More uptime

I know SIngapore has a problem getting its people to have kids

But is forcing couple seating on a screening of the Chu2koi REALLY the way to do it?



Source: http://www.cathaycineplexes.com.sg/movie_detail.aspx?status=coming&movie_id=1174

Or are they mocking the foreveralone anime otaku, knowing that many of them will be unable to meet such stringent requirements?!

你是什么信仰？

Source: https://twitter.com/ShintaNaomiFC48/status/413940948825931777

 

676 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 20:28:27.16 ID:ckxV06tr0

Kinal JKT48
宗教 member JKT48 Team J :
http://m.facebook.com/KinalJktfourtyeight/posts/402372426534903

677 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 20:36:45.50 ID:ckxV06tr0

Facebookのアルバム「Jeje (JKT48) in NISEKO Grand HIRAFU」に
写真を8枚アップロードしました
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.465535733555051&type=3&l=94857a1743

678 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 20:39:24.75 ID:8aeThArZ0

>>676
日本人は実質的に無宗教たがらなww

679 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 20:40:38.08 ID:nYZ+Z/4jP

リカはイスラムじゃないの
あと、たぶんカトリック(キリスト教じゃなかったと思う)のゲビー抜けてる

680 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 20:42:41.11 ID:nYZ+Z/4jP

>>678
意識しないほど生活に溶け込んでるのかもｗ

681 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 20:58:39.52 ID:fgZB7o940

昼と夜全く違うセットリストにするとレッスンやリハも大変だな
ユニットも合わせて50～60曲分のフォーメーションやダンスの確認をしなきゃいけないのか

682 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 21:21:33.72 ID:ckxV06tr0

JKT福袋？
http://www.rakuten.co.id/shop/jkt48-official/product/bundlepack2013/

683 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:01:48.93 ID:lz7zEsSt0

みんなでお祈りする時、レナはお手手とお手手のしわを合わせてた

684 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:07:09.18 ID:Pscbm1vjP

>>676
思ったよりキリスト教徒多いな

685 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:15:36.58 ID:8aeThArZ0

ヒンドゥー教はいないんだな

686 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:16:22.89 ID:w5DG0lz80

じゃかこん、たかみなが来るのはまぁ理解できるがゆきりんは何しに来んの？
ただのゲスト出演で来るわけないし

687 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:17:50.92 ID:Dq7R4QWt0

秋Ｐと脱法ハーブがビデオ出演して兼任解除の発表だよな・・

688 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:43:42.93 ID:AUcwOQxo0

>>686
その回答にはならんけど、ちゃスレで例のちゃヲタが例のごとく吼えてるｗ
たかみな、ゆきりんの他にＡＫＢメンが３人くるだとさ。もちろん俺は真偽はしらん

既に流がれている噂をいかにも自分の手柄のように語っているだけのようにも
見えるし、その他のこともヤツの憶測とも取れるが、まぁ暇つぶしにでも

クッキー削除してしまったのでリンクが貼れん

689 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:44:56.04 ID:nYZ+Z/4jP

>>685
ノフィンタがヒンドゥーとの噂あり
彼女はインド系なのかね？
口を大きく開いたとき、歯並びがアーリア系みたいに四角いが？

690 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:55:01.52 ID:Pscbm1vjP

インドネシアではバリ島がヒンドゥー教の人が住んでるらしいね

691 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 22:58:49.51 ID:nYZ+Z/4jP

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/q87/s720x720/1457730_654946241215089_1082135298_n.jpg
骨格がなんかアジアっぽくないんだよね

692 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 23:04:01.51 ID:Dq7R4QWt0

元々インドネシアはインド系の宗教が主流だったんだよな
古い遺跡はヒンドゥー仏教系だろ
まぁあっちの宗教は階層の末端は辛いから改宗が進んだのかね

693 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 23:27:49.32 ID:8T6S1O/10

イスラム教を持ってきたのもインドのグジャラート地方の商人達
今でいうマレーシアとインドネシア、およびフィリピンのミンダナオ島は
海路によってインド文化の影響が強い

694 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/19(木) 23:31:58.83 ID:Qo8H/TeJ0

Stella & Sendy JKT48 antara Indonesia, Jepang & Program Pemerintah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYBNW9fxHw

695 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/20(金) 00:01:28.87 ID:zjiuPbTy0

日本の宗教は多神教だから、一神教と違って自分が宗教をもっていると意識しにくいよね。
でも確実に思考や行事とかは宗教に影響されている。考え方や哲学が宗教を作ってるとも言えるかもしれんが。

696 ：名無しさん＠実況は禁止です：2013/12/20(金) 00:09:25.12 ID:sJpXlw5y0

宗教の話そろそろお腹いっぱい

Source: JKT48☆53【海外姉妹グループ】 http://awabi.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/akb/1386671336/

There was a very interesting thread on the religion of the JKT48 members. Someone posted a link to a post on a unofficial Facebook fan page of Kinal which listed out the (supposed) religion(s) of JKT48 members.

Now quite frankly I don't care, but it highlighted the differences between the Nusantaran culture (aka modern day Indonesia and Malaysia), and the Eastern Culture (such as Japan, Taiwan and China).

Most of the comments ranged from bemused ("Japan has no substantial religion") to speculation ("Novinta Dhini may be Indian due to her Aryan like teeth alignment") (whatever that means!).

But one comment stood out for me: "It is hard for people of monotheistic religions to understand the polytheistic nature of Japanese religion (日本の宗教は多神教だから)".

Not just Japanese religion: anything is this not Abrahamic in nature.

Coming from Malaysia where every other form presents you with only Islam/Christian/Buddhist/Hindu/Lain-lain for your choice of religion, and tries to pigeon hole everyone into strictly defined groups, you get absurdities like Buddhism being classified as the belief of 25% of the population, never mind that many of them are just what I call "administrative Buddhists".

On a personal level, many members of my extended family are classified as "Buddhists", and while there are those who are strict followers of the teachings of Buddha, there are those who don't, yet officially and administratively, are classified as "Buddhist".

The reaction on the thread was one of bemusement. A bit like my reaction, to be honest. Official profiles in Japan tend to include their 3 sizes, their blood type, their star sign, etc. Religion is not one of the details usually provided.    

What I found very disturbing on the comments original Facebook posting however is how there seems to be a consensus of trying to claim each member as one of their (religion) kind.

I'm not saying it is limited to Islam, but what is it about Muslims, who feel that they need to claim everyone, from Neil Armstrong, Mr Bean, and Will Smith, as "one of them"?

Twitter Gems, part 58

I have contemplated naming my (imaginary) daughter Yui. But think of the amount of teasing she'd get in school!

This is not the library that you're looking for

I suppose it is an indictment of Malaysian society where a settlement of almost 700,000 has only 2 public libraries, and the latest "library" to be opened doesn't contain any books.

This is 6 minutes of my life which I'll never get back

Source: AKB48コント びみょ～ ep10

Still not the weirdest thing I've watched however.

Not that I'm complaining.....

Source: ネプ&イモトの世界番付　マレーシア　9 Aug 2013

But how much did the Tourism Ministry have to pay for this?

The Malay Mail discovers time travel

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/former-jabi-assemblyman-dies-today

I'm going to give the copy-editors of The Malay Mail the benefit of the doubt this time (the letters "s" and "d" are next to each other on a QWERTY keyboard), because this isn't Bernama's fault:

I know I get patronising looks when I try to speak Bahasa Malaysia. Wait till you see the reactions when I speak Mandarin.

29 September 2013: (Sidelines: next time some Malay nationalist tries to justify the Malay language by pointing out the 237 million "speaking" Bahasa, I'd like to ask why the Indonesian drama's on RTM have BM subtitles......)


14 November 2013: Muhamad Aliemran said the reason they were questioning the wisdom of the leadership was because the Malay community was shocked when the PPSMI was introduced in 2003, which it viewed as bringing more harm than good.

"The reason we were against the policy was because it is contrary to the Constitution which states that Bahasa Malaysia is the official language," he said in a statement today.

