The 4th Raya prayers at home.

 24.7.2021.

This posting is one for the record, because I'm not exactly inspired to write anything right now. But too much has happened in the last 2 months of June and July, 2021 not to say something.

The overwhelming situation has been the effect of the pandemic that "officially" started in February 2020. The movement restriction order has meant that life as we know it has been completely changed. The shops and government offices, the sports centres and facilities and public services have been largely closed, denying the basic needs all of us face. 

The vaccination programmes have been implemented rather well, actually, regardless of the confusing propaganda, real or otherwise. Idah and I, and the four kids have all gone through the vaccination thing, at least the first phase of it. There were the reported fevers etc. but everybody seemed to have overcome these.

Unfortunately for the last 22 days I've been suffering the effects of the "chikugunya" fever. For the first 10 days I didn't even know it was chikugunya until I went to see Dr. Miszua. I've since finished the tablets he gave for my temperature and body aches. For the last 3 days Idah suggested I take effervescent vitamin C tablets and panadol, instead of going back to Dr. Miszua for the continuing body aches, and surprisingly that seems to work. But overall it has been a miserable 3 weeks of July. And incidently, 20 people in this housing estate got chikugunya. So 3 days ago MBS sent their fogging team, after one of us called them about our predicament.

So that went for the Raya Haji this year, too. The 3 children and families could come back, of course. The 2nd Raya Haji prayers were at home, making it the 4th Raya prayers like that since Raya Puasa 2020. But this time there were no more tears to shed. The Raya prayers were just something we had to do.

There was one small religious act I did I might not have done without all these sufferings, maybe. For the first time in my life I fasted on the day of the "wuquf" - "puasa sunat wuquf" on 19th July, which was the 9th of Zulhijjah, the day all pilgrims for the haj must assemble in Arafah, before proceeding to Muzdalifah and the to Mina to complete the haj. Without the stay in Arafah, there's no haj.

I said "small" act because it's only "puasa sunat". In fact it's a much desired act for the pious.

The big irritations have been the office closures. There were insurance policies to renew, road taxes to renew, and other services to pay, but many couldn't be done. They're all still hanging in the air.

The other distress has been the uncontrolled, ridiculous prices charged by the stall operators. I'd felt sorry for them because of the closures. But the prices they charge are too much. Lemang used to cost 9-10 per bamboo, and the rendang about 3-4. Beef used to be 20 per kilo. I had to pay 18 for the lemang, 7 for rendang and 35 per kilo for "soup tulang".  Petai went for 1.20 per fruit. Now I don't feel sorry for these operators any more.

The Olympics have started in Tokyo, after the on and off statements from all quarters, whether connected to it or not. With the lingering aches in my muscles, and the pain in my heart, maybe these games that I love to watch would bring some relief.

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Jabatan Hutan Pahang or Orang Hutan Pahang?

12.7.2021.

So the Forestry Department cut down 15,000 Musang King durian trees in 9 days. The farmers took 20 years to plant these. At a coservative 50 fruits each, we're talking 750,000 fruits. Let's say each weighs 3.5 kilos. At RM 45/kilo, the total value would be around 120 million. And that's for one season. For 10 seasons?

That's the estimated cost of the Departments' completely insane undertaking.  What could have been bought  or built for that kind of money?

Destruction is always easier than construction.

So the plantation was illegal ? For 20 years ? Nobody knew?

There's a court case pending. What happens next?

Can't a compromise be struck - not to make legal what's obviously illegal, but to save the "fruits of toil" literally. The State, the farmers, the Department, all could have a share of the monies. The fines against the farmers could be extracted from these. It's not rocket science. The stupidity of it all at the moment is just staggering !

Who's behind this ? An Orang Hutan ?

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Vaccines, drugs or what ?

 Wed. 7.7.2021.

I've already read the news about the negative side-effects of the vaccinations against Covid 19. Most tragic was about the 16-year old who had a cardiac arrest. I didn't finish reading it, it was too distressful, so I don't know what happened eventually.

Conflicting opinions about vaccination came from neighbours, from friends who have doctors in their families and from the social media. I didn't know who to believe.

Finally Tok Sleman made me register myself and I got my first dose, and that, too, was thanks to him. I didn't follow "My Sejahtera" and could very well have missed my appointment. He called that morning at 9 and for no apparent reason asked for my i.c. number. 5 minutes later he called back. "Your appointment at 10 today!". I just made it.

Idah also had at first decided not to have the vaccination. After I did mine, she changed her mind, and Dekna registered her. She had since got her first dose.

21 days after my 2nd dose, suddenly I had a fever and body aches. I still have them. There's no stregth in my fingers. I can't turn when I lay down to sleep, the pain is that bad. Sitting on the Throne takes a Herculean effort. For 2 days I skipped my bath. Nothing like this happened after the first dose.

2 days after me, Idah got the same symptoms, although she only had her first dose. Maybe different body types react differently. So the two of us took "Panadol" as advised. Both of us have lost the temperature, but the aches remain.

3 days ago Karim whatsapped me the speech by that doctor about the drug in use the last 20 years for deworming. He said this has been used in Bangladesh or somewhere and has reduced the fatality rate hugely. He claimed to have tried to convinve the Health DG to use this drug. He got around him some 200 doctors to support him. He even used some colourful language to decribe the DG's refusal to listen. He claimed that the vaccines as they now are no more than toxins. To become vaccines, 5 years of testing is the standard required, it seems. "Go ahead get your toxin if you want to" he taunted.

Like several other quarters, this doctor also played the profiteering pharmaceuticals and even the Jewish ghost in stacking up his vigourous support for the drug.

I think there is merit in considering this drug, because 201 doctors cannot be all wrong. "They went to school, too" as he said against the Health DG's refusal. Many countries have tried the drug with success. Profiteering Jewish pharmaceuticals aside, what's the harm in taking this up? And if it's true that WHO is curtailing the drug's production, then maybe we should look closely at what WHO is trying to do.

I can't wait 5 years for toxin to become vaccine. I'll take the chance. I only have this one lifetime. Idah shed tears just now, because only No. 2 Son has called to inquire about her health. I cautioned her about comparing the 4 of them. Each has his/her own way of showing concern. They are educated enough to know their reponsibilities to their still living parents. We have given them that education. We have set them up in good families. We should be happy with that. We are not in a hopeless situation ourselves, even without them. But the speech of that doctor, minus the bit of unnecessary colour, should get action from the government. We are talking about lives now, not votes. Parliament sits on 26th. Let's see what happens. In the mean time the DG, the health advisor, must not just sit.

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