letter from Bacteriostatic kids (Kulai) for Mosh zine

Hi Nizang,

It’s been  9 years since we know Hc/Punk .The reason why we writing this is to let you know how you introducing and been inspiring us in this scene.The first zine we buy is Mosh issue 7.We know about your mosh zine from an article in revolution magazine. It is also the first stuff that we have buy  by mail. At that time , we also do a zine called brain damage and we do it with your mosh zine as a guidance. We have a lot of fun doing that zine. We even interview Plague Of Happines! And because of your zine , we also buy fags and stoned tape which make us fall in love in punk rock music. But our zine only been released in one issue and we only spread it in our school. Actually  we want to write this in a letter, but since we’ve been busy with studying, we don’t  have a time to go to the post office. So, keep up this good work!!!  Who know maybe there are a lot high school kid out there will know about this Hc/Punk scene with your piece of paper that we called zine. THANK YOU A LOT!!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                             Sincerely

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Gero & Kamen 

perutusan: menjangkau 30an

menjangkau usia 30an bermakna aku sudah tak muda lagi.
bak kata klise kubur kata mari siapkanlah diri.
terima kasih pada yang sapa dan yang mengingati.
silap salah dan tidak peramah, aku mitok maaf dan sorry.

 walk the talk staff exhibition 2012

ucapan hari jadi

Zaman ada FB ni, nak reply ucapan hari jadi memang tak menang tangan, banyak. Tapi ucapan ni paling berbekas di hati. Terima Kasih kawan. 

Salam Nizang.

Selamat menyambut hari kelahiran.Aku akan selalu mendoakan agar kau sekeluarga bahagia di bawah rahmat Allah SWT.

Terima kasih kerana mewarnai dunia remaja aku dengan tulisan-tulisan kau di dalam ' Mosh ' yang sebenarnya banyak membentuk diri, dan pendapat aku hari ini.

Punk sokmo, boh!

-Amirull, Klang-

Post Office Punks

Since my daughter was born, once or twice a week, I'll be sitting in my car for an hour or so, packing parcels of CDs, books, zines to mail them to buyers. Q: Why not do it at home? A: Too much noise in the room if my daughter is sleeping, and I need to play with her while she's awake to bond. Plus living with in-laws, I don't want to mess the living room... 

I used to make buttons badges that read "post office punks" but some punks wonder what is the connection between punk and post office is?

 photo from Carburetor Dung's facebook

Punk Rock Art Exhibition, Rumah Api KL 2012 (updated)

Punk Rock Art Exhibition, Rumah Api

It's been a year since the last time I went to Rumah Api, and it's the first time since they changed its name from Gudang Noisy. Was busy with marriage life I guess and the place I live now is quite far from Rumah Api. This is the first time ever the local hc/punk scene kids held an art exhibition that exhibited artworks by punk rockers. Congratulations to those involved in organizing it. 

There was no official launch but it was on from 20th to 24th May 2012. I guess most artists were quite low-profile, no names were written at the artworks nor details and explanations except for a few. Some artworks were done the night before the opening. The arts were a good mix of paintings, drawings, installations, sculptures, collage arts, stencil arts, photographs, computer generated prints, etc. Some artists that I wished to look at their works didn't exhibit, but there will be the second installation. I hope more punk rockers will display their arts. 

The artists; Khalil, Chem, Zaki, Nizang, Man Beranak, Iznan Rafa, Edd, Robby, Kojek, Rat, Arip, Iss, Abang Garrison, Nunu, Ady Shutterscream, Man Iblis and Matt (France).

The artworks that I exhibited are called ‘Authority’ (5 pieces series) and ‘Ego’ (1 piece). Actually these are old artworks from 2006 that I did when I was doing my degree. Our class held at the plaza one day and we had discussions and just chat on a lot of subjects including authority, technology, and others.

The ‘Authority’ series mostly shows bad cops, cop in disguise and corrupted cops. During the discussion, a friend who’s from Bangladesh told us that many of his Bangladeshi friends were stopped and “robbed” by the cops. The cops kept on asking money from them. Another friend also said he witnessed some Indonesian workers were asked by cops to give their money to them. I even heard these immigrant workers some of them when they get their salary, the cops will come to them and take about 80% of their money by force. I’m not sure how far this is true but if these stories are really happening, they’re the ones to be blamed why people hate cops so much.

Recently in the social network media and even newspaper it was highlighted that one cop’s child wrote sadly because after Bersih 3.0 protest a lot of Malaysian started condemning the cops and calling them ‘the government dogs’ when they’re just doing their job.  

I have cops friends and I have friends who are cops too. If they saw my painting, they might get hurt but it was my task too. Our lecturer asked us to visualize the stuffs we discussed in the class.

Enjoy the pics...