"And the fact is that more than 300 million people in the world can converse in the language," he added.

Dear Muhamad Aliemran Norasid,

Have you tried to watch some Indonesian entertainment shows lately?

Sincerely,
Someone who has actually been out of the country

Translation: "Life Discussion of AKB: Nakagawa Haruka - Studying Abroad in Jakarta with a smile"

On 1 Nov 2013, Asahi Shimbun ran a article on AKB transferee to Jakarta, Nakagawa Haruka. While it was behind the Asahi Shimbun paywall, it wasn't too hard to find a copy floating around. Proving that I have no life, I decided to take a stab at translating it.

Now that I’m re-reading it, 恥かしいな!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

誰にでもチャンスはめぐってくると思います。だけど、見逃してしまうと、ただ通り 過ぎでしまうだけで、後には何も残りません。私はＡＫＢ４８にいた頃、チャンスをつ かみきれずにいました。
Regardless of who it is, when opportunity comes, anyone will rise up and grab the opportunity. If you miss the opportunity, it just slides away from you, not leaving any mark on you. When I was with AKB48, I didn't seem to have the chance.

ＡＫＢ４８では、何度か選抜メンバーになれたこともありました。選抜メンバーにな るとメディアに出る機会が増えます。でも私の場合は、せっかくの出番があっても、前 に出られず埋もれていたんです。グイグイ前に行こう、と心で思ってはいても、「今だ ！」というときになると、引いてしまっていたんです。持ち前の笑顔でみなさんに楽し い気持ちになってもらいたいと思っているのですが、自分らしさを出せませんでした。
When I was with AKB48, there were a few instances where I was selected as a member (TL note: don't quite get this; anyone?), and after being selected as a member, my appearances in the media increased. But within me, even if I had my hard won chance to appear, I didn't dare to be in the centrefront. Even in my heart I wanted to be in the forefront, once the "do it now" phase has past, eventually I pull back. Even if I want to use my smile to cheer everyone up, deep inside me I know I can't show my true feelings.

その結果、悩んだことも。「どうすれば前に行けるのかな」「もう（デビューから） ６年経つけど、どうしよう」「この新曲、私も歌いたかったな」とか、「このユニット に入りたかったな」とか。堂々めぐりにはまっていく自分がいやでした。
And so this makes me very troubled. "How should I progress forward?" "Its been 6 years (since Haruka debuted), what else can I do?" "I also want to sing this new song that has just been released...." "I also want to join this unit..". I hated to think myself going around in circles.

昨年の３月、ＪＫＴ４８移籍メンバーの募集がありました。最初は「楽しそうだな」 と思うだけでしたが、やがて「これは自分を変えるチャンスなんだ」と思えるようにな り、立候補しました。
Last year (2012) in March, there was a expression of interest put out to members asking who wants to transfer to JKT48. My first impression was "Sounds like it'd be fun", but soon I felt that "This is the opportunity to change myself for the better!". And so I went to put in my expression of interest.

インドネシア語のことは心配していませんでした。私には笑顔がある。笑顔は万国共 通語。笑顔でいれば、ＪＫＴ４８のメンバーも笑顔で迎え入れてくれると思ったんです 。実際にそのとおりでした。つらいことがあっても笑顔でいたらメンバーも安心してく れます。ジャカルタで改めて笑顔の大切さに気づかされました
I didn't think about the issue of me not understanding Bahasa Indonesia, because I thought I have my smile, and the smile is the universal language of the world. I felt that as long as I brought my smile, the JKT48 members will also accept me with a smile to join them. And in the fact of reality, even if there are difficult times, as long as we smile, the other members will also be at peace. It was only after going to Jakarta did I realise how important it is to keep smiling.

インドネシアの生活は想像以上に楽しいものでした。みんながいつも笑顔で、親切に してくれます。インドネシアの人たちは、とにかくよく笑い、よくはしゃぎます。私が つまずいて転んだだけでも、大爆笑。メンバーたちが明るいので、家族や日本の友人と 離れても、安心することができました。
Living in Indonesia was more fun that I initially anticipated. Everyone is always smiling, and have been very nice towards me. Indonesian people like to smile, and it doesn't take much to put a smile on their face. Even if I just trip and fall, they will laugh and smile. (TL note: Errr....jahatlah!) (TL note: I think I'm missing some subtleties of the language here) The other [JKT48] members are also very cheerful and easy going, so even if I am away from family and my friends in Japan, I am still able to feel assured.

ジャカルタに渡って日も浅い頃、一度だけささいなことにショックを受け、泣いたこ とがあります。控室においていたお弁当を、私のいない間にメンバーが食べてしまった んです。そこには私が日本からもってきたおかずも入っていました。楽しみにしていた のに……。私は怒りましたが「そんなに怒らなくていいじゃない、ご飯くらいで」とい う雰囲気に悲しくなって、泣いてしまったんです。
After having just moved to Jakarta, there was one incident, that shocked me, and reduced me to tears. In the preparation room my obento, when I was not around was eaten by other members. Inside the bento were side dishes that I had brought from Japan. I was really looking forward to eating it... Even when I was angry but because everyone was saying "Don't be do angry, its just food", it made me feel even worst, and I broke down in tears.

後からわかったのですが、インドネシアでは、もし、誰かがお弁当やお菓子を食べち ゃったとしても、「食べられちゃった」と笑って終わりみたいなんです。文化の違いで しょうか。だから、私も今では、気にしなくなりました。
It was only later that I understood, in Indonesia if someone has their bento or snacks eaten by someone else, you just laugh and say "ah, its eaten" and leave it at that. Can this be called cultural differences? But not, I no longer thing of such things.

２１歳の誕生日。インドネシアのとある地方でのコンサートを終えたときのこと。ホ テルに着くと同室の女の子２人が用事があるといって、出かけてしまいました。ひとり になってしまったので、ほかのメンバーたちの部屋に行くと、何人かで晩ご飯を食べて いました。私はおなかが減っていたので、「いいなー。私も食べていい？」と話しかけ たのですが、誰も分けてくれません。「みんな、ひどい！　誕生日なのに、ご飯くらい くれたっていいじゃない」。そう思って、私は部屋に引き返しました。
On my 21st birthday, after a concert in a part of Indonesia, after reaching the hotel the 2 girls whom I was sharing the room with said they had something to do and left the room. Being just one person, I went to the rooms of other members, and see that the others were also eating dinner. I was hungry, so went up to them and said "iina, can I try some?", but they didn't seem to understand. "Why is this happening, this is too much! Especially on my birthday, is it too much to try some of their food?" With this stage of mind, I went back to my room.

ひとりでぷんぷん怒っていると、みんながダーッと入ってきたので、びっくり。電気 が消されると、みんなで「ハッピーバースデー」を合唱してくれました。誕生日ケーキ が用意されていて、プレゼントをもらいました。ジャカルタに来てまだ２カ月しか経っ ていないのに、こんなサプライズを計画してくれるなんて……。
As I was alone festering in my anger, everyone suddenly came into my room, giving me a shock. The lights were turned off, and everyone started to sing happy birthday, and had prepared a birthday cake, and I received presents. I had been in Jakarta for only 2 months, but yet they had prepared such a surprise for me.....

「うれしい。これからもよろしくね」。インドネシア語で言うと、みんなが「ワーイ 」と歓声を上げました。みんなとの距離が縮まって、それからのインドネシアでの生活 や活動に弾みがつきました。
"Ureshii. Please take take of my from now on." (TL note: how do you translate これからもよろしくね in Bahasa Indonesia? "Tolong tunjuk ajar?") After saying that in Bahasa Indonesia, everyone went "Waa!" together. The distance between everyone narrowed, and after this living in Indonesia and the activities became much more better.

