Yes We Can

I love it whenever my country makes it into the world news. Loved it when Jimmy Choo, Ling Tan, Michelle Yeoh and Zang Toi made it big out there in the world. Makes me feel so proud of my country everytime I see sentences such as "So-and-so is a New York-based Malaysian fashion designer", or "So-and-so is a Malaysian fashion designer based in London, United Kingdom". My country has so many talented people!!

My country also recently made it into a popular British daily. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that huge icon for me to click on to bring me to that particular news article about my country...

I thought news of Shirley's chain-smoking habit was just gonna stay within the confines of those Malaysian dailies and not go viral all the way to the UK.

Picture above: Shirley's gobsmackingly awesome picture published by The Star on 2 May 2011. Shirley's smoking style could rival those that of her fellow primates of another kind...

Picture above: "Fellow primates of another kind"

The news from UK's The Daily Mail begins with "A trip to the zoo should fill any animal fan with a sense of joy wonder, but in Malaysia the experience inspires revulsion".

Did you see that? Huh, huh? Did you see my country name?

"Crocodiles struggle in waterless enclosures while lions and tigers are trapped in boxes barely big enough to house them, leaving no room to roam around".

There's also another sentence in that article that says "The government-run zoo in Johor Baru has erected a 'no smoking' sign but that will do precious little to stop the sad practice while attendants turn their backs on it".

Psst, Daily Mail Reporter, whoever you are. I've got news for you...... Monkeys can't read "no smoking" signs, especially those who ride on cheap motorcycles and snatch handbags from innocent women.

If you type "snatch theft" in Wikipedia, you'll be directed to a Wiki write-up that gives special mention to Malaysia. I've uploaded that page here in case someone edits that page after this for certain censorship purposes.

I foresee a budget of RM100 billion very soon to renovate and beautify these zoos- RM10 billion for each zoo. It will be a large-scale 10-year plan with renovation and construction taking place simultanesouly at all 10 zoos. Upon completion, zoo visitors will get to visit and play in the most high-tech zoos in the world. Launching date: 20.2.2020.

It seems a new law was passed last October for our zoos to "clean up their act" in 6 months, but when the deadline passes, "there will have been shamefully little progress made".

"The government makes promise after promise. They never keep any of them, but I will hold their feet to the fire until they do." (Sean Whyte, Nature Alert)

Sean Whyte, you're da man!! Good try though.

My girl, Shirley <3