Farouk Gulsara's Blog, page 27

Malaysian hands in HK affairs?

The Goldfinger (Cantonese; 2023)
Director: Felix Chong
This film excited me for three reasons. First, the screenplay was written by the same guy who wrote the smash series Infernal Affairs, which later spurred Martin Scorsese's The Departed. Second, my favourite Cantonese stars, Andy Lau and Tony Leong, are in it. Finally, a Malaysian angle is somehow intertwined in the whole imbroglio. The movie is based on the rise and fall of the Singaporean (Sarawak-born) rag-to-riches speculator George Tan and his Carrian group of businesses.
One July morning in 1983, Malaysians were shocked to read about a banker's body that was found in a banana plantation in the New Territory of Hong Kong (HK). From the 10-sen Malaysian coin that was found in the pants pocket, the police managed to determine that he could be Malaysian. They finally discovered that he was Jalil Ibrahim, a Malaysian auditor sent from the Bank Bumiputra Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to look into some discrepancies in loans dispensed by its subsidiary, Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF).
HK police investigations soon revealed a Malaysian businessman, Mak Fook Than, met Jalil at a hotel, killed him, packed him in a suitcase and disposed of his body at a banana plantation. During the trial, Mak insisted that he was merely a bystander. The actual killer was a Korean named Shin, who was never discovered. There were strong rumours that they were simply pawns. The real killers were someone big high up the food chain, either Malaysian politicians or Carrian group management.
Jalil's investigations from his 6-month stint in HK found that large loans were given to George Tan and the Carrian Group without proper documentation and collaterals. George Tan, an engineer by training, hit terrible times in Singapore in the 1970s and landed in HK. He ventured into the real estate business and found a neck in speculative trading. From there, Tan diversified into other industries. Sometimes, his business dealings were shady, and his partner and he parted ways. With the collapse of property prices and the stock business, the Carrian Group hit hard times. When everyone else stayed away from George Tan, BMF gave them up $ 1 billion. The HK Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) also breathed down their neck. In the meantime, the Malaysian Government, under Mahathir's leadership, was also embarrassed. Technically, Bank Bumiputra was established under the umbrage of the Malaysian Government to aid struggling Malay entrepreneurs. So, it had no business giving out loans to Chinese businessmen. The CIA declassified some of its documents about the BMF scandal. This sanitised version did implicate people high up in UMNO to be cognisant of the hanky panky in BMF.
So, at the end of the day, Jalil's murder was determined to have been unilaterally by Mak. No one in the Carrian Group, George Tan, BMF or UMNO was implicated. BMF chiefs Lorraine Osman and Hashim Shamsuddin were later charged and imprisoned for CBT. The gossip around town put Mahathir and the Finance Minister then, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, deep in the cookie jar.
The movie, told in flashbacks and forwards, tells a not-so-interesting account of the tenacity of one man, Lau Kai-yuen, the principal investigator of ICAC, to pin down Henry Ching Yat-yin, a character based on George Tan. After 17 long years, with two missed convictions, Henry (George) was imprisoned for three years in 1996 for the conspiracy surrounding his BMF loan.
(PS. In the movie, Malaysia was referred to instead as 'Timurlaysia'; even the honorific title Datok was used for the Malaysia characters.)

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You are not what you eat!

No disrespect is intended for the believers, but these could be cautionary tales for others.

Recently, a close relative told me that he had made an appointment to meet a holy man at the unusual hour of 3 a.m. It may appear unearthly to some, but to others, it is referred to as 'Brahmamuhurtham'*, one of the most auspicious times of the day. The holy man wanted to dispel him of some negative energies.

Quickly, my mind wandered to the story of P. Rajagopal, the founder of the world-famous chain of South Indian vegetarian restaurants, Saravana Bhava. A classic tale of how capitalism breeds entrepreneurship and how trickle-down economics works is his life story. Starting off as the son of a poor onion farmer, he ran away from home to work as a chaiwala. He later became a sundry shop owner but was restless. Being the pious person he was (he named his shop after Lord Muruga), he consulted a priest-astrologer about his future. By then, he was married to Vani, his first wife.