メンバーたちは遠慮なく接してくれるので、うれしいし楽しいです。仲良しのステラ は２歳年下ですが、「遥香は妹みたい」と言います。「ああしなさい」「こうしなさい 」。すごく注意してきます。たとえば、私がお昼ご飯を抜くと、必ず「ちゃんと食べな さい」って。すごく愛情を感じますね。メンバーもファンの方たちも日本語を勉強して きてくれます。仕事が終わると、「おつかれさま」と言ってくれるメンバーも。日本と 同じように握手会があるのですが、「こんにちは」「あなたのことが大好きです」と話 してくれたり、「仲川遥香」と名字を漢字で書いてきてくれたり、すごくうれしいです
Because the other members do not mind each other and get along, so our interactions became much more fun. I became close with Stella [Cornelia], who despite being 2 years younger than me, saying things like "Haruka you're like my younger sister" (TL note: 0.o), and always guides me. For example, if I haven't eaten lunch, she will say things like "Don't forget to eat properly". I can really feel her love. The members and fans have also learnt some Japanese, and at the end of the day will come up to me saying "Good work today". Like in Japan there are also handshake events, and there are fans who will say things like "Konnichiwa" and "I like you", or painstakingly write Nakagawa Haruka in kanji characters in their presents to me, it makes me really happy.

私自身、インドネシア語を一生懸命勉強したので、かなり上達したと思いますが、ま だ危ういところもあります。ソロ曲の歌詞で「友達」の単語が出てくるのですが、イン ドネシア語で「トゥマン」と発音するところを私は「トマト」と間違えているみたいな んです。だから公演でそこの歌詞になると、「トマトコール」が起こります。喜ぶべき か、悲しむべきかわかりませんが、発音の違いがファンの方に受けています。
Me myself I have also been working hard at learning Bahasa Indonesia, and am making progress, but there are also dangerous parts [in the language]. There are songs where there is the word "friend" in the lyrics, in Bahasa Indonesia it is pronounced as "toman" (TL note: I think she means "teman"), but when I say it it sounds like "tomato", so when I perform that piece, the audience all comes together and shouts "tomato call". I really don't know how to feel about this, that my mispronunciation has been accepted by the fans with such gusto.

おかげさまで、忙しい毎日を過ごしています。週に一回は地方公演。インドネシアは たくさんの島があって、いろんな食べ物や人々に出会うことができます。ジャカルタで の公演や握手会、レコーディング、テレビやＣＭへの出演、そのほかいろいろな撮影も 進んでいます。　今は悩まないし、悩む時間もありません。以前は選抜から外れて、く よくよすることもありましたが、今は選抜から外れたとしても、自分には何ができるか 、どんなことができるか、などと考えられる心の余裕ができました。悩みなんて笑顔で 吹き飛ばせばいい、と思っています。
And so like this, my days are always busy, every week there is at least one performance, and Indonesia being a country of many islands, so there is amazing variety in the food and people across the nation. (TL note: I can testify to that!) In Jakarta we have the handshake events, theater performances, recordings, TV and commercial appearances, in addition to the usual things that we have to do behind the scenes. I longer am troubled, because I don't even have time to be troubled. (TL note: wow.) In the past if I was not selected, I would feel down, but now if I'm not selected, in my heart I go, what else can I do, how can I improve. Now I feel that those things that used to trouble me can be blown away by my smile.

ジャカルタで生活してから、人に優しくできるようにもなりました。日本にいた頃は 、自分のことで精いっぱいでしたから。インドネシアの人たちの優しさや楽しさを肌で 感じ、影響を受けたからだと思います。
Because I have been living in Jakarta, I have a better understanding of other people. When I go back to Japan, I become very busy and do things by myself. I feel that living amongst Indonesians their gentleness and kindness has rubbed off me.

家族や支えてくれていた人たちから離れて、何でも自分でしなくてはならない環境に 身を置いたことも、自分の成長を助けてくれたと思います。ＪＫＴ４８のメンバーから は「いつも楽しそうだね」「生き生きしているね」と言われます。日本に一時帰国する と、ＡＫＢ４８のメンバーたちからは「表情が変わったね」と驚かれます。
I feel that when one leaves their family and their social support structure, and put themselves in a environment where you need to be independent, one becomes more mature and helps one grow. (TL note: I have to admit I did tear up a bit reading this. Story of my life: I can personally relate to that) JKT48 members would say things like "You're always so lively" "You are always so active". But when I go back to Japan for a bit, ABK48 members will say things like "Your expressions have changed", surprising me.

将来は、海外で活躍できる人になりたい。そのためにインドネシア語だけでなく、英 語も勉強したいです。いろいろな人と出会って、その人たちとワクワクすることをして みたい。もうチャンスは見逃しません。
Looking ahead, I hope to become someone who is active abroad, and so not just knowing Bahasa Indonesia, but I'm also learning English (TL: Ganbatte Harugon~). I want to meet as many people as I can, to do happy and exciting things with them. I will never let a chance pass me by again.

■番記者から
Reporter's note:

「野生児」タイプの仲川遥香。おおらかなインドネシアの雰囲気はすごく合ったよう だ。「一日中はしゃいでいるので、夜はすぐ眠ってしまいます」とほほ笑む。食事には 最初は苦労したが、今は何でも食べられるようになった。
While child type Nakagawa Haruka, has fitted in well with the environment in Indonesia. "Being so pumped up all the time during the day, so falls asleep easily at night" she says with a laugh. Food wise while there was a period of adaptation, but now she is able to eat most things.

インドネシアで発見したのは、人の優しさ。「小さなことでも、困っていると、みんな が助けてくれますね」。１０月２９日に文部科学省が始めた若者の海外留学を促進する キャンペーン「トビタテ！留学ジャパン」の賛同人として、ＰＲを務める。「行くかど うか悩んだけど、あのとき一歩踏み出す勇気をもててよかったと思っています」
In Indonesia she feels the people are very kind. "No matter how small the issue is, they would all come together to help". On 29 Oct 2013, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) held their activity encouraging international students to study in Japan "Tobitate! Study Abroad Japan", she served as the PR face. "Although I hesitated on taking up such a role, but now I feel it was the first step in my journey of building up my courage"

留学から１年で、インドネシア語は上達し、新曲シングルのセンターにも選ばれた。 目標をたずねると、目を輝かせた。　「目標は日本でＪＫＴ４８の単独コンサートをすること。日本の人たちにも、もっと ＪＫＴ４８とインドネシアのことを知っていただきたいと思っています」（大西元博）
Having studied abroad for one year, and developed her command of Bahasa Indonesia, and being the centre of the newest single. When asked about her goals, one can she the light in her eyes. "My goal is for JKT48 to have their own solo concert in Japan. I hope that people in Japan can get to know JKT48 and Indonesia better" (Reporter: Onishi Motohiro)

I've always wondered....how does the AKS management sleep at night?

My only conclusion is they don't know the number of JKT48 fancams on Youtube.

Just look at the number of fancams for the same song for the same event:

• [FANCAM] JKT48~Baby! Baby! Baby at JKT48HSFest (EpiWalk) 10-11-2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGf7l3OF2oI
• [fancam] JKT48 team KIII - Baby! Baby! Baby! @epiwalk 10.11.2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf2xN_2fzzE
• Baby...Baby...Baby... (Prayer Passionate Version) - JKT48: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjoIIZG6BSg
• JKT48 - Baby Baby Baby! (Fancam @ Epiwalk - 101113): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arrbFsbcjIsz
• [FAN CAM] Baby! Baby! Baby! JKT48 Team KIII - HS Festival Epicentrum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W9QDmbmA4U
• [HSFest] JKT48 - BABY! BABY! BABY! (pass vers) by Team KIII: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSyvvtbHE4E
• Baby! Baby! JKT48 Performance on Handshake Festival 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg9Ckf4NeR8
• [FANCAM] JKT48 - Baby! Baby! Baby! (Passionate Prayer Version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3unTBO78FZw
• JKT48 - Baby3x HS Festival: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XaJtGihRwA

Yes, that is 9 fancams, 9 angles of the same thing.

They already get their knickers in a knot when the manicured versions of their performances on TV get uploaded on Youtube. Imagine the horror of uncontrolled images of them on Youtube.

