Year of the Rabbit

Click to enlarge

Dear Rabbit,

According to the the Chinese Zodiac, you're supposed to rule the world when February 2nd comes. As expected it will be a good year for some.

I can only pray it will be a good year once again for me, though the signs indicate it will be tough for us rats! How true will that be? We shall see ...

Has there been a premonition of misfortune, bad luck or unpleasantries heading my direction? Well, I recall when we were in the vehicle heading towards Sydney, it struck --with a soft plob--one of you cute little bunnies but it was the silly bugger's fault--it dashed across the road when were cruising at 110 km/hour ... and besides, I was not driving the car! (and I was not driving the car when it killed a bird as well!)

Anyway, in repentence, here's my humble rabbit tribute to the wisdom of your species. May I be forgiven and may boundless fortune and luck befall me in your Year of the Rabbit.

Canada Hill

Here is a view of part of Canada Hill. That's right ... Canada Hill and it's not in Canada!

How did it get its name? It is said that in the early 20th century, many Canadians came from Alberta to work as drillers and engineers in the newly discovered oil well sites. Many died as well, due apparently to the mosquito-infested mangrove swamps of those days (None remain to this day) and unsanitary health conditions. Yards or meters away from the hill is a quiet churchyard, filled with graves of these poor unfortunate foreign workers who lost their valiant lives in this forgotten remote part of the world, far from their homeland.

A stroll amongst the lonely graves today will allow one to see that one of the early deaths was in 1910 and that was the year when oil was discovered in Miri. Unfortunately, as one strolls here, one could see that the ravages of time has taken a toll on the historic gravestones. Some are broken and others are scattered all about... Others remain in oblivion forever buried in piles of grassy mounds...

Anyway, one can still enjoy the sights and sounds of historic Canada Hill. An elderly Chinese sinseh (medicine man) once remarked to me that the hill "is a dragon that will bless Miri City eternally" but he also warned that "any action on any part of it will spell disaster for the city". That was way back in 1978, a time of pain for me after I got hit by an oil worker in a speeding Toyota that was leaving the SHELL offices downtown.

Canada Hill, of course, will be very special for my family. It was the very hill where my youngest son, Leximus was born enroute to the General Hospital ... and he came into our world at the back seat of my Proton Wira, meters away from the house of my close Canadian buddy, Mike of Calgary! Perhaps one day, I will change my kid's middle name to Canada Hill!

Frankly speaking though, our kids' names should in fact be a little Russian as we have evidence there is slavic blood in our distant family tree (This explains the fair complexions of some of us, including relatives) ... and that's another amazing story!


Pics from left to right: unusual bird constantly jabs on very old gravestone (My third time to witness this activity on three different occasions) & part of Canada Hill today.

A Haunting Song ...

especially dedicated to those who love medicine ... and you know who you are!

A Chinese Love Song

... an old one to bring back some memories ...

Congrats, Mr. P.M.-to-be!

As much as I try to be a fair-minded blogger and not subjective, I'm taking this opportunity to offer my congratulations to the next incoming Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Sri Najib Razak.

As an ethnic Chinese, I do share some trepidation (Man, gotta check this spelling-I sense it's not right... will correct it later!) as to what policies he would follow and as a history lover, a sense of deja vu can almost be felt when it is recorded in the annals of Malaysian history as to how his father abruptly became the Prime Minister, taking the reins of power from (yes!)a liberal Prime Minister- cum- founding father of Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Here now is an intriguing insightful article by Khoo Kay Peng that I found in the Malaysian Insider-another 'Think out of the box' blog. It somewhat sums up all my thoughts about the change of guard in our Malaysian political scene.

By the way, I'm still trying to say I'm been objective as a Barisan man by having this article here.

Speaking or writing, that is, of objectivity, I may offer my good honorable buddy Nicholas Bawin of Party Keadilan, in the name of fair-play, some useful test-proven FREE 666 tips in playing the political game in a more fairer way (on a more level field? Haha) and yes, a ghost of a chance for the PKR candidate to win Batang Ai, however unlikely as it is, considering the awesome war chest (including brilliant and shrewd minds) that Sarawak's ruling Barisan has.

How about a friendly get-together sometime in Kuching, bud?

The prospect of Umno under Najib - Khoo Kay Peng
MARCH 26 - Najib Razak, Sharizat Jalil and Khairy Jamaluddin are going to form the leadership backbone for Umno. Can their leadership provide a new impetus for the party's revival? Can Umno help to rejuvenate other BN component parties?