The astrologer predicted that his horoscope predicted that Rajagopal could be someone world-famous if he dealt with fire. At about that time, a restaurant was on sale. Taking that as a sign from the Universe, he started his first restaurant in 1981. Rajagopal and Vani worked extremely hard. In rolled in cash, the opening of branches and the expanding workforce. Rajagopal was a kind employer, and his workers were extremely loyal to him. He provided them with accommodation, medical benefits, and even holiday packages. In return, he demanded high-quality work (cleanliness and service) and loyalty.

Rajagopal and Vani's married life lost their lustre soon afterwards. In came Rajagopal's second wife, the daughter of one of his staff.

The astrologer was always behind the scenes, periodically advising on how to improve his already successful business in the future. His chain of restaurants had gone global, and Rajagopal was known as a philanthropist who donated to temples and the needy.

By then, Rajagopal was already eyeing another young lassy, the daughter of another employee. The astrologer encouraged Rajagopal, convincing him he would reach greater heights by marrying her. Trying to escape his advances, the girl, Jeevajothi, went on to marry her boyfriend. One thing led to another, and in 2001, Jeevajothi's husband was killed by Rajagopal's henchmen.

With his influence and enormous wealth, Rajagopal managed to keep bail and stay away from prison till his case went up to the Supreme Court in 2019. By then, Rajagopal was quite ill and died at 71 before he could commence his life sentence.

It has been over 15 years since I last patronised a Saravana Bhava outlet. The last time I savoured their thosai and all their vegetarian cuisine, I could not help but imagine all the blood, sweat, lust and murder that went into preparing the dish. It is perplexing that a person who painstakingly ensured his vegetarian (sattvik) preparations were of high quality had no qualms about exhibiting so much violence and went to the extent of murder to achieve his desires. He is not a good poster boy to sell the idea that we are what we eat. Above all, the brain must function, and periodic self-appraisal is mandatory.

The next time someone claims to have accurately analysed your future through horoscopic facial recognition science, palmistry, and chart analysis of your birthdate, be wary. Remember, the higher your climb, the harder the fall and the more painful it will be on your posterior. 

*Brahmamuhurta is a 48-minute period that begins one hour and 36 minutes before sunrise and ends 48 minutes before sunrise.

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It is that time of the year!

Holdovers (2023)
Director: Alexander Payne

This one comes close to being a feel-good Christmas spirit movie in the vein of 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946), 'Miracle at 34th Street' (1947), and 'Diehard!' (1988). Maybe not 'Diehard' for its destruction and violence that happens around X'Mas.

When everything looks hopeless, and there is no reason to be merry, one can be a Scrooge, making life a living hell for people or, alternatively, try to at least a little bit better for others. After all, that is how life has been for aeons. Life, with its ups and downs throughout our civilisation, only makes one's life more colourful. Despite all the maladies and tragedy, we still come out unscathed, dusting the dirt off our backs and moving forward to face another challenge. That that does not kill us makes us stronger.

The sombre settings around Christmas make the soul go pensive. Tradition has made one long for lost relatives and reminisce about a carefree childhood. The colours of Yuletide bring out the best of human qualities and only go to square one after one usher in the new year. Is it any surprise that the days following the Christmas-New Year are hailed as the busiest days for divorce lawyers. Maybe the long soul-searching triggered them to seek out new partners.

The film revolves around three characters in an elite boarding school. An uninspiring teacher who is not everyone's idea of a favourite teacher, Mr Hunham, is forced by the headmaster to care for students who cannot return home for Christmas. A parent arrived on a helicopter to take all students off for skiing, except for Tully, whose money had gone off on a honeymoon trip with her new husband. Tully is actually quite disturbed that his biological father is institutionalised for a severe psychiatric illness. Staying back also is the grieving canteen manager, Mary Lamb, who had recently lost her 19-year-old son in the Vietnam War. This movie was set in 1971.

Together, through the holiday period, the three of them found friendship, which did not magically change their past sadness, but it did help them mend their broken hearts and strengthen them to endure the rest of the days ahead. 4/5
(P.S. 'Holdovers' are people surviving a previous administration or such.)

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Back to the USSR?

Communism, Hypnotism and the Beatles (1965)
Rev. David A. Noebel

An Analysis of the Communist use of music - the Communist Master Plan.

