Proud to be a Perak-celup-Kelate-murtad Malaysian

If I could sum up my childhood in one word I'd pick 'bedouin'. Not because my parents are Arabs originating from the sandy deserts in the Middle East but simply because my childhood consisted of me travelling from one place to another. Most of my memories growing up were probably of my siblings and I being bored in a car, us bickering in the car, us being uncomfortable in a bus, my sister being seasick on the ferry or the best yet, my brother and I playing a prank on the air stewardess when the journey was simply taking too long. My family have probably exhausted all modes of public transportation known to mankind.

So it's no wonder that I don't really have a sense of identity when it comes to my... hmm what can you call it?... State-lity? Ye, saya tak boleh nak pilih saya ni asal negeri mana sebenarnya.

I was born but not bred in Kelantan. My pre-teen years were in a small, English suburb of Birkenhead. My early teenage years were in a highly Chinese dominated town of Ipoh and I spent the last of teenage years in a boarding school filled with Malays. Now I am happily going through my adult life in the cultural melting pot of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

So can you see yet the root of my confusion?

If I were to say I am a Kelantanese, the response would probably be "What? You're a Kelantanese? You don't look or act like one. Can you even speak Kelantanese?"

Ho ambo buleh kecek Kelate. (Walaupun Kelantan saya cair tapi saya tetap boleh paham dan bertutur dalam bahasa Kelantan).

But whether I look or act like one, well... I probably don't. I don't really fit into the typical gadis Kelantan mould. And regarding acting like a Kelantanese, how do I act like one? Do I have to speak Kelantanese all the time? Must I only mix only with other Kelantanese? Do I have to vote for PAS?

Isn't it enough that I enjoy eating budu and have the natural pension for sweet stuff.

So then what's up with being 'Perak Celup'?

My whole family (i.e. my immediate family) now lives in Ipoh, Perak. I LOVE Ipoh. I ADORE living in Ipoh. As cheesy as this may sound...

I H♥E♥A♥RT IPOH

But alas as much as I love the peaceful oasis that is Ipoh I can't fully say that I am a Perakian. Simply because after the age of 14, I have never stayed in Ipoh longer than a few months at a time.

Eh? How can this be?

All because of that damned boarding school laaa!! I still dont fully understand this whole trend of boarding schools. Sending your kids into the far depth of undeveloped wilderness like Balik Pulau or Gerik (no offense to those from those two places but during my time the schools were really in the middle of nowhere) just for the sake of a better education?! Realise people!!... that top scorers for the past few years were not from boarding schools. They were from regular day schools that were smack dab in the middle of the city. Trust me, kids that goes to boarding school are miserable. I was utterly miserable. To this very day I entertain the idea of going back to that h**lhole and bombing that school to smithereens. I vow to never ever send any of my kids to boarding schools.

But I digress.

It was simple enough to say that between school, term breaks, and familial bonds my days were pretty much divided between Ipoh, Penang and Kelantan. Long weekends in Kelantan, miserable school days in Penang and long breaks in Kelantan. That was my routine for 2 years straight. Now do you see why I feel like a bedouin?

Tapi.. kalau rumah awak kat Ipoh dan awak dah lama tinggal kat sana bolehlah nak dikatakan awak ni orang Perak.

Hmm... not necessarily. I cant speak a word of the Perak dialect. I even don't know certain Perak districts. I can still get lost driving around in Ipoh and I'm ashamed to say this, I don't even know who's the Perak Menteri Besar is. Oh malunya. The only thing Perak about me is my LOVE of Ipoh and my burning desire to learn how to cook ikan patin gulai tempoyak.

And since I've been living in KL for the past several years does that mean I'm a KL-ite? Haih... pening, pening.

Takpelah... whatever it is I may be, either Perakian, Kelantanese, Penangite, or KL-ite saya tetap orang Malaysia. Home is where the heart is and my heart is firmly rooted in Malaysia. In fact my heart is rooted in several states in the country. How Malaysian I can get? Hehe.

So to support our new Prime Minister's call for One Malaysia I am proud to call myself a Perak-celup-Kelate-Murtad Malaysian.

Selamat Hari Kebangsaan, Malaysians. Merdeka!!

Seriously...

Best. Movie. EVER!