How do they sleep, seriously?

Twitter Gems, part 57

It is always nice to know that I'm not the only one damaged by Visualarts/key visual novels.

My hobby

My hobby: Transliterating Korean transliterations of Indonesian entertainment shows of a Japanese idol group franchise.

I'm not even kidding:


If anyone needs proof that there is too much space on the internet, this is it.

Cross Cultural Understanding: what do you call a divine being?

Being topical, I suppose its worth nothing that the JKT48 version of 1! 2! 3! 4! ヨロシク! translates ｢神様 どこにいるの?｣ as "Tuhan dimana Engkau berada?".

Mind you, the Japanese wikipedia page for http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/神様 points to this -> http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah

Also, while the original version talks about Christmas, Valentine's day, and one's birthday as the  "three days are the biggest occasions for romance" (｢クリスマス､バレンタインデー､誕生日､
これが恋の3大きっかけデイなんだって!｣), the Bahasa version narrows it down to 2 days, that being Valentine's day and one's birthday (“Valentine’s day dan hari ulang tahun itu, katanya 2 hari yang sering memicu cinta!”)

Its surprisingly interesting doing a comparative analysis of how they've translated the songs
into Bahasa Indonesia.

Or maybe its just me.

End note:
The original lyrics are ｢クリスマス､バレンタインデー､誕生日, これが恋の3大きっかけデイなんだって!｣ / 神様 どこにいるの? Help Me!

Which generally translates to "Christmas, Valentines day, [one's] birthday are the 3 big days for opportunities of love / where are you god? Help me!"

ZH: 「聖誔節、情人節、生日, 這是戀愛契機的三大日子!」 / 神在何處呢? Help me!

Meanwhile in Australia.......

Media coverage here.

Twitter Gems, part 56

Source: https://twitter.com/BasuP/status/391473918105489408

As a former 釘宮病 patient, I can assure you this is real if it could be possible.

But seriously, twitter provides me with all my entertainment. I really don't know how people can be bored in this place.

Youtube really needs to fix their video suggestion algorithms, part 2

Source: MJ presents Perfume ドキュメント 今 世界へ

According to Youtube, people who listen to Kawada Mami also like Hyuna. (That's like saying people who listen to Mozart also like Lady Gaga) The audience for JKT48 fancams would also like to watch yaoi. And that Perfume fans are also swayed by Satu Haluan.

And they called me mad when I said Youtube is evil.

I have no regrets being multilingual.....

...but it just means no one will understand me.

My hobby: watching Chinese subs of Indonesian entertainment shows. And picking apart the translations.


Source: 中文字幕 JKT48 Missions - EP 10 Only in Japan

For the record, Nabilah is saying "Kita mengunjungi AKB48 teater~ Di F lapan itu...Kita kan empat ya" (Eng: We are visting the AKB48 theater~ Its on the 8th floor. We are on the 4th floor ya~) in this screenshot.

The Chinese subs say "We are now heading to the 8th floor of the otaku holy ground. And so, we JKT will be on the 4th floor".

I have no idea what the subber was sniffing (although I can't blame them if they were: have you tried to watch Indonesian entertainment shows these days?), but in what universe is the AKB48 theater the "holy ground" of otaku's?!

(Please don't ask me why I'm watching Indonesian entertainment shows subtitled in Chinese. 人家不好讲啦。。。。。)

Sarawakians: Read this before you have kids

Source: Sarawak State Government. See also here for what a Sarawak Identity Card looks like.


Being a Sarawakian, we are a tad little different from the rest of Malaysia, in that immigration and entry into Sarawak is controlled by the state. It is a constant source of angst by West Malaysians who didn't pay attention in history class. (My comment to "Long Suffering Patriot": No, 1Malaysia contradicts the Sarawak Immigration policy. Get your facts right)

I have articulated Malaysian nationality law in a nutshell in a earlier post. Malaysian nationality, and being a resident of Sarawak, are 2 separate but inter-related things.

However, in this age of mobility (and looking at extended members of my family), where economic realities force many Sarawakian's to set up life outside the borders of Sarawak, both inside and outside of Malaysia, and have kids outside of Sarawak to spouses who are not Sarawakian, I've always wondered what comes of their kids. Will they be considered Sarawakian residents? If not, how does it work if they relocate to Sarawak, where the parent(s) has right of abode in Sarawak but the child may only be allowed to stay in Sarawak at 3 months at a time.

Like many things about Malaysia, this is poorly documented and understood. No one seems to know what the rules and regulations are. This is before we get into the elastic interpretation that get's applied by the Little Napoleons on the ground.

So I did what most people in the civilised world do: ask the people who should know everything about it, the National Registration Department.

My original letter to them (translated):

I have a query regarding the status of Sarawakians born outside the state of Sarawak. According to my understanding, Sarawak immigration laws only allow Sarawakian Residents (ie. those who have the letter "K" in their Identification Cards) to enter and reside in Sarawak without any restrictions. Non-Sarawakian's are limited to 3 month entry into Sarawak.

My questions are as follows:

1) If both parents are Sarawakians (ie having the letter "K" in their Malaysian Identity Card) who have their child within the borders of Malaysia but outside of the state of Sarawak (ie. Penang), will the child be considered as a Sarawakian by the National Registration Department (NRD) and is able to have the letter "K" on their Malaysian Identity Card?

2) If the father of the child is a Sarawakian and the mother of the child of from another state of Malaysia (eg. the mother is from Perak), who have their child within the borders of Malaysia but outside of the state of Sarawak (ie. Penang), will the child be considered as a Sarawakian by the National Registration Department (NRD) and is able to have the letter "K" on their Malaysian Identity Card?

3) If the mother of the child is a Sarawakian and the father of the child of from another state of Malaysia (eg. the father is from Perak), who have their child within the borders of Malaysia but outside of the state of Sarawak (ie. Penang), will the child be considered as a Sarawakian by the National Registration Department (NRD) and is able to have the letter "K" on their Malaysian Identity Card?

4) If both parents are Sarawakians (ie having the letter "K" in their Malaysian Identity Card) who have their child outside the borders of Malaysia (ie. Australia), and the birth of the child is registered with the Malaysian High Commission within 42 days of the birth, will the child be considered as a Sarawakian by the National Registration Department (NRD) and is able to have the letter "K" on their Malaysian Identity Card?

5) If the father of the child is a Sarawakian and the mother of the child of from another state of Malaysia (eg. the mother is from Perak), who have their child outside the borders of Malaysia (eg. Australia) and the birth of the child is registered with the Malaysian High Commission within 42 days of the birth, will the child be considered as a Sarawakian by the National Registration Department (NRD) and is able to have the letter "K" on their Malaysian Identity Card?

6) If the mother of the child is a Sarawakian and the father of the child of from another state of Malaysia (eg. the father is from Perak), who have their child outside the borders of Malaysia (eg. Australia) and the birth of the child is registered with the Malaysian High Commission within 42 days of the birth, will the child be considered as a Sarawakian by the National Registration Department (NRD) and is able to have the letter "K" on their Malaysian Identity Card?

7) If the father of the child is a Sarawakian and the mother of the child is not a Malaysian national (but their marriage is registered with NRD), who have their child inside the borders of Malaysia (eg. Penang) but outside the state of Sarawak, will the child be considered as a Sarawakian by the National Registration Department (NRD) and is able to have the letter "K" on their Malaysian Identity Card? 

8) If the father of the child is a Sarawakian and the mother of the child is not a Malaysian national (but their marriage is registered with NRD and the Australian Registrar of Marriages), who have their child outside the borders of Malaysia (eg. Australia) and the birth of the child is registered with the Malaysian High Commission within 42 days of the birth, will the child be considered as a Sarawakian by the National Registration Department (NRD) and is able to have the letter "K" on their Malaysian Identity Card?

I hope the NRD can provide clarification on this matter.