This book predates John Lennon's infamous press statement in 1966, in which he was quoted as saying that the Beatles were, at that time, 'more popular than Jesus'. To his defence, the baby boomers were, in fact, losing interest in what the church had to say. 

In 1956, during a visit to Poland, Nikita Khrushchev was thought to have told the West that he would 'bury them'. Some say it was something that came out after being lost in translation. Again, during his state visit to the US, he may have said (again disputed) that he predicted the adoption of communism and the gradual creation of a 'socialist stare' in the US. 

David Noebel is said to be a fiery Christian evangelist who argues his claims with dubious scientific evidence. In this booklet, he used many Pavlovian animal behavioural study models to convince his congregation that music has a hypnotizing effect that can alter teenagers' responses to situations. He even goes to the extent of suggesting that music can be used as a brainwashing device. He quotes Khrushchev as saying that the Soviets did not have to do anything to turn Americans into commies. They will change in time. Through music? "Have they planted this through rock and roll?" he asks.

Looking at how the millennials and the woke generation behave, it seems like Khrushchev's dream may have materialized. Extremist leftist ideas have permeated all forms of life. All the institutions have been infiltrated. Posts on social media reeks of the communist ideas. They claim to champion the marginalized, but what they really want is the annihilation of our civilization as we know it. They even have opinions on theistic matters even though they are godless in their belief system.

After seeing their mesmerizing effect on their young audience, the author has a bone to pick with the Beatles. He cannot fathom what makes them go hysterical to the extent of peeling off their undergarments. 

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What were they even thinking of?!

Lately, many have asked, 'What was he/she/they thinking? ' I do not believe they are expecting an answer from me. Perhaps they expect me to nod, quietly agree or squeak out some filler words like hmm..., not to react, disagree or object.

"What was he thinking? He had such a nice family, wife and beautiful kids. And gave up all that for a young chick?"

"He had everything going here. But that was not good enough. He had to sell off everything and root himself in a foreign land. Look at him now. What was he thinking?"

"In school, my best friend gave me a bar of soap. A bar of soap! Can you imagine? What was she even thinking of? ...that I stink?" 

It is not our business to judge others. We are only in a position to tell if we walk a mile in their shoes. Everything they do must have been debated internally with some soul-searching and introspection before making decisions. All the dos and don'ts must have been viewed from all angles, especially when it involves life-changing choices. Sometimes it is a calculated gamble. Other times, it may be desperation or the threat of the unknown. 

One must remember the decisions made at the heights of hormonal deluge in the spring of youth when the affairs of the heart supersede rational thinking. The ability to rationally weigh the pros and cons gets lost in emotion. Not to forget that as life becomes more bogged down by the strains of modern life, a clear mind is becoming an increasingly rare commodity. Decisions made by a deranged mind, assaulted by birth traumas, childhood traumas, genetic aberrations or pharmaceutical alterations also impair rational decision-making. 

Many resort to religions or gatekeepers of religions to make life-altering decisions, assuming that the path most travelled will be devoid of thorns and pebbles. How about invoking the powers of seers and the spirits of the dead? They could guide us. And astrology and the gravitational forces of celestial bodies that control our moods and fate…?

Now, with so many variables, I wonder if many of our actions are mere reflexes that bypass the higher centres. We work on impulses, outsource them to others or follow the crowd. Or maybe they already have something good going for them. They had assessed everything and had a ready plan going for them. Our assessments do not mean anything to them.

But then, one cannot help but question what they were thinking of when people aged 60-something, 70 or even 90 who live on borrowed time with one foot on the grave are hellbent on disturbing the peace. Rather than leaving a mark on the right side of history, they insist on the destructive and divisive way. They justify their action by quoting sacred texts and traditions and wanting to continue the struggles of their ancestors who did not know much. Undoubtedly, the present generation must be wiser. 

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On a collison course?