There are several issues which the new leadership must address quickly:

1. The party is suffering from a serious perception deficit. It is known for being a bully, a rule bender, rowdy, autocratic and feudalistic. The party does not mind manipulating religion, race and recently the monarchy to satisfy its political agenda.

One of the biggest challenges for the party under the new leadership is to prove to us that it is ready and capable of governing a multiracial society. An Umno which caters for only the Malay community may help to extend the lifeline of the party but not the coalition's. Can Najib convincingly rebrand his leadership to appeal to all Malaysians? Can his leadership be current and flexible enough to win over the waning support of young Malaysians?

2. Umno new leadership is the most controversial in the party's history. Najib is entangled with several allegations. Two veteran leaders, Dr Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh, had urged the new president to come clean on the matter.

Ku Li told The Malaysian Insider, "(He) should take the witness stand to clear his name or take legal action against the growing number of foreign publications linking him with the murder of Altantuya Shariibuu and the purchase of submarines.

He "should finally face these suspicions and implied charges, submit himself to legal scrutiny, and come clean on them.'' Meanwhile, Khairy was implicated in the last general election as one of the main causes of BN's stunning defeats.

A number of BN leaders had quietly singled him out for arousing the anger of non-Malays. The two leaders have a lot of work to do to repair their public image.

3. Under Najib leadership, will his reforms plan suffer the same fate like Abdullah's?

Several actions taken by the Umno led government do not augur well for his leadership e.g. arbitrary use of ISA against civilians, Perak power grab, dubious decisions taken by public institutions against the opposition, action taken against bloggers, police interference in politics and others.

His leadership has given us a perception that Umno is not committed to promote and defend the rule of law, the federal constitution and the democracy system.

What is Najib's focus and priority?

The interest of this nation or his own political dominance? Malaysians do not like to be kicked around anymore. My sense is that many Malaysians despise unfairness and arrogance.

4. Is Umno willing to share more power with other component parties? These political parties can no longer hide that they are not consulted in policy formulation and decision making within the government. Most of these parties are reduced to making statements in the media.

If the trend continues, expect very little to change in BN. The progress of this country must involve more than just Umno leaders. The party does not have the capacity to single handedly pull this nation out of the current economic dilemma.

The talent pool needs to be enlarged. Is the party willing to consider meritocracy over ethnicity?

5. The current perception today is the party is outdated and does not understand the needs and
wants of a multi-racial nation. Does the party understand what are the key success factors of a society increasing threatened by complex global challenges?

The plate is full for the new Umno leadership. It takes a superhuman performance of the leaders to rebuild and regain the confidence of Malaysians towards the party.

We are at the twilight of a race-based political model.

Understanding English spoken by Chinese

If you're ever in Canada and you bump into some Chinese, especially those from Hong Kong, you may be puzzled as to what they're talking about. Here's a short guide to help you in understanding their "English".

Sum ting wong! .............That's not right!
Hu yu hai ding? ........... Are you harboring a fugitive?
Kum hia nao................ See me ASAP.
Dum Fuk!................... Stupid man!
Wai yu so tan?............. Did you go to the beach?
Chin tu fat!............... I think you need a face lift!
Wao, so dim!............... It's very dark in here!
No pah king................ This is a tow away zone.
Yu stin ki pu!..............Your body odor is offensive!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!

It's the Year of the Ox... or bull...May all nations' economies be healthy and the stock markets be bullish... May there be no corruption, human rights abuses and all humans lay down and destroy their weapons of war and death in this precious planet of ours ...

MAY GOD HELP US ALL!

German-Chinese Perceptions

Problem Solving

Blue: German
Red : Chinese

Chinese-German Perceptions: 9

PARTY TIME!!!
Blue: German
Red : Chinese

Chinese-German Perceptions-Me!

Chinese-German Perceptions: ME!

Blue: German
Red : Chinese

German-Chinese Perceptions

Perception of Beauty

Blue: German

Red: Chinese

Chinese-German Perception

Queuing While Waiting
Blue: German
Red : Chinese






To be continued...