The reason for the verbosity of my query was to cover as many bases required. As highlighted in my articulation of Malaysian nationality law, the law is NOT consistent between males and females, with regards to the determination of Malaysian citizenship, due to the gender specific nature of the Malaysian Constitution. Not to mention it was drafted in a time where international marriages were a rarity, and thus is woefully inadequate when dealing with foreign spouses.

(Singapore has the same problem in their nationality law. See the Wikipedia article which explains why. I suppose it shouldn't be too surprising, considering the amount of commonality between Malaysian and Singaporean law)  

I know that M'sians do not have a favourable impression of the civil service, and having had to deal with governments from 3 countries and 6 levels (state, federal and local governments across the 3 countries), I can tell you they are all the same all around the world.

So it was a pleasant surprise when I received a responce from NRD. On the same day:

Sir,

I refer to the matter raised [in your previous letter].

2. For your information, the "K" indicator is determined during the application for a [Malaysian] Identity Card when the child is at the age of 12 in this department. The application [for the "K" indicator] can be made by selecting "Sarawak" in Section B, Part 7 of form JPN, KP01, based on if either the father or mother of the child is of "Sarawak Residence" [ie. is domiciled in Sarawak and is a Sarawak resident], regardless of where the child was born, thus the child will be eligible to be given the "K" indicator for their Identity Card, at the same time indicating the [residency] status [of the child] for immigration purposes.

[Emphasis in original correspondence]

3. Any further queries can be raised by attending any NRD branch which is closest to you or by contacting the Identification Card Section of the Sarawak National Identification Department at 082-242221 / 23784

So there you have it. As long as one parent is a Sarawakian resident, the child will be considered a Sarawakian resident, regardless of where the child was born, and will be eligible for a Sarawak Immigration issued Malaysian passport.

Caveat: the usual rules apply, in that all births need to be reported to NRD within 42 days, both parents need to be legally married (ie. have a piece of paper from NRD), and if you are a Malaysian woman who married a foreign spouse the NRD policy is to tell you to bugger off.

(No prizes for guessing why MCA's Michael "chauvinistic" Chong can get away with saying "Don’t take a foreign wife. There are many pretty, talented and intelligent Malaysian women to choose from", and Rais "xenophobic" Yatim shares his knowledge of "It is, perhaps, better for those involved in mixed marriages not to have children [because] the [foreign spouse] is likely to 'snatch away' the kids")

(Also, I love it how he can "advise local men to find love nearer to home to avoid such headaches". While I acknowledge that he does a lot of good for society, I have to wonder if he has actually spent some time in the divorce courts. Do you know how hard it is finding people in Malaysia, especially when they are your estranged (ex-)spouse?)

Appendix:


My original email to them


The reply. Note the time and datestamp of reply

Indonesian talkshow host pwns a JKT48 fan

Source: Hitam Putih on the Weekend, 3 June 2012

It is quite hilarious, after asking audience member "Adam" to name 20 members of JKT48, to name 20 Indonesian warriors.

I wonder how many people can?

Ignorance is indeed bliss

Source: BIMYO Episode 2

My first reaction to this skit segment:



Miegishi is right: やっぱり　まゆゆは最強だわ !

On a slightly related note, is Kitahara Rie and the girl next to her cosplaying from Shuffle?

Ouran High School Host Club Ep 1: revisited

Been rewatching the anime version of Ouran High School Host Club (thanks ABC3), and now that I'm looking at it again, I have to say the people behind the live-action really put some effort into the detail.

Really.

My hobby

Source. (about the 43:15 mark)

My Hobby: watching Indonesian talkshows subtitled in Mandarin. (Never mind that I understand both of them. Kinda.)

For those who don't get the joke, the Chinese subtitles simply say "[JKT48 member] Kinal is introducing the contents of [the JKT48 single] "RIVER"."

Fansubs: where would we be without them?

Adakah kita dalam sebuah perhimpunan pemuja?

Source: Hitam Putih, 23 May 2013

I have to say it is quite hilarious watching JKT48's performance of River on Hitam Putih, especially when it pans to the audience. The makcik's (middle aged ladies) in the audience seem to have an expression which probably borders on "Are we in a cult gathering?" and "Kanak-kanak zaman kini".

I have to give credit where it is due however: the host, Deddy Corbuzier (only in Indonesia can you have a name like that) has a pretty good chemistry with them.

(Sidelines: next time some Malay nationalist tries to justify the Malay language by pointing out the 237 million "speaking" Bahasa, I'd like to ask why the Indonesian drama's on RTM have BM subtitles......)

Youtube really needs to fix their video suggestion algorithms

Source.


It's one thing to suggest a HyunA video after Kawada Mami, (I mean, they're all Asian, right?) but it's a completely inappropriate to suggest yaoi (Ikoku Irokoi Romantan) after someone watches a JKT48 fancam.

Sometimes I wish I was a bit more normal. I know I tend to watch things that no one else watches, but this is ridiculous. 

Cross cultural adaptations: JKT48's "River"

(Believe me, the title of this post could have been a lot worst)



I am very impressed, to be honest. Especially when you compare it to the Japanese original. And I'm not talking about the MV either. The translation of the lyrics are very close to the original 日本語　meaning. And it's still very listenable.

JKT...48!
Majulah ke depan! (Got it!)
Janganlah berhenti! (Got it!)
Tujuan tempat matahari terbit
Ayo langkah di jalan harapan
Penghalang adalah River! River! River!
Dan yang membentang River!
Takdirnya River! River! River!
Akan diuji River!

Buanglah keraguanmu!
Tunjukkan nyalimu!
Jangan ragu!
S'karang juga

Satu langkah maju!

Believe yourself!


Ayo maju!
Majulah ke depan!
Sebrangi sungai!!
Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!
Mimpi itu selalu
Terlihatnya jauh
Dan jaraknya terasa tidak tercapai
Batu di bawah kaki
Ayo, ambilah satu
Jadilah nekad dan coba lemparkan!

Tepat di depan matamu
Ada sungai mengalir
Luas, sebuah sungai yang besar
Walaupun gelap dan dalam
Walaupun arusnya deras

Tidak perlu ketakutan
Walaupun kau terpisah
Ya, tepian pasti ada
Lebih percayalah pada dirimu


Majulah ke depan!
Ayo terus berenang
Jangan ragu lagi! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!
Bila merentangkan tangan di sana masa depan
Jangan menyerah untuk yang tidak tercapai
Batu yang t'lah dilemparkan, mengabulkan impian
Suara jatuhnya pun takkan terdengar
Di dalam hatimu juga
Ada sungai mengalir
Cobaan sungai berat dan pedih
Walau tak berjalan baik
Walau terkadang tenggelam
Tak apa mengulang lagi
Dan janganlah menyerah
Di sana pasti ada tepian
Suatu saat kau pasti akan sampai

Get over it!
River!
Ah - ah - ah - ah - ah
Jangan alasan untuk diri sendiri!
Ah - ah - ah - ah - ah
Jika tak dicoba tak akan tahu
Ah - ah - ah - ah - ah
Tiada jalan selain maju! (maju!)
S'lalu (s'lalu)
Teruslah melangkah di jalan yang kau pilih!

Tepat di depan matamu
Ada sungai mengalir
Luas, sebuah sungai yang besar
Walaupun gelap dan dalam
Walaupun arusnya deras
Tidak perlu ketakutan
Walaupun kau terpisah
Ya, tepian pasti ada
Lebih percayalah pada dirimu
Di dalam hatimu juga
Ada sungai mengalir
Sungai keringat dan air mata
Walaupun kau pernah gagal
Walau dirimu terbawa arus (ayolah... ayolah... ayolah ayolah ayolah....)
Tak apa terulang lagi (Ho!!!......)
Dan janganlah mengeluh (Ho!!!......)
Genggamlah selalu impianmu
Sampai suatu saat mimpimu terkabul
Ayo sebrangilah! You can do it!

Just still don't expect a gaggle of bikini clad girls in a hurry.

(Yes, "汗と涙の川だ!" does actually translate to "Sungai keringat dan air mata". Still sounds weird in Bahasa tho)

Meanwhile in Australia.......