Go watch it. Once you have. Watch it again... in 3D. Trust me, it'll be money well spent.

The Reluctant Academic is BACK! YO!

Raise the curtains, cue the drums, bring on the applause. The reluctant academic is back to corrupt more young minds with her amazing 'bullcrapping' abilities and almost superhuman-like ability to withstand all 'are-you-effin-serious?' situations.

And thus after several months of convincingly bluffing her way through assonances, alliterations and all poetic what-nots, the reluctant academic was once again given the responsibility of guiding nubile young minds. Only this time, they're not so young. This time, she got the cynical seniors. Jeng jeng jeng!

The difference between fresh newbies and the cynical seniors is the plain fact that they're cynical. They're all been there, done that, and "Hey! I've heard that bulls**t before!" So the usual 'bullcrapping' routine wont fly with them at all. The reluctant academic should know. She was shot down on the very first day.

So what happened exactly? Oh lets say that she didnt do her research too well and got her facts wrong and got called out for it not by just one student but two. Alamak! But did she admit it? Noooo... she tried to bulls**t her way through it. and of course she failed miserably. Oh the embarassment. How she wanted to crawl to the corner of the classroom and die a horrible, miserable death. To add more salt to the wound, the very next class, she was again attacked by the same students. They now know her weakness. They know her kryptonite! But don't forget the reluctant academic had super powers. She decided to fight back. So the reluctant academic decided to use her powers of... BRIBERY!! Muahaha, one day of no lecture was all it took. Oh and a couple of sessions of video lectures. But that's probably more to the reluctant lecturer's benefit than to the students themselves. Videos = no talking = lecturer gets to rest. Hahaha smart ain't she?

But how can the semester go by without another exclamation of "are-you-effin-serious?" Now the reluctant lecturer faces the agony of... cute young men. Jeng! Jeng! Jeng! But to be precise she is only drooling after one young man. So what to do? what to do? Distraction, distraction, distraction. So let's see how the reluctant lecturer handles this one?

Stay tuned for more antics from the Reluctant Lecturer!

Happy Fasting!

To all Muslims out there, may this month of Ramadhan be a blissful one for you. Let us all embrace this holy month and cleanse ourselves from past wrongdoings and misdeeds. Ramadhan mubarak to all and happy fasting!!

This is sexual harassment, I tell you!

Please tell me that somehow you're sexually assaulted after reading this. Because I do. How could you not be when statements like "keras, kasar and panjang" (hard, rough, long) is written in bold on an ad for male virility. It's practically porn! And since I have to pass by this horrendous banner to-and fro work, I'm practically assaulted twice a day!!

What is it with Malaysian with horribly graphic and blatantly sexual advertisements? It's bad enough that we see these kind of ads plastered everywhere on buidings and street corners but we also have to endure these crass displays on TV too. The worst is probably the coffee advertisement with the genie as the mascot. And the one with M. Rajoli and wife in it. Even thinking about those ads simply make me cringe. Seriously, do Malaysians enjoy these vulgar promotions?

I'm just thanking God that I havent seen any ads for female virility. I shudder at the thought of what euphamisms they may use to describe the female anatomy. brrr...

The Temporary Magic of a Shiny New Toy

The magic of shiny new things is simply irresistable. Once you get your hands on a shiny, new object freshly bought and smelling all nice your mind tends to be oblivious to everything else. Your heart swells with joy and for that moment in time your whole body is filled with satisfaction and you could ask for no more in life.

I am currrently under that spell. I am hypnotised by the mesmerising craft of the Lenovo S10 ideapad notebook.

*Smiling dazedly*

After my sister's persistant badgering, I finally consented to let her have my old trusty Compaq and move on to a smaller 10' model. As much as I loved the old lappie and was reluctant to let it go, it just makes sense to let Aimee have the Compaq since her needs are much more diverse. Plus I feel that since she's living in a 22-people dorm, those with itchy fingers will have a harder time running away with the bulky 14' inch Compaq (although Nauzubillah min zalik. Let's all pray that that wont ever happen). And that is how I ended up with my pristine white Lenovo.