German-Chinese Perception

Contacts
Blue= German
Red =Chinese

Chinese-German Perception

Punctuality

Blue-German
Red-Chinese

German-Chinese Perception: Way of Life

Blue- German

Red- Chinese

Chinese-German Perception 2: Opinion

Blue: German
Red : Chinese

A Big Malaysian Debate

I own a rather worn out glossy color comic with the title "Judge Colt". It's about a judge who's known as "The Hanging Judge" dispensing merciless justice in the Wild, Wild West but unfortunately, he does it with a zeal in his hunt for the murderers of his family.

I've had the comic for over 30 years and today the words that were used in his delivery of his judgment fills my head "You shall be taken out and hung till you're are dead, dead, dead".

So you can see it can be rather dramatic to play the role of a just judge.

Well here's a debate by mail to Malaysiakini that allows you and I to be the judge as to who's right or wrong ...

Do bear in mind though, that this "Uncle Yap" seems to be a "Malaysian republican" as he takes the stand that East Malaysians are not accepted as partners in the formation of Malaysia.

Sabah, Sarawak could have ended up Indonesian
Uncle Yap
Sep 18, 07 3:38pm

I refer to the Malaysiakini article 916 – A personal testimony. I am indeed honoured that an eminent person like Sim Kwang Yang (whose writings in Malaysiakini I have long admired) has taken note of my slightly different perception of the formation of Malaysia.

I have always been an adherent of the concept of ‘substance over form’ and whichever way you look at it, Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak joined the other 11 states of the Federation of Malaya and this enlarged nation was renamed ‘Malaysia’. Each of the three added one more point to the star and one more stripe to the erstwhile flag of the Federation of Malaya.

The then Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (the Raja of Perlis) became the head of Islamic affairs of these three states that did not have a Malay ruler, just like Malacca and Penang and later, Wilayah Persekutuan. The constitution of Malaysia was essentially identical to that of the Federation of Malaya.

People who argue for the form would have you believe that the local leaders of Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak negotiated with the independent Federation of Malaya as equals. Yet none have addressed the issue that the sovereignty of these three states- pre-Aug 31, 1963 - rested with Queen Elizabeth II. All three were British possessions whereas the Federation of Malaya was an independent country and a member of the United Nations.

May I ask Sim what would happen if Brunei one day were to join Malaysia, say on Jan 1, 2009? Would Brunei be celebrating Malaysia's centenary on Aug 31, 2057 or would it be the 48th anniversary? No one has yet to cast a dent on my drawing of a parallel of the formation of Malaysia with that of the United States of America.

Many East Malaysians often forget that in the early 1960s, the effete Britain (after the debilitating WWII) was anxious to get out of the Far East and of other far-flung colonial possessions and was desperate to offload its Borneo burden. If Tunku had not been pressured to take on this burden, it was an accepted hypothesis that if North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei were to be somehow allowed to become independent, they would not last six months with rapacious and avaricious Sukarno's Indonesia next door.

We have traveled the same road for nearly five decades and our destinies are somewhat, for better or for worse, entwined. Problems we have many but surely we do not need to add another by this annual parade of denial and whining about the date of independence and nationhood.

The name ‘Malaysia’ was coined to be a better, fitting name for an entity enlarged to include the Borneo states. Prior to Aug 31,1957, the term ‘Malaya’ included the nine Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. (Even the term, ‘University of Malaya’ was first used for the union of the Raffles College and King Edward School of Medicine, both of which were located on the island of Singapore.)

That slight name change is now being quoted to support this erroneous perception that North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore ‘formed’ Malaysia as equal partners with the Federation of Malaya in 1963. To any thinking person who look not merely at the form but at the substance, this cannot be further from the truth.

All three joined the federation as three additional new states to the existing 11 and that is the substance.

Here's the rebuttal by "Tanak Wagu":
Sabah, S'wak would not have fallen to Indonesia
Tanak Wagu
Sep 28, 07 2:10pm

Uncle Yap in his letter ‘Sabah and Sarawak could have ended up Indonesian’ tries to suggest that if Sabah and Sarawak were allowed to be independent, they would have ended up being invaded by Indonesia.

This is simplistic thinking, and also the type of propaganda churned out in Malaysian school textbooks. If Sabah and Sarawak were allowed to go independent, the British would have taken appropriate measures to ensure that these states would not be easily colonised by Indonesia. A case in point would be Brunei, which despite its small size still exists independently. But please bear in mind, there is still British military presence in Brunei up to this day.