Madoka get's broadcast on ABC3. At the 8.40pm timeslot.

I love this country. I'm not leaving this place in a hurry.

Japanese cuisine and Halal

 

NHK World, 5 Sept 2013

Japanese cuisine and Halal are 2 things which I never thought could ever work. Not when 清酒 (rice wine),  味醂 (Mirin), and 醤油 (shouyu) are so integral to Japanese cooking. It'd be like trying to cook Rendang without mutton/beef.

It was only after I came to Australia I figured out why Japanese restaurants in Malaysia taste a bit weird: they have to be Halal, which means no rice wine in the cooking process.

I do enjoy many aspects of Japanese cuisine, but will never be able to fully appreciate it, due to its high usage of seafood.

Twitter Gems: Australia votes

We've got a new government BTW.

Twitter Gems: first world problems

Minus the girlfriend part, I find myself doing this all the time.

Why KyoAni WHY?!

My experience registering as a postal voter for the 13th Malaysian general Elections

I was in Malaysia when the EC released Borang 1B in mid-Jan. Being the un-Malaysian I am, I printed out the form while I was in Malaysia and filled it in. In January. I have to admit while the form could have been better designed, the example provided on the EC's website was fairly clear and easy to understand. Essentially fill in your name, details, your constituency, why you can't vote in Malaysia, and the amount of time spent in Malaysia over the last 5 year's. The last bit was a bit tricky, as Malaysian immigration has stopped stamping entry and exit stamps on Malaysian passports for almost 15 years now. I had to dig through my documents to list out all my entry and exit dates.

Signed it, and walked to my local Pos Office Mini to send it off to the EC's address in Putrajaya. Didn't think too much about it until I came back to Brisbane in February 2013, where I noted that there was a option to check the status of the postal voter registration on the EC's website. Keyed in my IC number, and got the message that my application had been received. As the postal voting application(s) could only be processed once the Returning Officers were appointed for the constituencies, I left it at that.

In April 2013 I received a call in my Australian phone number from 03-8881 6607. Unfortunately when the call came I was in a meeting, and thus was unable to pick it up. As I know no one in Selangor who would call me, I was curious. A quick Google search indicated that it was the phone number for the "Unit Pengurusan Undi Pos" of the EC. So I called back. And was pleasantly surprised to get a nice girl who picked up my call. While I can't remember her name, she was polite and helpful. I recounted my question, and asked about my postal voting application. She requested for my IC number and my Australian contact details and promised to get back to me.

About 15 minutes later she called back and said it was because I had not put my email address in my application form. Somewhat reluctantly I gave my email address to her (I get enough spam as it is without having to have my email address plastered across government databases) and that was it.

She called back 10 minutes later and said that it had all been done, and recommended me to check my status on the EC's website. A quick check showed that my application had been marked as received and was in process.

Government departments usually get a bad reputation across the world, and I've had more of my share of dealing with incompetent government front line staff. To have this done in such a quick and efficient manner was a nice change. It was only a few months earlier where I had to deal with the Malaysian immigration department and they too were also very helpful to my query.

Note that while I had a good experience registering as a postal voter, and this was the first time the Malaysia had extended postal voting to all citizens outside of Malaysia (minus those in Singapore, South Thailand and Kalimantan) thus I was expecting issues, there is always room for improvement in the process.

Final thoughts;
1) Most of the registration issues I read via various sources online tended to be cause by the typical last minute attitude of Malaysians. Of course a website will crash if everyone is accessing it all at the same time. Its not exactly the EC's fault: should they spend all that money to upgrade their hardware to cope with 1000 connections a minute just for a few hours once every 5 years?

2) Speak BM. For better or worst, when dealing with government departments in Malaysia you need to use BM. Many of the videos I saw uploaded to Youtube recoding their calls to the EC had people starting off in English, or a mix of English with BM. I'm not saying you need to speak like A. Samad Said, but if an anglophile banana like me who hasn't used BM since he finished Form 5 can still say "Saya memangil mengenai status pemohonan undi pos saya", surely after 12 years of education one should have enough comprehension of BM to at least deal with government departments?

3) Be polite. Others I saw who posted their calls on Youtube started off the bat in a defensive or dismissive attitude when calling the EC. I know we don't like dealing with government departments, but the person on the other end of the line is still human.

How to get a drivers licence in Malaysia

Like Australia, you need to sit for the Written and Practical tests. Let’s assume you have passed both of them. Got them passes recorded in JPJ’s system. So how do you get a Malaysian drivers licence?

• Your ID
• A passport picture of yourself
• Form JPJ L1

No really. That is all you need.



I really don’t understand why many Anglo-Saxon democracies (like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the ultimate coup de grace, USA) have something against a national ID card system. Every time it is even remotely suggested the usual wails of privacy and big brother rear themselves. Then the conspiracy bible wielding fanatics come out of the woodwork and it all goes south from there. I’ve never found any of the arguments against a ID card system convincing, albeit I do concede that not all of the arguments are without merit.

Well guess what people: the government already tracks you. And I’m not talking about PRISM or ECHLON either.

In Australia there is a TFN and your Medicare card. Even if you are a bum and don’t work you are still entitled to Medicare and are registered with Centrelink for welfare, which surprise surprise gives you a Centrelink ID card. And the Australian drivers licence is already a de facto ID card. Want to open a bank account? Complete the paperwork for a job? Apply for a loan? Enrol in university? Get yourself on the electoral roll? Take out a hire-purchase? Buy a place to live in? (Heck, property records are public in Australia for crying out loud) Check-in for a domestic flight? We’ll need to see your driver’s licence thanks.

Why else would a drivers licence (ie. A way of verifying that I can (kinda) drive without killing myself and everyone on the road) require where I was born and my visa information?

Don’t/Cant drive? Here’s an Australian passport as proof of ID. Here’s a Proof of Age card. All interlinked with my Medicare number/card and TFN. Now can I have my bank account/start my new job/have my loan/get my student ID/receive the title for my new place/get on the plane please?

So why make it difficult for people, where you need x number of documents from Category A (which seems to vary depending on what you’re applying for), y number of documents from Category B (which essentially means your Medicare card), and a non-standard listing of documents to prove where I live, when I can have one card that shows my full name, my date of birth, my address, a picture of me, my gender, and is issued by the government?

(That is actually an important requirement, as for many occasions one needs official documents issued by the government. Just ask those who paid for a KeyPass card)

The question can be partially explained that it is a revenue raising stream, especially when Proof of Age cards in QLD now expire every 5 years, passports expire within 10 years, so you have to constantly keep re-doing them. But I really have trouble understanding why civil libertarians revolt so much against a national ID card system when they have no problem with having a TFN, a Medicare card and a smartphone.

Don't get me wrong: it will not combat terrorism. It will not reduce fraud. But it will make life so much easier in an ever complicated world.

Okay, you can live without a drivers licence and a smartphone. But I challenge anyone to live in Australia as a resident without a TFN and a Medicare card. Unless you have no problem with the government taking 47% of every dollar you earn and never need healthcare.

The government can track you already. It knows where you live (one always needs to have a postal address for any kind of correspondence), how you move (property records are public in Australia), where you work, how much you earn (TFN), your medical history (especially with MyHealth being rolled out). And all this is before we get into conspiracy theory land of ECHLON and PRISM.

So what’s wrong with a piece of plastic that allows us to avoid some of the ever increasing amount of paperwork?

Just when I thought I had seen it all......comes SNH48

Between self-taught 日本語, 12 years in the Malaysian education system, and 6 years in Chung Hua school, now I've seen it all.

From ポップコーンが弾けるように -> Seperti popcorn yang meletup letup -> 像爆米花一样热烈般的爆炸

The Bahasa (Indonesia) version still sounds weird, and the Mandarin version (seriously, "咚咚心跳证明靠近的距离" ?!) is not much better to be honest.

I would actually be interested in how they adapt "Baby! Baby! Baby!" into Mandarin. The Bahasa Indonesia version is surprisingly pretty good.