Of all the colours in the world, white is probably one of my least favourite. Simply because with me, anything white turns into a dirt/ stain magnet. This goes way back to my schooling days. and is not limited to merely clothing. Give me anything at all that is white and trust me I can turn it multicolour (although the colours would primarily be within the brown family) within one hour. So I'm challenging myself with the Lenovo white. So far I've had it for more that 24 hours and I've managed to keep it white. Me so proud. So yeah I've still got all the plastic coverings on it, but the main point is I'm keeping it white right?

The Lenovo S10 in brief:

Genuine Windows XP Home

10' LCD Screen

2GB RAM

160GB HD

2 year warranty (1 year International + 1 year Local)

And thanks to the Great Lenovo Mid-Year Promo I got a really good bargain. I spent RM200 below my anticipated budget and have all the laptop knick knacks that I needed. Yeay!

Major thanks to Ashraf for being there with me and prevented my shallow side from taking over. It must have been a major ordeal seeing as how I was more attracted to a laptop's attractiveness rather than its function. Fortunately the Lenovo is a combination of both function and looks. We were both appeased.

So while the glow of satisfaction is still strong, I'm happy to stay in my room, be a good girl, do all the work I'm supposed to do and ask for no more in life. Now let's see how long this feeling lasts.

Birthday Shoutouts!!

So the time has come again for two important people in my life to be reminded that time and gravity is a merciless b***h. *grin*

To Sheena, my dear dear friend,

No words can describe how important you are to me and how much I truly care about you so I wont even bother. So my message to you is simply 'Happy Birthday' and you are as precious to me as a blonde hair dye is to a bimbo. Sheens, I love you loads!

So you're 27 eh?

To Abe, my dear big brother,

We may not be as close as other siblings are but know that you are as important to me as water are to plants. Have a fantastic 29th year because before you know it you're going to be in your 30s.

OMG!! You're 29!

Sheer Poetry

Waiting for Daylight

Ghosts from the past have long visited my dreams,
their rustlings reminiscent of empty winds through empty souls.
Through the years, I have made playmates of them.
Together, we have passed many a long hour,
waiting for daylight.
From the first hint of dusk,
until the darkest moment before dawn,
they are here with me.
Sometimes, I pretend to tell a joke,
they pretend to laugh,
and we all pretend that some false cheer
could somehow stop the darkness from overtaking us.
But as the night cloaks us in her thickest robes,
and the darkness comes alive around us,
our laughter stops.
Once again, my ghosts and I huddle together,
waiting for daylight.

~Leigh Ann Conselyea~

When Venuses Collide

What's with all the questions? Just hire me will ya!

The interview with the rector is in a few hours. And I'm still not bothered by it? What is wrong with me?!!

Is it too late for me to get a boob job?

Ma! What happened to all the flute lessons I took?!

DAYYUM!!

Why la I'm so NOT talented? haih

Things to do before I die #2736

Coax my stubborn, stubby finger to play the piano like this guy!!

Siem Reap Escapade!

Goodbye land of hot young men and hello reality. I'm still in denial that I am now back in Malaysia. My heart is still having fun with the HOT laddies in Siem Reap. Dang! I envy my own heart.

Anyways, contrary to our initial plans, major changes happened. Some was not so good but heck we overcame all adversity and had a blast anyways. As for the rest, they were all experiences that no amount of money can buy.

So what happened? Well... after the "unspoken incident", we all ended up staying here:

Angkor Voyage Villa Guesthouse

It was a last minute decision but probably one of the best that we made throughout our time there. A huge thanks to our van driver, Sarat, for showing us the place. For only USD22 we got a huge room with 3 double beds, a/c, hot water and a TV with probably a gazillion satellite channels. I even found an Albanian channel on there. Definitely a bargain! And the cook makes a mean omelet and baguette toast. I'm drooling even thinking about it. Although I probably wouldn't recommend this place for the weak-hearted. Because guess what we got for a view?

53 live crocs!

Angkor Wat was the agenda for day 2. All the temples there was totally amazing. Thanks to Sheena, our leader who planned the trip superbly, we managed to visit all of the major temples in one whole day. Although if we were to stay an hour longer we probably wouldn't be able to look at another stone temple for the rest of our lives. All of the temples were gorgeous but my favourite would probably the temple where they filmed the Lara Croft movie, The Temple of the Trees.

Isn't it amazing how that big tree could actually grow on top of the temple wall.