In his arguments, Uncle Yap also fails to look at the importance of the Malaysia Agreement. If Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore were to be merely added as the 12th, 13th and 14th states of Malaya, then there would be no need to draw up the Malaysia Agreement. Please also note that the creation of Malaysia necessitated the United Nations to send a fact finding mission
to this country.

When Singapore joined Malaysia, it already had an internal self-government with Lee Kuan Yew as the prime minister. Two weeks before Malaysia was formed, Sabah had become an independent state.

Uncle Yap asks what if Brunei was to join Malaysia now. Should we celebrate Malaysia day on another date he asks if that happens? Do remember that if Brunei is to join Malaysia, we do not need to celebrate Malaysia day as beginning from any new date. This is because Malaysia was already formed 44 years ago. Unless of course Malaysia intends to change its name to Malaysianei. Then yes we should celebrate Malaysianei as beginning from the date Brunei joins us.

Flashback into an event that could but did not occur following the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

Click to enlarge!

YES! I trust this guy, a true blue-blooded prince. He's a true gentleman and a man of integrity, having served in the Malaysian judiciary in the days when justice was independent from too much political interference.

A gentleman like him, with noble blood would certainly eat the humble apple pie and apologise to the nation if he ever blundered in describing the political system of this unique multi-racial nation.

A politician who doesn't do so should never be trusted and his or her ambition is for power, contrary to the well-being and happiness of the nation's citizens and a betrayal of the constitution the nation stands on.

The following old article is from Malaysiakini, the courageous independent fair-minded news source on the net which helps Malaysians to think and read between the lines of what they hear and read and to think out of the box.

Raja Nazrin: Constitution key to Nation Building
Andrew Ong
April 3, '07 3:04 pm

The Federal Constitution is a key document towards nation building and attaining national unity, said the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah today.

“The Federal Constitution, the Rukun Negara and Vision 2020 encapsulate the rights, hopes and aspirations of the population in a way that no other document does.

“The integrity of these documents must be defended and promoted, especially the first,” Raja Nazrin said as part of his seven guidelines for nation building.

He said this during his keynote address at the Young Malaysians’ Roundtable Discussion on National Unity and Development in Malaysia jointly organised by the Bar Council and Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) in Kuala Lumpur.

Raja Nazrin said all Malaysians must have no doubts about their place in the country in order improve nation building efforts.

“Only when each citizen believes that he or she has a common home and is working towards a common destiny, will he or she make the sacrifices needed for the long haul,”he added.

'Chauvinists against unity'

His second guideline required Malaysians to not hide problems in nation building pursuits. He said stark differences within a society are bound to arise, giving rise to ‘chauvinistic’ groups.

“They will fight the idea of national unity, block social change and try to be politically dominant,” he said, also suggesting the creation of social movements to dissuade support for such groups.

After the keynote address, Raza Nazrin witnessed a discussion among panelists and a dozen participants of a roundtable discussion on the impact and implications of race-based politics on nation building.

The focus of the one-day roundtable was to provide a forum for young Malaysians and government representatives to engage on the role of young Malaysians in achieving national unity, and with it, subjects often deemed ‘sensitive’.

The discussion was divided into three sessions, covering race-based politics, education and forging a national identity in relations to nation building.

Hang Tuah was a Chinese!

The following article is a link taken from Harris Ibrahim, another highly intelligent Malay who is a practising lawyer in West Malaysia. I have not yet verified the accuracy of the findings of the researchers who carried out the research. Remember what the great man, Reagan said to the Soviets during the height of the Cold War: Trust but verify!

Origins of Hang Tuah ( and Hang Jebat Hang Lekiu

etc)

By John Chow

This is what I heard:-

Findings of the team of scientists, archaeologist, historian and other technical staff from the United State, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Yemen & Russia

The graves of Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekiu and their close friends have been found and their skeletons had been analysed. Their DNA had been analysed and it is found that Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekiu etc. are not Malay, but Chinese (Islamic Chinese, just like the famous Admiral Cheng Ho). Malacca was a protectorate of China at that time, and the Emperor of China sent the Sultan of Malacca “yellow gifts’ as a token of his sovereignty. The 5 warrior brothers were believed to be sent to help protect Malacca and its Sultan from Siam (Thailand).

