the series: an article by LIYANA YUSOF, who talks about why youth apathy is a result of the same indifference in adults. … Click here for the full article!

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