This lady was found on every temple wall. The Cambodian ideal of how the prefect lady should look like, all lush and curvy. Like Midge and me :P

This place was totally worth the USD20 entrance fee because not only did we get to see one of the wonders of the ancient worlds but we also managed to crash a Cambodian wedding! Congratulations to the bride and groom (whose names were really hard to pronounce) and thank you so much for welcoming 5 sweaty Malaysian girls to your wedding celebration. It was probably one of the best experience we had there. I think crashing a local wedding would be permanent on our travel agenda from now on. So future brides and grooms throughout the world, be on the look out for 5 crazy Malaysian gals.

Check out the cute bride and groom!

We also checked out the Old Market and Center Market, but didn't do as much shopping as we would've liked. It'll be a different matter if I were from the States but with RM3.70 for every USD1 a shopping spree was made impossible. So no offence to all who didn't get a souvenir. I'm just a poor part-time lecturer who is not working this short semester. There was definitely a silver lining to all that though, no extra luggage to lug around on the flight back. Whew!

I only bought one of those pretty dresses. Still have no clue to what occasion I should wear it too.

Now one of the main attractions of Siem Reap was the food. The local food there was good but they weren't that unusual since they resemble Thai and Malay food. But I had fun trying to pronounce their names. And the Cambodians had fun laughing at me when I tried. So we all went on the hunt for their "specialty" food. Unfortunately for us, tarantula was not in season but luckily we found fried crickets instead!

Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine eating one of these things. I was pretty grossed out by how it looked so I only had half a cricket. Surprisingly it tasted rather good. I think they were mixed together with curry paste. Although you may have to watch out for the legs. They get stuck in between your teeth and takes ages to come out.

And we definitely didn't forget about Happy Pizza! Although, it was probably more hype than anything else. The pizza itself was good but there was only a few sprinkling of the "happy herb". Although we weren't as happy as we thought we would be but we were happy that we had good pizza.

Can you see the "happy herb"?

One of the things-to-do in Siem Reap was to go on boat tour of Tonle Sap. Originally we were supposed to take a tour on the Tara Boat. But because of the "unspoken incident", there was a change of plans and we ended up going on a much better albeit smallet boat tour. Way cheaper too. We were in the care of a 14 year old boy who probably had a major crush on Midge. No suprises there since she is a Cambodian ideal.

It was amazing to see how these people could actually survive living in a small boat hut, in the middle of a vast lake. It's a hard life but they all seem happy. We even visited a floating school and after not-so-subtle hints, we made a small contribution in the form of books and stationaries.

Yes, even on my very first day of floating school I was deemed naughty by the principle. That's Chien (green t-shirt), our boat guide by the way.

Another must do when in Cambodia is to catch a live Apsara dance performance. And we found a place that has it every night for free!! Although, it was in a classy kind of restaurant so we decided to order a drink each just in case they decided to kick us out. And just when things were getting really good, my camera died on me. So I had to rely on my trusty Nokia for pictures.

These girls are probably no older than 15 and yet they're all pros. I want those lentik fingers dammit!

So there you are in brief my escapades in Siem Reap. Would I ever go back to Siem Reap? Heck yes. There's still loads of things I want to explore. Sides, the guys there are HOT enough to convince me to stay :P But the next time I go, I'm making sure that money will not be a problem.

So what's next on the agenda? Thiruchirapalli!!

Cambodia Baby!!

In a few hour's time I'll be on a plane to Cambodia!! Yeah!! Cambodia Baby!! My first ever holiday with the gals and the first time ever I'm traveling overseas without a parent. Yes, sad. I know.

But all that don't matter now. I 'm headed to Cambodia!! Siem Reap Baby!!

So this is what I'm gonna do:

I'm gonna stay here

ANGKOR WAT

I'm gonna climb this

TUK TUK

I'm gonna ride this


OLD MARKET


I'm gonna shop here


KHMER KITCHEN

I'm gonna eat here


DEEP FRIED TARANTULA

I'm gonna... err may eat this

"HERB" PIZZA

I'm DEFINITELY gonna eat this...

here!

And then once I'm all "happy", I may even join in doing this.

APSARA DANCE

Once I'm back to normal, I'm gonna go here

(wouldn't wanna get blown up now would I?)

and then take a ride on this.