The Sultans of Malacca was directly descended from the Parameswara from Indonesia who fled to Tamasek (Singapore) and then to Malacca. The Malaccan Sulatanate family eventually spread and became the Sultanate of the other Malay states of Perak and Johor. Therefore, the Sultanate royal court and the aristocrats of the Malay sultanates are actually foreigners from Sumatra and Java. Hang Tuah and his friends were the protectors of the Indonesian aristocratic Parameswara family who came to Malaya around 1400 AD and claimed sovereignty of the land.

For confirmation please refer to:-

The Federal Association of Arc & Research of Michigan, USA

John Chow’s notes:-

“Hang” is an unusual surname or name for a Malay. It sounds like s corruption of a Chinese surname.

In fact, Chinese names start with the surname first, and given names last. Malay names start with the given names first, and the father’s name last (as in Ahmad bin Yusuf which means “Ahmad, the son of Yusuf”). There is no surname in traditional Malay! There is no surname to carry forward to the next generation.

We also need to examine the genealogy. We know that Hang Tuah’s father was Hang Mamat. Here, we do not see a Malay name transmission. We see a name being carried forward. It is also noted that the placement of the name that is carried forward is in front. This indicates that the surname is “Hang”. It is the transmission of Chinese names.

We also know that Hang Tuah’s son is Hang Nadim. Again, the name “Hang” is carried forward, and yet again, auspiciously in front, as a Chinese name would be, with the surname in front. There is no indication of a Malay naming convention.

Note that Hang Nadim is also known as Si Awang (Malays would colloquially refer to others as “Si”. “A” or “Ah” is a common prefix for referring to others in Chinese. Thus, a person with surname Wang/Huang would be referred to as “Si Ah Wang” in Malaysia - Mr. Ah Huang) by the Malays.

Note that Hang Tuah’s mother is Dang Merdu. “Dang” would be quite an unusual surname for a Malay also. However, “Dang” or “Tang” is a common Chinese surname. Note that the name “Dang” is in front, signifying that this is a Chinese naming convention, yet again.

Some Malays will argue that “Hang” is an honorific term (Humba) for those that serve the royal courts. http://www.freewebs.com/suaraanum/0506b02.htm This argument is not tenable. Firstly, where is the precedence in sultanates that preceded the Malaccan Sultanate? Secondly, where is the evidence that this is so in succeeding sultanates? Thirdly, where is the evidence that this practice was carried out in the sultanate of that time? And has that Sultan given it to other court official and the royal family and their court officials and courtesans? Where is the evidence? Fourthly, since Hang Tuah’s father is called Hang Mamat, then he would have served the Sultan prior to Hang Tuah. But there is no evidence this is so. In fact, there is evidence that Hang Tuah was a very poor kid in the village. His father was not a high court official, and he was not brought up in the court. In addition, since if Hang Tuah’s father Hang Mamat had already served as a high court official, why must Hang Tuah be educated in Bahasa Melayu and court etiquette etc. again since the family is already indoctrinated in royal protocol?

"Dalam perbendaharaan nama-nama orang Melayu semasa zaman kesultanan Melaayu Melaka, tiada terdapat nama-nama seumpama Hang Tuah, Hang Kasturi, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Lekiu, ringkasnya ringkasan yang bermula dengan ¡®Hang¡¯. Sejarah juga telah mencatatkannama-nama dari bangsa Cina yang bermula dengan Hang, Tan, Maa dan Lee. Ia bergantungkepada suku kaum atau asal-usul keturunan mereka dari wilayah tertentu dari China. Kemungkinan untuk mendakwa bahawa gelaran ¡®Hang¡¯ telah dianugerahkan oleh Raja-Raja Melayu juga tiada asasnya. "

The last sentence loosely translates as, "There's the possibility to propose that the term "Hang" conferred as a honorific by the Malay Kings also has no basis."

Moreover, before the time of the 5 warriors with their close families during this close period of relationship with the Chinese, there are no Malays with this name.

