Brunei's New Export
I read in the New Straits Times (December 5, 2006) the report of one parliamentary debate on the situation of Bukit Bintang in KL. According to the paper, last week, one Malaysian MP described the place as becoming like the infamous Patpong area in Bangkok. Yesterday, Bukit Bintang was described as a vice den. One MP said pimps ruled in Bukit Bitang and were blatantly offering p* to passers by. According to him ".. he recounted being approached by a transvestite from Brunei who told him that Malaysian laws were more lenient on soliciting than in his own country. To the amusement of fellow MPs, Yusop said, " He (the transvestite) said one could be whipped in Brunei for soliciting. He said all he had to face here was a fine." .."
There are many ways we can read into this news article. If the Malaysian Parliament opreate the same way as the British Parliament, if I am not mistaken the MP's speech is protected by parliamentary privilege and these members of Parliament cannot be sued or prosecuted for anything they say in debate in parliament. That's assuming he said something which in the ordinary sense can be sued.
The question is - did he say something bad about Brunei? He did imply that the Brunei laws are stricter when it comes to transvestite, depending on your point of view that could either be good or bad. Though honestly speaking I have not heard much about anyone being whipped because of being a transvestite in Brunei. What the MP also indicated is that there are Brunei transvestite who now operate in the BB area. Again that's something we can't do anything about. I don't know whether they travel with their dresses or in ordinary clothing or whether we could have stopped them from going to KL.
What's today's point? Nothing really, other than to highlight that particular news that I read in yesterday's newspaper and that even a single news item can have many takes. By the way, it's not available on the internet. Maybe just something for everyone to ponder upon. That kind of problem tended to be below our radar screen but we don't know the long term implication of it.
Anyway, I am in KL on a week's leave. I don't have access to my usual research material and hence, my postings for the rest of the week will be on the very bland side - perhaps at least to cool down from the previous few serious postings.
Comments
There are laws in Brunei that prohibits a man from dressing up as a woman and a woman dressing up as a man.
Unfortunately, tranverstites or whatever you may want to call them in this day and age are commonly accepted as one of the norms of society.
This is haraam, this is haraam, this is haraam. And we all know it. And we as a responsible society are not doing much to stop it or even prevent it.
The solution lies with our children's upbringing at home. Are we too busy to teach them the values of the Qur'an and the Sunnah?
Or must we be punished by Allah, like the people of Lut, for having transverstites amongst us?
BTW what was the MP doing talking to the so called Brunei Transvestite anyway? Was he doing some kind of research into the make up of the TVs at Bt Bintang? Or was he sampling the services and studying the impact of foreign TVs on the income of the locals? I cant help but wonder why the MP need to mention Brunei. Maybe the TV really is Bruneian. But what if he is not? Maybe Bruneian TVs are in demand in KL hence the claim to be Bruneian. It certainly add a little bit of mystique to it. Someone out there would probably want to know what Bruneian TVs are like, LOL. That would explain the untrue whipping story. So far no TVs has been whipped in Brunei just for being a TV. But what if the MP made all this up? So far no one can verify his story and it seems that it has been accepted as the truth. Is there an attempt to demonise Brunei here? Or he was trying to emphasise a point, ie the situation is really bad now that even Bruneian TVs are coming here.
I gotta go. Yes I got nothing better to do hence this lengthy comment.
While it is no doubt humiliating to have our country represented by a 'confused' man, there is a silver lining albiet a tiny one. This man's words imply that Brunei employs a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to social illnesses such as homosexuality.
Too bad those comments don't reflect reality.
Transvestite are simply guys who are treapped in the wrong body. If you were to go to thailand , people wouldn't have any problems about this and I don't see why anyone should have any problems about it in today's society. Transsexuals make a living up there by entertaining people on stage that it has become a tourist attraction at Pattaya. Those who do have a problem are individual that aren't expose to culture and the outside world. We all know that as long as the world stays, They're always people LIKE us around.
To anonymous, they're not unhealthy behaviour. They're merely behaviour that we aren't able to explain ourself.
There's nothing humiliating about a "confused man" representing our country because every country has transvestites. The reality is , that we are here to Stay ... and it's so sad of you to think that homosexuality is an illness. Maybe you are so secluded in your own world that you don't even know how the laws are changing around the world for homosexuality. It's been a while since MOST countries rules out homosexual as an illness.
Thats f.o.c. for my thought.
BTW it's young and proud NOT pround
Maybe someone out there could help bringing back my boy to a good muslim again.
It is apparent that the judgement day is prying unto us. As mentioned, wrong is ok and right is not ok. Wrong to see Muslimah in full covered attire and its ok to see them 1/4 covered. Akward to see colleagues go and solat to mosque and ok to hang around in cafeteria during Azan. Men do men and women do women in the western is ok (Hopefully its not going to be a popular trend in Brunei any time soon or Ill die of disappointment)Its a crazy world and we are the one who push the self destruct button.
Why is this happening to a Muslim Nation? Is it because we are not being honest on doing the small things in life and consider a 'big sin only if we do BIG SIN'? Has not the Governement done a lot of things to spread and practice the way of The Prophet (PBUH) and Sunnah and yet the people still fail? No one else to blame but oneself to fail miserably.