3 Body Problem (Miniseries; Season 1, 8 episodes )

Adapted from the Hugo Award-winning novel by Liu Cixin

There is an episode in the original Twilight Zone series titled "Where is Everybody?" in which a person wanders around a township with no soul in sight. Enveloped in 'The Great Silence,' he runs around like a headless chicken, looking for any sign of life. That must surely be a veiled reference to Fermi's paradox. With so much wasted space around us and after so many years of searching, why can't we contact any lifeform elsewhere in this widespread Universe? With time, the possibility of the presence of more and more solar systems is being suggested. Surely, someone somewhere must have picked up our radio signals by now. What if they are advanced enough to pick up gestures of friendship. Or maybe they have already made visitations before if one believes the ideas mooted by Erich von Däniken about ancient aliens.

Conversely, if a civilisation is indeed more advanced than us, wouldn't it want to dominate us? Come to think of it, our announcement to the Universe may be counterproductive as it may put us at risk of being run over.

This is exactly what happens in this story. An alien race, the San-Tis, from a distant planet, Trisolaris, in Alpha Centauri, four light years away, are looking for an alternative home. Their planet is unstable, and they are looking for an alternative home. A signal from a Chinese scientist comes in. The Trisolarians grab this opportunity. They send advanced minuscule computer programmes called 'siphons' to Earth through accelerated methods (breaking light barriers) to retard science on Earth while San-Tis conquer our planet. Reaching Earth takes over 400 years because they have not breached the light-speed barrier. 

Meanwhile, scientists are committing suicide as science results are going haywire (Science, as they knew, is dead). The gist of the story is trying to save Earth from the inevitable space invasion. In the midst of all that, there is death, murder, love, deceit and friendship.

I do not claim to fully understand the science behind the story. It skips me why the scientists decided to commit suicide, as scientists are generally resilient and have the in-built capacity to resist adversity. 

I understand that the 'three-body problem' is a physics/ mechanics conundrum. Predicting the path of two bodies with gravitational pulls towards each other can be done by looking at their trajectory, pulling forces, and a pre-determined point of reference. In a three-body model, the path looks chaotic and appears like they may collide at any time. It is more difficult for scientists to foresee. This is the exact problem San-Tis has. Their three suns (hence the name Trisolaris name for the planet) cross paths, leading to destructive outcomes. There was the need to colonise.

The series is mired with controversy even before its release. Its producer, who helped to bring it to Netflix, died of poisoning in a business dispute. The Chinese Government is not pleased with its altered storyline, choice of casting and the adverse depiction of China. Under the guise of diversity, the Chinese are cast as villains, and the White man comes to the rescue.

(P.S. The novel is the first of a trilogy. Dark Forest and Death End will follow, as this sci-fi has geeks talking.)

(P.P.S. Food for thought: Are our efforts to send probes and time-capsules counterproductive? Like how flaunting our boarding passes online will expose our personal data to prowling eyes and unsavoury characters, will it attract space imperialists?)

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It was always burning!

Have I Got Something To Tell You
Author: Malachi Edwin Vethamani

Listen
Do you want to know a secret?
Do you promise not to tell?
Whoa, oh, oh
Closer
Let me whisper in your ear
Say the words you long to hear
I'm in love with you
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh…

Not too long ago, that was how it used to be. Now it is 'on your face'. Personal liberty, self-expression, and space availability have led to this. We didn't start the fire; it was always burning… just that it has found mainstream. 

Take the movies South Pacific and Ben Hur, which were made around the late 1950s. Movie connoisseurs would agree that those films had many not-so-subtle references to homoerotism. Nobody raised a red flag then, even though the American Motion Pictures Production Code (Hays Code) was quite clear about its guidelines regarding romance, gay issues, exposure of flesh and cleavage. The filmmakers tried to make South Pacific a feel-good war movie. Aside from the lush jungles, sunsets and beaches, it showed half-naked happy sailors dancing away into the evening. Ben Hur was marketed as a religious epic; again, these unspoken subtexts were buried in the story. The classic scene which did not raise an eyebrow then (but it does now) was when Ben-Hur and Messala drank wine from their chalices in an interlocked arm position, staring into each other's eyes. 

Both created little fanfare, then. … but it was always burning. 

Stories like these were also whispered in the hush in a profoundly conservative society like ours. Things were left to be heard and acted on the sly. Instead, people wore blinkers or buried their heads in the sand rather than accepted reality. 