TARA BOAT CRUISE, TONLE SAP LAKE

So yeah, that's the plan. Sayonara or Chum ree-up lee-ah (in Khmer) people. See you in 5/6 days!!

Voting Time!!

Well, the determining moment is finally here. It's time to see if I have what it takes to win that Makeup Contest. So if you guys liked my interpretation of Princess Jasmine please vote here...

mekap-mekap.blogspot

Please vote for me... it'll do wonders to my self esteem XP

A: Fair Weekend Bazaar @ SOHO KL

Hey hey hey,

Here's an alternative on what you can do this weekend. If you're one of those people who has been blessed by never ending supply of moolah, or has been bitten by the shopaholic bug or just simply love to wander around and people watch, then this may be the place for you!

My alter ego, the ferocious money-making schemer has gotten Nona Stylista a spot at the bazaar. But my other alter ego, the lazy-bum traveler, insists that it should only open on Saturday. So after a horrid death match between the two, lazy-bum traveller won out and the money-making schemer was forced to comply to her wishes.

So it's a one-day event for Nona Stylista. Do come and check it out. There's new items being introduced at the bazaar that's not on the blog yet.

So come one, come all. Come and spend at my retail store!!

Time of Reckoning... or will it be Wreck-oning?!!

Interview day today. Oh boy! Am I nervous?

Nah.

Am I mind-numbingly-out-of-this-world-pee-in-my-pants-shit-in-my-shorts-blood-oozing-out-of-my-nose nervous?

Oh yeah.

If I eff up... I'm gonna do exactly what he did. And worse. I'll dance. That'll make em hire me.

Pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.

I actually attended. I battled extreme midday heat, overloaded paperwork and extreme laziness and made it to the talk. I'm so proud of myself. *pats back*

CAC was PACKED. Despite the stupid narrow-minded comment of some lame-ass bigot, who couldn't differentiate an opportunity even if it hit them in the face, the hall was on the verge of bursting its seams.

Yeah, I was kinda gobsmacked by the thickness of his American accent. So what if he was Obama's walking PR campaign. And yeah, he did kinda hedge a bit during the Q&A session. But man... he has substance!! Had to hold myself back several times from shouting out ala-ala Black Gospel style. Tak Islamic la kalau buat macam tu.

Despite the stony stupor of the audience, IIUM certainly did itself proud in showing the Reverand a fantastic reception. Baguslah cam gitu. Lain kali boleh ajak orang famous-famous bagi ceramah lagi :)

MeKaP-MeKaP Contest

This entry is dedicated to the people of MeKaP-MeKaP.blogspot. May they be awestruck enough to make me the winner of their first ever MeKaP-MeKaP contest. Amin.

Contest regulations states that I must base my makeup on a princess and draw inspiration from her in creating my look. So with that in mind I have chosen a muse that has certainly inspired many young girls. I have chosen Princess Jasmine, of Disney's Aladdin.

Princesses, throughout the ages, have always fascinated girls. I'm certain that 8 out of 10 girls dream about being a princess at one point or another in their lives. In fact, some girls grow up without ever letting go of that dream. Hence it's no wonder that some women expect to be treated like princesses. I too am fascinated by princesses. The princesses that fascinates me however, do not exist in the real world. They were all a figment of someone's imagination brought to life by the geniuses of the animated world.

So out of all the Disney princesses, why Jasmine in particular? Simply because when all the other princesses were sitting around crying and singing their hearts out while waiting to be rescued by their Princes, Jasmine was among the few that took matter into her own hands. She stood up in what she believed in and if matters didn't turn out the way she would've preferred them to she would do something about it. Waiting for rescue was never a part of her plans.

Not to mention that she has a kick-ass pet. A tiger that goes by the name of Rajah. Now doesn't that tell you a little something about Jasmine. So for my interpretation of Jasmine, I drew inspiration from Jasmine's personality as well as her furry feline friend. Both her pet and personality complimented each other superbly and thus I decided to bring both of those factors into my makeup.

Looking back into the origins of Aladdin, the story was said to have originated from the Middle East. However, the original setting of the story is actually in China* which works wonderfully for me as I was also inspired to bring in a little Asian flavour to my makeup. So after a whole lot of research and experimenting I present to you...