One of the many reasons why things don't work in Malaysia

Bernama, 21 Oct 2009:


3 observations:

1) Bernama (and the NST; I'm starting to see a pattern here) can't even get the poor guy's name right: "Chong" vs "Choong"


Source (and it is a good read too!)

2) The minister himself doesn't even know the difference between a MyKad and a MyPR. Protip: the National Registration Department gives a good rundown of the differences between the two of them.

3) There is something very wrong when a poor 99 year old man on his death bed can't even be called a Malaysian (despite what his relatives may have thought), while in Sabah people can get a blue MyKad in as little as 2 years.

Grandmother ages backwards in Sarawak!

The Borneo Post, 17 Sept 2009:


In a article in 2009, The Borneo Post highlights the plight of Sauyah Abdullah, who is noted to be 90 years of age.

Fastfoward to 2013:

The Borneo Post, 2 August 2013:


Footnote:

Because Malaysian's can't identify satire (no really, they really can't) even if it came up to them and hit them with a large trout, I have to say this: I'm all for helping the poor, and it was good that her plight was noticed and assistance provided.

I just can't help but be bemused that within 4 years she managed to age backwards by 5 years.

Getting a drivers licence in Australia

So there a few things that one needs to do holding a drivers licence from a non-prescribed country, such as sitting for the written theory test and the practical driving test. But let's assume that you've managed to overcome these hurdles and get the tick of approval. So how do you get a drivers licence in Australia.

You need to fulfill the ID requirements.

Which leads to a horrifying conclusion.

You will need:

a) An Australian Birth certificate
    Naturalisation Certificate
    Australian Passport

But what if you're not born in Australia, or an Australian citizen, like me?

-Foreign passport
-QLD or Federal police officer ID
-Australian photo driver licence (really? You need a drivers licence to get a drivers licence?)
-QLD accreditatom for bus/taxi/limo driver
-QLD 18+ card
-Immigration visa

I'm not going to start on the madness of getting a Australian passport, or the recursive fact that you need a drivers licence to get drivers licence.

But I can tick the box on having Foreign passport, and a immigration visa (label). The latter for now. DIAC no longer issue visa labels for Permanent Residents, and if you want one its now $70. (Essentially its become a revenue raising option) It remains if TMR will accept a printout of a e-VEVO acting as a visa label.



Source.

So I have a passport. Now I need something from Category B:

- Australian Defence Force ID
- Australian firearm licence
- Australian security guard licence
- Centrelink pensioner concession card
- Education ID card
- Financial education debit/credit card
- Medicare card

Now I can't join the Australian defence force, hate guns, can't be a bouncer, don't qualify for pensioner status, and am not studying. For this discussion let's assume that I'm a 457 visa holder who is not entitled to a Medicare card. My only options are my bank debit/credit card.

Now how do I get a debit/credit card? Open a bank account. How does one open a bank account? With your passport. But what if you don't have a bank account?  You're stuck.

The whole ID process in Australia (not just TMR) assumes that people have a bank account. And while Australia does have a high rate of bank account ownership, there will be those who don't/can't get a bank account. And they'll be stuck.

So okay, I have my passport and my bank card. Now I need a 3rd form of ID from the A or B lists above. What happens if I don't have a visa label?

The closest thing is the 18+ card. But to get a 18+ card you need to satisfy all these identity requirements madness.

The only option I can see, if you don't have a Medicare card, is to get another financial institutions debit/credit card. How many people have financial relationships with 2 banks?

Now lets say you have a Foreign passport, a bank card, and a visa label (or paid $70 to immigration to get one)/another bank card (or opened another bank account just for this)/Medicare card (which you need a Australian passport/birth certificate/naturalisation certificate/foreign passport + appropriate visa to get one). What next?

You need to prove that you're domiciled in the state in which you are applying for the drivers licence for. Now how does one do that?

- Contract of property purchase, lease/rental document, mortgage/land ownership sertificate
- Electricity, gas or telephone account
- Rates notice/electoral document
- QLD vehicle registration certificate (really? I'm trying to get a licence to be able to get a car here people)
- Tax assessment notice
- Bank statement issued within the last 6 months

Now let's say I'm a new migrant from a prescribed country that allows me to simply convert my drivers licence without the need for written and practical tests. I'm sub-renting, with everything bundled into the rent I pay. I have no lease document, no electricity or gas account, don't pay rates, use a prepaid plan, and haven't filed a tax return yet.

The only option available to you is a bank statement. But what if you don't have one?

You know what? After all this I'm convinced of one thing: it is impossible to survive in Australia without a bank account. This means a lot of Malaysian's will die in Australia, because a lot of them do not have bank accounts. And how much should be trust banks? What's stopping them from become the next Cyprus, Greece, Spain or UK?

Anyway, in my case I had my Malaysian passport, my bank card, my visa label and my postpaid phone account. To be able to be used as part of proving my identity.

Now how do I get a bank account/mobile phone account/bank card? I use my Malaysian passport.

So how do I get a Malaysian passport?

• RM300 for a 5 year passport
• My MyKad and a photocopy of it
• 2 passport sized photos (now with a white background)

No really, that is all the documentation (if you could even call it that) to get a Malaysian passport.

Now getting a picture is a relatively straightforward process, and I'll leave it to the individual to determine how to get RM300. But how does one get a MyKad?

Well, being a Malaysian national helps. But let's hear it from the National Registration Department themselves:

• My birth certificate
• The Mykad's of my parents

So now that we have established how to get a MyKad, how do I get a birth certificate for myself?

Well, there are 3 sets of rules: for Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak. As a Sarawakian, I will detail the latter. (That said, the rules between the 3 sets are not that different from each other)



Well, for starters, being physically born in Sarawak helps. And be produced to the National Registration Department within 14 days of my birth. Documentation wise:

• Borang I
• Borang X
• Birth record from the hospital
• My prenatal records
• The Mykad/passports of the parents
• The marriage certificate of the parents

So there you have it: my entire existence is predicated on a piece of paper which has no photo and which somehow I hold myself out to be! And the only reason why I hold this piece of paper is because my parents went to the National Registration Department within 14 days of my birth and said this bundle of flesh and bone is theirs.

Which explains why statelessness is a real issue in Malaysia. How many people think "Oh look! My child! Now let's all go to the National Registration Department and fill in some forms!" after their child is born? Especially when the nearest National Registration Department office is a 3 day boat ride away?

The whole world is designed around a person having a piece of paper. And if you don't have it, you don't exist. Just ask Ladu Yanga or Choong Yik Sheng.

Malaysian nationality law in a nutshell

As the law currently stands (for Non-Muslims):

1) All births in Malaysia, regardless of the nationality of either parent, are entitled to a birth certificate in Malaysia. Issuance of a birth certificate in Malaysia only proves that the child was born in Malaysia. It has nothing to do about the nationality of the child. Being born in Malaysia does not entitle you to Malaysian citizenship.


2) All births in Malaysia need to be registered within 42 days of the birth.

3) If both parties are married, whether the child is a Malaysian citizen depends on who's the Malaysian national:

a) If the father is a Malaysian and the mother is a foreign national, and the child is born in Malaysia, the child will have Malaysian nationality
b) If the father is a Malaysian and the mother is a foreign national, and the child was born outside Malaysia, AND the birth was registered with the Malaysian foreign representative office within 30 days, the child will have Malaysian nationality
c) If the mother is a Malaysian and the father is a foreign national, and the child is born in Malaysia, the child will have Malaysian nationality
d) If the mother is a Malaysian and the father is a foreign national, and the child is born outside Malaysia, you get into a gray area. There was an administrative directive a few years back to give children born to Malaysian women outside of Malaysia Malaysian citizenship, but the memo still hasn't reached a few little Napoleons. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that most Malaysian women give up fighting with the bureaucracy and the brain drain continues

4) If a unmarried Malaysian woman gives birth to a child in Malaysia, and the father does not consent to being put on the birth certificate, (or the father is nowhere to be found) the child will still be issued with a birth certificate. (See also point 2) The birth certificate will leave the details of the father of the child blank. The child will have Malaysian citizenship.