Malachi Edwin Vethamani's 'Have I Got Something To Tell You' is a collection of stories that may be close to our hearts. It reminds us of the extraordinary journey that we, the citizens of Malaysia, experience in our daily lives. Challenges with race, religion, governmental policies, societal discrimination, and adolescent challenges are all too familiar.

South Pacific Ben Hur

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As you see it!

Anatomy of a Fall (Anatomie d'une chute, French; 2023)
Director: Justine Triet

We reassure ourselves by telling lies. We are so cock sure that truth will win. It would somehow emerge from the crack to balance the equilibrium of the Universe. One of the half-truths we convince ourselves is that there is a balance of two opposing but sometimes complementary forces; the good and bad, the truth and the lie, the masculine and feminine forces, chaos and order and so forth. The 'truth' wins every time, we con ourselves.

It is all a perspective of the now and the glaring presence of the evidence of the present. No caped sorcerer will ride the high horse of justice to right the wrong. 

That, in my opinion, is the essence of this story. A husband is found dead in his frosted front yard, presumably after a fall from his balcony three storeys up. He was discovered by his blind son, returning from a walk with his guide dog. The wife was alone in the house with blaring music playing on the speaker. Their relationship had seen better times.

The physical fall brings out the metaphorical fall out of love, the fall of status for the husband, and the possible fall into depression of the husband. 

Initial police investigations suggest it could be a suicide, but a recording of the couple's conversation throws a spanner into the works. The wife, an established author, is arrested as the possible suspect of the murderer of her husband. 

The court trials tease out the family dynamics. What starts as the couple falling in love, having a child, and juggling their careers turns murky. In an accident possibly caused by the husband's lackadaisical delay, the son is caught in an accident that causes him to lose his eyesight. The guilt-stricken writer-husband, compounded by the mother's veiled accusations, becomes a wreck. His writing juices dry up, and love falls off the cliff.

The wife is questioned as a possible perpetrator of the crime or maybe accidental death on a possible domestic tussle. Her previous blemishes are exposed. The animosity that arose as she prospered as a prolific writer at the expense of her husband's creative impotence is laid bare. 

The son takes the heaviest brunt of it all. His testimony at the stand may determine how the case turns out for the mother. He is unsure how to look at all of the events. Did his father kill himself? Did his mother kill his husband? These conundrums seem to put a lot of burden on the shoulders of a young early teenager. Everything is confusing. He is pressured to do the right thing, but what is right anymore? 

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Slavery never disappeared?

Aadujeevitham (Goat Days / Goat Life, Malayalam,2024)
Director: Jessy
By the end of the 20th Century, many of Kerala's male population worked in the Gulf Countries. Poverty and unemployment were the push factors for the 'Gulf Boom' in the 1970s and 1980s. Business was booming on the other side of the Arabian Sea, and petroleum was hitting record levels. Soon, sob stories started appearing about the abuse and pathetic living conditions amongst the Kerala Gulf diaspora. 
In 2008, a Malayali writer, Benyamin, narrated the trials and tribulations of Najeeb Muhammad, a Malayali guest worker stranded in Riyadh airport. Not knowing Arab, Najeeb innocently followed an Arab man he assumed was his employer. His initial contract was for him to work as a cashier in a supermarket. Instead, he ended up herding hundreds of goats in the middle of the desert. He had no living quarters, time off, food, or pay. For more than two years, he had not seen any living soul except for his 'owner' and the owner's brother. He was scrutinised and beaten up every time they did something they did not like or tried to escape. In simple terms, he was a bonded slave. He had no dignity and lived with the goats. He was denied water to wash himself and even a change of clothes.
Before and after pictures.The Malayalam true story became a bestseller and was translated into eight languages. It is currently in its 130th edition. Of course, it was banned in the Gulf States as it depicted Arabs as barbaric. Of course, an Arab also helped him to safety when Najeeb finally found the courage (and a friend) to escape.
Now, before jumping the gun and condemning Islamic clerics for never openly condemning slavery, one should remember that all Muslim countries, in accordance with the UN Charter, ban slavery in any form. All ancient belief systems have accepted the presence of slaves in their societies. It is common knowledge that slaves were given free status when they converted to the religion of the ruler or invading army. People are people everywhere; they want to dominate others. 
Author Benyamin and NajeebWhen the British banned the transatlantic slave trade, it was done under a different name. As the French benefitted immensely from the slave-intensive sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean, Napoleon even legalised slavery there. It ended with the Haitian slave revolt and their declaration of Independence in 1804. In the USA, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution effectively ended slavery in 1865.
Even in this age and time, we hear of maids enduring slave-like living conditions in both first-world and third-world nations. A sliver of hope suddenly convinces us that humanity has not died. We pacify ourselves; we all love our fellow humans, only to be slapped with gruesome stories of abused maids. Surprisingly, we treat our pets with more dignity. 
(P.S. I think the filmmakers were trying to make Prithviraj, the main actor, do a Tom Hank role—as in 'Cast Away'—to emphasise the desolation and hopelessness of being stuck in the vast desert. Unfortunately, it did not turn out as such. The director thought it was necessary to include song numbers to drive home the point of what a good time he had back home with his wife. I do not think it worked here. By the way, Najeeb would not have left if it was all hunky dory back home.)