Note that the Chinese ‘princess’ who married the Sultan of Malacca was called “Hang Li Po”. Here, we not only see the same name, but the name is also in front, indicating a Chinese naming convention. Hang Li Po brought along with her many servants and bodyguards from China who became the Baba and Nyonya's of Malacca - these folk exist to this day. Chinese who do not know how to speak or write Chinese. They have been totally ‘malayanised”. Babas are people of Chinese descend who have been malayanised to such an extent that they wear Malay clothing, eat Malay food (with some Chinese food), speak Malay, and do not speak or write Chinese. Malacca is famous for its Baba communities. The only thing that is Chinese about them is that they are of Chinese ancestry. If you say that Hang Tuah is a Malay in the same sense that these Chinese have been malayanised, then you might be quite right. However, as we are arguing on the basis whether he was an ethnic Malay or an ethnic Chinese, in the sense of blood ancestry this present moment,

There is an old Chinese tradition where warriors or servants in the royal palace were given or re-issued with surnames given by the emperor, to signify that they belong to the emperor, or to one of his offsprings. Therefore, it is possible that some very special bodyguards of the emperor or the royal family, have the same surname to signify that they are a unit formed especially to protect that one owner. Since the Princess Hang Li Po was given away in marriage to a strategic partner whose land the emperor wanted to ensure is safe and stable, he assigned a group of able warriors to the Princess Li Po, and he gave their families the same surname. This is not an unusual practice for the Chinese emperor.

As for Hang Kasturi having 4 characters in his name, it is unusual, but it does happen that some Chinese have only 2 characters, and some have 4 characters in their names. For example, my paternal grandmother had only 2 characters in her name.

See: http://www.anu.edu.au/asianstudies/ahcen/proudfoot/mmp/rtm/teachers.html

In the GENEALOGICAL TREE OF THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF PERAK STATE (http://www.geocities.com/aizaris/genealogy), you may note 2 things:-

1) Evidence that traditional Malay naming conventions do not carry the name of the father forward.

2) There is no surname to carry forward

3) Neither name nor surname are placed in front.

4) The genealogy of the early part of the lineage tree makes reference to Chinese ancestry:- “Putera Chedra China” “Puetra China” and then later “Paduka Sri Cina”

This proves there has been early Chinese links in the Malay/Indonesian races and aristocratic lineages.

One Malay argued that Hang Tuah was already in the service of the Sultan before Hang Li Po was sent to Malacca. However, there is not evidence of this. A probable reference is the semi folklore Hikayat Hang Tuah, whicjh is not very reliable as it has many contradiction to SejarahMelayu. . From the Ming Dynasty chronicles does not mention Hang Li Po or Hang Tuah but did mention the trip of Sultan Mansur Shah. See: http://thepenangfileb.bravepages.com/histr36.htm

It is even possible that Hang Li Po was a minor “princess” (ie. only a daughter of a court official) who the emperor ordered to be given away to marry a vassal sate in order to ensue loyalty and close diplomatic relation. The whole event was blown up to given the foreign king a big ego boost that the great Chinese overlord gave him his own daughter in marriage! (It is doubtful that the conservative Chinese emperors would give their daughters away to somebody living in a foreign land very far away). It has happened before in the history of China. For example, the Tibetans think that their King Sonten Gampo forced the Chinese emperor to give away his daughter in marriage in order to make peace with great big powerful Tibet. The story from the Chinese side is that the Chinese emperor tricked the egotistical Tibetan king into believing that the palace maid was a princess and sent her off with her retinue and gifts. It was a ‘diplomatic trick”. Therefore, it is possible that the Chinese court repeated the trick on Sultan Mansur Shah, and gave him a “Chinese princess” with many gifts for the Sultan. In the meantime, he sent some warriors to the Sultanate to help ensure peace, safety and stability in the region – all in China’s national interests. Protect your friends and your interests will be protected. Or it could have been a ploy used by the Chinese emperor and the Malaccan sultan to use this marriage of a “princess” to deter the Siamese kings from encroaching on Malaccan territory. Siam would not dare to invade Malacca whose sultan is a son in law of the mighty Chinese empire!

Footnote:-

The 5 sworn brothers who studied and practised Silat together are:-

Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Lekiu and Hang Kasturi.

Further references:-

Serajah Melayu – History of the Malay Peninsula

http://www.sabrizain.demon.co.uk/malaya/parames.htm

Parameswara and the founding of the Sultanate of Malacca by John Chow

This is my limited understanding of this subject matter.

International Ghosts (Part 3)

Ha! The old Chinese ghost! This green entity is found in China and makes frequent appearances in comics, books and movies. If it's a female, she would be dressed in a white gown that even covers her hands... and yes, she's often beautiful!

Very often, the man who encounters such a forlorn spirit, falls in love, suffers deadly sickness but then miraculously survives the ordeal with a remarkably happy ending!

I guess the universal theme is Love conquers all.