5) If a unmarried Malaysian woman gives birth to a child outside Malaysia, and the father (irrespective of the nationality) does not consent to being put on the birth certificate, you end up in the creek without a paddle. And that's one way of becoming stateless.

Twitter Gems, part 55

Oh, the pain! The suffering! The "What if's?". Why, KyoAni, Why?!

Siege mentality

Saw this over at the Facebook page of MASCA Queensland:



I suppose it is a indictment of what things are like in Malaysia in this day and age.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica episode 6. Oh Kyouko.

And I'm not saying that just because she's voiced by Ai-pon~ either.



Life is zero sum game. You can't win. Someone has to loose in order to win.

But you can poison an entire generation.


Sources: here, here, here, here and here.

This is why I love Australia

So this is how I spend my Saturday nights: goth with a hint of incest, little kiddies running around saying things like 逆ハレム and 酒池肉林, and Mami dies. At ep 3.

I am not leaving this place in a hurry.

How could anyone ever be bored in Australia?

The reason why journalism is dying

 

SBS Pop"Asia", 3 August 2013

Someone call the Macquarie Dictionary: "Aussie papers" is now defined as the Sydney Morning Herald.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica episode 6. This is how my tax dollars are spent.

My tax dollars at work this week: Sayaka dies, round 1.

While I'm not complaining, the logical side of me can't help but ask: how did ABC3 get a PG rating for this?

So I spent my weekend updating a computer to SP1

And I managed to fit in 3 episodes of Little Busters! while SP1 was being applied.

I'm not quite sure what it says about me or Microsoft's patch process.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica episode 5. Still on ABC3, but that's no longer the point.

Kyouko!

I must say that Sayaka (Sarah Williams) still sounds weird. Kitamura Eri is a high bar to match.

And Lauren Landa (Kyouko) is no Ai-pon~.

I suppose there are worst ways for my tax dollars to be spent.

女子かしまし物語

Somebody get this song out of my head please.

The lyrics are gold BTW. They don't make stuff like this anymore.

Twitter Gems, part 54

As much as it pains me to say this, that is the truth. If only KyoAni had put even half the amount of effort they commit to FREE! into CLANNAD ~After Story~. Maybe then we would have had a Wonderful Life.

Zits 24 June 2013

It is nice to know I'm not the only one who thought of this.

Mothers must be same all over the world.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica episode 4. Still on ABC3, believe it or not.

So it does look like I'm the only person watching Madoka on ABC3. Ep 4 came on air as scheduled this evening. So the ABC wasn't inundated with moral outrage.

Remember kids, most people are ungrateful to begin with. Life is a zero sum game. You can't win.

Next up: Sayaka!

Passport issuing authorities

Recently I was asked an interesting question: “What is the issuing authority of the Malaysian passport?”

The answer, interestingly, is the place/location under the heading “Issuing Office”


From top to bottom: Australian student visa immigration form, Japan tourist visa application form, UK Tier-2 visa application form

Anyone who lives outside of Malaysia has to fill up an immigration form sooner or later, one way or the other. Inevitably the main form of ID used to prove the identity of the individual is the Malaysian Passport. And the one question on the paperwork that seems to trip up generations of Malaysian students, holiday seekers and workers is the question: “Issuing Authority of Passport”

I have seen answers such as “Department of Immigration, Malaysia”, “Malaysian department of Immigration”. Interestingly, I have yet to hear of anyone being denied a visa filling their immigration forms in this way. However, I feel that it is a topic which has not been well discussed, and hence in this post I will briefly touch on what makes a passport, and do a comparative analysis on how other countries format their passport data page.

ICAO standards
This is not a post on the history of passports. However, the world has generally fallen in line with the “ICAO passport standard” (ie. That lovely thing which looks like the Australian aboriginal flag at the front of your passport), which is defined in ICAO Document 9303. Being a nerd I am, I’m probably one of the few people in this world to actually find reading such documentation interesting.

The document is pretty lengthy, with Part 1 clocking in at 100 pages. The bit we are interested in is page IV-12, which states:



The Data Element 15/III defines under what authority the passport is being issued. And it makes clear that the issuing office where the passport was issued is the same as the authority under which the passport is given to the holder of the passport.




How Malaysia does it

It’s amazing how many passport data pages one can get with a few keystrokes these days:

Source.


Source


Source


Source


Source


Source

Oh look! The new polycarbonate passports!

The point I’m trying to get to in between all these images is that the issuing office is different depending on where you apply and receive your passport. So yes, the issuing authority of Malaysian passports is where you applied for them.

I’ve always wondered what about those who applied for their Malaysian passports overseas. Is the issuing place the same as the Malaysian representative location?


How Australia does it


Source


Source

Before you scream murder at me for these images, read up on “Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh” These are images publicly published on the media for all to see. But that's not why I've put them up. My point for these images is to illustrate that Australia also uses the place where the passport was issued as the Issuing Passport Authority.


Source


Source

Personal experience indicates that the Australian passport office isn't very consistent when it comes to the issuing authority. I have seen the Issuing Authority alternate between simply “Australia” and the capital city of the state where one applied for their passport.




How New Zealand does it


Source

Like Australia, New Zealand puts where the passport was issued as the issuing authority.




How Japan does it


Source


Source


Source

That’s interesting: passports issued in Japan are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but outside Japan they are issued by the Japanese representative outside Japan. And instead of recording where the holder was born, it records where the holder is domiciled.

 

How South Korea does it


Source


Source


Source

With the number of South Korean’s in Brisbane, I’ve seen a few South Korean passports in my time. They are all issued by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.


How China does it


Source


Source

I suppose one pro of living with housemates from China is that I’ve seen probably more than my fair share of PRC passports. And when I look at them I am very grateful for my Malaysian passport. Compared to them Malaysian passport holders have it easy for most of the world. I had a housemate who was denied a tourist visa to the UK for the reason that she was a student and couldn’t prove enough funds. I was asked how did I do it to improve my changes. I just said: “As a Malaysian passport holder we just get on a plane with a round trip ticket”

You can’t do that on a PRC passport.

Passports issued in China have the location where it was issued under the authority of the Ministry of Public Security. For those passports renewed outside China, it simply states the city where the PRC representative is.

Pub trivia: China only issues 10 year passports. There is no option to have a shorter time period. This new policy was put in place from 2007. I suppose its scant consolation when they need a visa to pretty much enter any country.



How Singapore does it


Source


Source

Singaporean passports are issued by the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs. I suppose Singapore is small enough to have only one Passport Office.



How Taiwan (sorry, "Republic of China") does it


Source


Source

Passports are issued by the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with no information on where it was applied for, unless they were applied for outside of Taiwan.

Taiwan passports have always fascinated me. Before 2002 anyone of Chinese ethnicity (overseas born Chinese) was technically eligible for a Taiwanese passport. Anyone who can prove descent to ROC persons were also eligible.

Strange then: I don’t quite remember the Chinese culturalists (Y’know, the ones that keep harping on 2000 (or 4000; it seems to change depending on who you talk to) years of Chinese culture, language and education) in Malaysia lining up outside the Taiwanese embassy (sorry, "Taipei Cultural and Economic Office") to get a Taiwanese passport.

Interestingly it looks like Taiwan also includes a provision for those who have adapted Western names in their name column.



How Denmark does it


Source

Oh look, another polycarbonate passport!

Danish passports look very busy: they are written in English, Danish and French.


How Indonesia does it


Source


Source


Source

Like Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia does not have separate columns for Surnames and Given names. Unlike Malaysia however, at least the MRZ has a provision for the surname (see 2nd image), even if it is left blank (see top image). Alternatively it is omitted completely.  (See image above)





Anyway, all this is academic. I highly doubt any immigration authority will reject an application form which states the "Department of Immigration, Malaysia" as the issuing authority. It is just another column in the never ending mountain of paperwork that bureaucracy loves.