Cikgu dan Polis

Dulu di Subang... aku, Shabri, Fazri dan rakan lain kena tahan oleh pakcik polis. Masa tu kami berjalan kaki mencari stesen komuter kot. Pakcik polis tanya dari mana dan nak ke mana. Pastu tanya tanya kerja apa. Fazri beritahu "Saya kerja cikgu". Polis geledah beg fazri nampak zine di bawah ni. Polis tu baca tulisan pada kulit zine ni seraya berkata,

"Ooo...ajar benda-benda macam ni lah kat murid ya?!"

quote #1

"HATIKU BERKECAI BILA BUKUKU TENGGELAM DALAM AIR TANDAS" -nizang

My Bersih 3.0 experience

Got up early on 28^th April because I planned to give my daughter a bath, but she was asleep. After doing some shores, I drove to Kelana Jaya train station and bought a ticket to Central Market. It's been a long time since the last time I used any public transportation. There were many people wearing Bersih 3.0 shirt, and also other yellow shirts. Bersih 3.0 gathering was held, and this is the third time to demand for a fair general election as it was exposed phantom voters were used in previous elections and also will be used in the coming election. It is also to demand a fairer mainstream media (not lying and manipulated news) and some other demands (8 points overall). I saw mostly Chinese people at this point and place, some of them parked at the same spot with me, some came in big cars, husband and wives, with family and friends. Some walked long distance to reach the station.

I went alone; I didn’t plan to meet anyone at the peaceful protest. But I’m very sure I’ll meet someone I know and can hang out with. I was wearing a grey, Kuchalana band t-shirt so I guess people didn’t know I was going to the protest. But I went as a participant, not as a spectator as some claimed (because not wearing yellow shirt). As I reached Central Market station around 12pm, I saw a lot of people crowding at a corner. I saw A. Samad Said, one of two leaders of the peaceful protest was guarded by around 20 cops. He was sitting on the floor, on praying mats, and was reading a book; it was a sad scene to look at. A national poet and writer, old and armless were arrested. But like the last Bersih 2.0, all leaders were caught by the cops as soon as they enter the city. There were so many people; it was like a carnival that took place all over KL city. Everyone was having a smile, laugh and a good chat. There were a lot of people on a stage at Central Market’s front door. Later I found out Ambiga (the other leader of Bersih 3.0) were there meeting the people and took photographs and staffs. 

I head to Central Market and walked beside the market as the entrance and the whole Central Market was closed down. As I walked I met Amert, Aniq and his friend. I walked with them and took photos with my mobile phone. We walked with the others and saw some of our friends were ‘busking’ and making and making music with bottles, sticks, police cones and other found objects in front of a closed shop. All shops were closed. There was a stall selling burgers and drinks though. And they made a lot of money, from what I saw. Some news vendors and restaurants plus chain restaurants were operating and they are all packed with customers. But anti-protest people kept on saying that all business couldn’t operate and lose a lot of money on this day, duh! We hanged there for a while, the people are sitting at the sidewalks, singing and chanting -all peaceful. 

Then we walked towards Masjid Jamek (mosque). I felt hungry and Aniq’s friend gave me a bread to eat. Amert asked me whether I brought my asthma inhaler, but I totally forgot! The street was so packed with people. I went inside the mosque to perform Zohor prayer. Then Ambiga, Hishamuddin Rais and Anwar came in a jeep with others and gave a short speech. They asked us to sit, but most of us can’t do so as the whole street and the mosque were totally packed. There was no extra space at all. Ambiga said we will disperse now. But it’s not even 3 yet. It was scheduled that we will gather from 2 to 4 pm. The participants chant and shout to go to Dataran Merdeka even though it was sealed off as commanded by the government and was guarded with cops around it and also razor wire. We marched towards Dataran Merdeka, and we heard cheer and applause. I thought the protesters at the front managed to deal with the cops to enter Dataran Merdeka. So we walked, and walked then suddenly people at the front asked us to move back and run. The cops shot us with tear gas, a few shots. We ran, to the mosque to wash our faces. It was chaotic so suddenly. We then sat and chatted at the mosque area, on the grass looking at what’s happening in KL city today –so many people with festival atmosphere. We thought we were safe. Then, we were shot with tear gas again, with tear gas from all corners including in the mosque! 

We ran, and walked to the street again, watching protesters confronting the cops. Then we were shot again and everyone ran to save their lives. This time I coughed so hard, and felt like fainting. I need my inhaler. I ran towards the LRT station. It was closed down. Some people were resting there. I sat on the floor, took deep breaths then I felt okay again. I thought of leaving the place and go to the book fair, but the LRT station was closed. I walked by myself and found a restaurant. It was opened and I decided to have lunch and rest for a while. Since I can’t go back, I sat at OCBC Bank and saw Pijan. He brought along a skateboard in case the cops hit him. I saw the protestors confronting the cops, they throw bottles and other objects to the cops, and the cops do the same. Some protestors were caught and hit. And a cop was flying-kicked by someone, in front of my face. It was all out of control. I decided to walk to the Plaza Rakyat station and took a train to the book fair. Many had left the place by this time, it was 6 pm. I saw at their faces, they were relieved, enjoyed and satisfied with their act, joining the supposedly ‘peaceful’ protest. They came from faraway places from all over the country to join and share their voice and story about their dissatisfaction about the government and corrupted politicians. 

I think the Duduk Bantah (sit in protest) would be continually a peaceful protest if the cops were there and took care of the participants. And the government should just let the demonstrator use the Dataran Merdeka, as the name suggests, it’s a “free space”. All the chaos happened because the demonstrators at the forefront knocked down the cops who guarded Dataran Merdeka. So, the cops started using tear gas and water cannon to disperse us. There were also some cops that disguised as demonstrators and started throwing stuffs at another cop to start the fight and chaotic situation. This was done maybe to show that all intended peaceful protest will definitely end in chaos. All peaceful protests are intended to damage public properties. This is what the government want the others to belief; this is what the mainstream newspaper and TV are saying.

BERSIH 3.0 my lens