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Whether it is Rama or Ravana...

Bramayugam (Era of Madness, Malayalam; 2024)
Story, Direction: Rahul Sadasivan

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is the takeaway. No matter who holds the helm of control or the intoxicating concoction of power, life can never be a level playing field. Invariably, one tries to supersede another regarding idea, physical prowess, endowments, or wealth. For every robust individual, there is always another who is slightly better, faster, or stronger. And the eternal duel to be the supreme leader of the tribe goes on. 

Set in 16th-century India, when the  Portuguese were out hunting for Indian slaves to spur their intercontinental slave trade, two men escaped from their captive ship and hid themselves in the jungle. One of them falls to the lure of the jungle temptress spirit, Yakshi, and is killed by her. The other, Thevan, makes it to an abandoned mansion in the middle of the jungle. Hungry, he helps himself to some coconut, but he is admonished by the house's cook, who brings him to meet the boss of the manor. The boss appears like a reasonable chap and treats him as a house guest, much to the chagrin of the cook. Upon discovering that Thevan is a palace singer, the Lord of the Manor requests him to sing. 

Thevan, a person of the lowest castes, Pannar, is grateful to be given due recognition for his talent. Soon, things change. Increasingly, the homeowner goes into mood swings. When Thevan says he wants to leave, he gets a 'NO!'

Things turn eerie with strange sounds, and the cook starts acting weird. The story explores the various superstitions and beliefs in the supernatural, spirits, and demons in Kerala. This film is shot in black and white but does not fall short of suspense. The filmmakers do not depend on gore or visual extravaganzas to drive home their point but via judicious use of sounds, visuals, and good acting. 

The Lord of the Manor is not who he is supposed to be. Demon (shattan) has taken his appearance. As the cook and Thevan defeat the Demon, the Demon tries to jump ship. The body that it goes into turns evil. That, in essence, is the message behind the movie. The Demon is equated to power. Power is evil and destroys indiscriminately. 

First, the primordial people of the land tried to make sense of the world they were in. Trying to give meaning to tremendous forces of nature, they named Gods. Work was distributed based on people's skills and aptitudes to ensure the continuity of life on the planet. Somewhere along the way, people started thinking that their own jobs were more important. They tried to impose restrictions to keep the knowledge of the job to their own kind. A divisional hierarchy soon followed.

People were always suspicious of other communities; they allayed their cognitive dissonance by convincing themselves that the other party was wrong or deviant. It made sense afterwards. To spread their beliefs, they had to conquer over the other.

The conquerors started making divisions amongst their subjects to make 'divide-and-rule' the way to go. They came up with half-baked studies, supported by supposed scholars, to drive home the point of who the real boss is. Obscure occidental studies supported the theory that the Orientals were culturally backwards when, in reality, the reverse was true. Aryan Migration Theory was coined to justify the occupation of Europeans over India.

It did not matter who held the ruling position. The people at the lowest rung of the food chain will always be pushed. As the Tamil proverb goes, 'Whether Rama rules or Ravana does, our life remains in the doldrums.'

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