Saturday 6 April 2013

Campaign Fever

The campaigning in Malaysia seems to have gone full blast.  I was on Skype with my 7 year-old nephew a while ago and our conversation went along this line:

Me: So, how's things at home?  How's school today?
Al: Al tak pergi school hari ni.
Me: Kenapa?
Al: Sebab Al demam.  Auntie, I have a new friend.  Dia dah hantar 2 sms.
Me: Oh?  Kawan sekolah ke?
Al: Bukan.
Me: Siapa?
Al: Entah. Tak kenal.
Me: Dia kata apa?
Al: Tadi dia kata nak bagi air bersih percuma.  Before that, dia kata ada skim padi.
Me: Skim padi?
My Sis: Skim perlindungan untuk pesawah.  Kempen pilihanraya.
Me: Oooo ..



LOL.  I can't get that off my mind.  How did these people know my nephew aspires to be a farmer and spends an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom and in the pool?  Yes, the little tyke wants to be a farmer when he grows up so he can produce lots of food because his 6 year-old brother likes to eat.  Water and paddy?  I think the message didn't quite reach the target audience the sender intended.  If they were meant for the parents, though, how would "Skim Padi" have any meaning to neurosurgeons and dermatologists?

8 comments:

  1. As much as I prefer BN to PR, I do find the SMSes pretty irritating. My friend who just returned to Malaysia after 7 years overseas had a novel idea to avoid all that.

    Whenever she fills a form, she'll give her spare email & mobile no which she set up as spam takers. Her actual email & mobile no are reserved only for real friends. She never gets bothered by them pesky telemarketers etc.

    That said, I think voters would be turned off by the generic SMS which has no relevancy whatsoever to them. I think BN never truly learned a lesson from '08 in which the internet played a big role in their downfall.

    Btw, have you heard or read about a rabid dog names Haris who made threats to all & sundry? Methinks ISA's extinction allowed the mad dogs out of hiding.

    Anyway, your nephew is cute. That's the first I've heard a kid his age wanna be a farmer. Most kids would wanna be a soldier ala GI Joe or pick a mundane career like doctor or teacher. Some would even dream about being a super hero like Superman. Digressing a little, there's this manboy somewhere in Johor still dreaming he's gonna be Superman. Not seen him with red undies worn outside tho'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah Haris .. yes well, I treat that one like I would treat spam, glance through and move on or press the delete button. I am convinced that one suffers from mental issues.

      Yes, I have cute a nephew whose ambition revolves around wanting to be garbage collector, truck driver, chicken-rearer, and now a farmer. Useful occupations I am sure, I don't know why his parents are worried for him.

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    2. Haris is a coward. he only knows how to make noises. if he is indeed that brave, he should go to the streets with his ABU followers. but I doubt he has the guts to do it. Haris, that name. well, Haris could be Habis after GE13. we'll see.

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    3. I'd rather he stays behind a computer instead of littering the streets with his brand of thuggery. His kind of menace should not be translated into street activism, its destructive impact will be worse than Bersih because it is a form of vigilantism that defies law and order.

      Delete
  2. Your nephew is cute. Sms to kids from strangers is creepy - who sells their contact details for a few sen to anyone? Something is very wrong there.

    ReplyDelete
  3. At a crossroad in my neighborhood, PAS has put up a banner, "WI-FI Percuma. Orang ramai boleh berhubung-jenis".

    The 'jenis' word is mine, though.

    I think it's better if they can promise to bring-down the internet charges in Malaysia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL. Berhubung-jenis is almost pornographic in my dictionary.

      I doubt that it matters if they promise anything, they cannot be trusted, even if they deliver, it is selective delivery.

      My sister lives in Selangor, and the reason my nephew wanted to become a garbage collector at one time was because trash was uncollected for more than 10 days at a time. We get free water, but the flats nearby get their water from SAJ water tankers which housewives had to carry up to 4 flights of stairs.

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  4. The DAP attack on Johor is entirely diversionary to protect the Queen in Pulau Pinang. The King is in Singapore. The BN as led by the UMNO with the 14 component parties has taken an enlightened approach towards the non-Malays well before 1969. I know for sure. Land was alienated to them and the State leadership took a pragmatic approach as with the statesmanship of all its Sultans.

    ReplyDelete