Merdeka & how Penangites waited for something that never appears and how I failed to shoot any politicians

The crowd before the stroke of midnight jamming up the roads leading to Esplanade. People are looking up at the sky and occassionally looking their watches. Minutes ticked by. The traffic police also do not know. No one knows. Yet they waited patiently.

I am amongst the crowd with my kick-ass DSLR. It is drizzling a little bit so I was either in the car or walking along the five foot way with shades over my head.

And the crowd waits. Plus lots of Mat Cemerlangs. They have girlfriends wearing spaghetti straps and low waisted jeans that show the butt cracks because bikes owned by Mat Cemerlang are meant to slope to the front. So that the girls at the back slide to the front, their breasts touching the rider. And hence, their jeans ride up.

Oh yeah, even on a significant night like tonight, the eve of[tag] Merdeka[/tag], our Penang Municipal Council either forget to switch on the light of this clock tower or as you guessed it, maintenance is poor and the bulbs all fused liao. If you can see the clock tower, it is because my photography skills damn cuuun wei. In case you wonder what is that space ship doing in front of the clock tower, that is sebiji pinang (betel nut) dibelah dua lah, doink.

Now, this is not a racial matter. But seriously, it is a social issue we need to look into. If you think [tag]Mat Cemerlang[/tag] is bad, wait till you see Mat Cermerlang JUNIOR! Yay! [tag]Malaysia[/tag] Boleh, Penang Pasti Boleh. Can you imagine parents who allowed their 10-12 years old kids to ride their basikal buruk with a huge flag all over town? I am not talking about deserted roads, but busy, busy roads like Dato’ Keramat, Beach Street and the banks area where bikes and cars zipped at deadly speed. Tonight is the night when all the bikers go wild.

A bunch of these little Mat Cermerlang Juniors gathered in front of Odeon Cinema triangle (an empty space) and hang there, at 12.30 am (midnight). I wonder, kiddoes, what are you all celebrating? Is it worth risking your young lives dicing with death? And how the hell your parents allowed you kids to come out at this hour? If the parents feel that ‘Hidup mati di tangan Tuhan’ so accident mati ke, tak mati ke terpulang… I can still accept. But hey, this area is where all the transexual prostitutes hang around to find clients. Not to mention lots of apek becha looking for some kicks. Plus drug addicts. Anak-anak semua ni bukan orang kebal (invincible) kan?

So, back to our State Government. Thousands of people hang around the Esplanade/Padang Kota Lama. Waiting for the fireworks that never take off. Because there was none. And no one knows for sure. It is as if very hard to publish in all the newspapers what programme our State Government is doing for us rakyat patriotik (konon). Both my hubby and I are sure that we did not see a single column. But we went anyway because I know I will have something to comment.

Well, they say we are not patriotic by not flying flags. But how to be patriotic when a simple notification cannot be spread to us rakyat so that we know not to wait under the rain for a stupid firework display that never come? Heh, my other half said that ‘he’ won’t dare to go melaung Merdeka this year ‘cos sked kena telur busuk nanti. Kehkehkeh.

So, there goes my chance of shooting politicians mingling happily with the rakyat jelata like last year. Happy Merdeka, you say? Come again? I can’t hear you.

19 thoughts on “Merdeka & how Penangites waited for something that never appears and how I failed to shoot any politicians

  1. No fireworks on Merdeka for the first time? No wonder no boom boom boom echoes la. Thanks for the update 5xmom, i decided to give the countdown a skip coz of Mat Cemerlangs. Still cannot forget my past experience with them. I seriously think the government should do something about them, they are a nuisance! Just while i’m typing, groups of Mat Cemerlangs are currently racing along Greenlane. Noisy!

  2. wah, such a disgrace, kesian you have to hold ur bulky DSLR n mengharap harap kepada yg tidak boleh diharap. maybe Tsu Koon tension dy cos Pg UMNO pressure him kaukau to step down. So as a sign of ‘merajukness’ he cancel firework display probably?

    Anyway, Happy Merdeka 2u, patriotic or not is not thru the Jalor Gemilang or being Mat/Minah Cemerlang, but the heart that counts.

    I’m new fan of ur site & i think u r as cool as LL Cool J, can i nickname u LL Cool 5X (Lilian Cool 5XMom)?

    P/s: if u tatau who is LL Cool J, sila lah google, jangan malu malu. 🙂

  3. Pretty sad. Time to fire the government.

    Wish you Happy Merdeka just the same.

    Disappointed. No butt crack pictures. Cannot believe they let kids run loose like. Trying to be like Americans who let their kids run loose around the high risk areas just so they can be with the “hip” crowd.

    What is the egg looking thing-ey?

  4. Maybe they wanna follow Singapore’s Policy of the National Day Parade kot.where everything is done in the evening….and fireworks after the so called parade?

    [off the record, reason why SG have their NDP in afternoon cos SG’reans are too darn lazy and can’t wake up early enuff to be patriotic and march down the esplanade,thus makes the fireworks at dusk instead (plus the fact that TAR gave LKY the kick after maghrib so to speak!) …]

    So Merdekalah Malaysia from Poverty , Insanity and with full of Dignity.

  5. Ehem, Selamat Hari Merdeka, anyway.

    Err, Azrin , u a Singaporean? The reason Singapore have fireworks at night is because it is more visible at night kan kan?
    I have been to their National Day Parade and I could see the amount of effort put in (everybody practice like 3 months in advance) to produce such a flawless show which is also more pleasant to watch at night coz its hot. Shiok ah…

  6. Nice account. Keep me in touch with Penang happenings (or unhappenings?) So now the motorcycle gang has a glamourous name yeh? Generally avoided such celebrations last time, precisely because the motorcycle gang too cemerlang. Looks like PM got idea from the motorcycle gang when he proclaimed: Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang!

  7. got terror terrrroorr fireworks here in KL till woke me up leh…and i live like quite far from that merdeka square and yet the fireworks like practically above my roof..did they change the location ah??

  8. I think this year’s Merdeka is mediocre or just like any other “normal” celebration……or something like that…….

    it would take a HUGE miracle to turns things around….

  9. don’t simply use the word ‘shoot’ you didn’t read the case between jeffooi and a certain editor of a certain tabloid meh?

  10. Happy Merdeka to you 5xmom!

    but but but… i thought u’re gonna blog in BM? i did u know! 🙁

    anyway, i went to the esplanade last year with my aussie cousin.. just to show him how we celebrated.. but then… no fireworks also la…. we all look up look up… nothing also.. one time ppl were like booing the MCs cause there was no fireworks and the MCs were trying to get us to stay on for some singers and stuff… so shy man! this had to happen to my aussie cousin…

  11. but, but, but… I also blog in BM wei!

    Kononnya, gahment this year want to save money that is why no fireworks. Can you believe this? Next year is 50th. Then can do big big lo.

  12. I don’t understand why they can have massive fireworks display on occasions like National Day…and yet we cannot play during festivals like Chinese New Year! Banned!!! This is clearly a case of “Do as I say, not as I do!” But frankly I don’t support the idea of having fireworks!! The poisonous fumes! The pollution!! And burning away taxpayers’ hard-earned money!!! And it’s not even Ching Ming or Hungry Ghosts Festival!

  13. Mat Cemerlang JUNIOR -OMG! There’s no sight of an end to this problem…Aiyoo..these people think that they are cats hor with 9 lives? (as if cats really have 9 lives la)

    Eh, no fireworks at 12am meh. I saw some fireworks fr my apt in the direction of town. But i don live in town, i just assume it was the fireworks by the gahmen.

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