*sources from Wikipedia

Jasmine: The Liberated Princess

I decided to play with colours green and gold for the makeup drawing inspiration from Jasmine's outfit in the movie, Aladdin. The smoky eye effect and the heavily lined eyes follows the eye makeup look that most Middle Eastern ladies prefer however I've decided to add a little Asian twist by adding Geisha-like eye makeup on her lower lash line extending the liner towards the bridge of the nose while following the natural curve of the eyes. This also creates a slight feline look which compliments the fact that Princess Jasmine has a tiger for a pet. This look is meant for those with a strong personality, and are brave enough to pull it off.

This look, when put in the modern context, is great for those who wants to make a statement wherever they go. It's actually great for clubbing. For those wearing this look they are guaranteed to stand out from the crowd.

So there it is... my version of Princess Jasmine. It was loads of fun creating this look so it's not really important if I win or not. But of course, who in their right mind enters a competition and doesn't want to win. So pray for me folks!! Oh and do leave comments. Would love to know what you guys think of the look :)

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. to give Lecture in IIUM

Special Lecture by:

Reverand Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.,
-President and Founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
- Former assistant to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,


Title:
Building a Culture of Peace and Development in a Globalised World

Date & Time:
Tuesday, 21 April 2009 (1.45pm)

Venue:
Cultural Activity Center,
International Islamic University Malaysia



Who is Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.?

The Reverand Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is one of America's foremost civil rights and political figures. Over the past forty years he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality and economic and social justice.Long before national health care, a war on drugs, direct peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, ending apartheid in South Africa and advancing democracy in Haiti became accepted public policy positions, Reverend Jesse Jackson advocated them and by doing so helped to bring the American public to a new level of consciousness.Reverend Jackson's two presidential campaigns broke new ground in U.S. politics. His 1984 campaign registered over one million new voters, won 3.5 million votes and helped the Democratic Party regain control of the Senate in 1986. His 1988 campaign registered over two million new voters, won seven million votes and helped boost hundreds of state and local elected officials into office. In 1990 Reverend Jackson was elected to the post of US Senator for Washington, D.C.As a highly respected and trusted world leader, Reverend Jackson has acted many times as an international diplomat in sensitive situations. For example, in 1984 Reverend Jackson secured the release of capturedNavy Lieutenant Robert Goodman from Syria and the release of 48 Cuban and Cuban-American prisoners in Cuba. He was the first American to bring hostages out of Kuwait and Iraq in 1990. In 1999 he negotiated the release of U.S. soldiers held hostage in Kosovo.His international efforts continued into the 2000s. In February 2003 Reverend Jackson spoke in front of an estimated one million people in London's Hyde Park at the culmination of the anti-war demonstration against the imminent invasion of Iraq by the U.S. and the United Kingdom. In November 2004 he visited senior politicians and community activists in Northern Ireland in an effort to rebuild the peace process and restore the governmental institutions of the Belfast Agreement.A hallmark of Reverend Jackson's work has been his commitment to youth. He has visited thousands of high schools, colleges, universities and correctional facilities encouraging excellence, inspiring hope and challenging young people to study diligently and stay drug-free.

Reverend Jackson has also been a consistent and vigorous supporter of the labour movement in the U.S. and around the world. He is known as someone who has walked more picket lines and spoken at more labour rallies than any other national leader. He has worked with unions to organize workers, to protect workers rights and to mediate labour disputes. In 1996 he travelled to Asia to investigate treatment of workers in the Japanese automobile industry and in athletic apparel factories in Indonesia.For his work in human and civil rights and for nonviolent social change Reverend Jackson has received more than 40 honorary doctorate degrees. He frequently lectures at major universities including Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Columbia and Stanford. On August 9, 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Reverend Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. In October 1997 he was appointed as Special Envoy of the President and Secretary of State for the Promotion of Democracy in Africa.Reverend Jackson has been on the Gallup List of the Ten Most Respected Americans for more than a dozen years. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the International Peace Foundation. Reverand Jackson is also an avid supporter of Barack Obama during the 2008 USA Presidential Campaign.

Taken from: The International Peace Foundation Website

Author's note: How the heck did IIUM manage to get this guy to give a lecture is beyond me. Somebody up there in admin must have REALLY superb connections. But seriously, this lecture is a must-go! Rugilah kalau miss.