General Elections just around the corner

I can smell it. The Barisan-owned papers are on the prowl for opposition blood and they have been playing up what are mostly non-issues recently. Pakatan Rakyat should start preparing for the general elections now.

I just watched a Cantonese period costume drama on tv while over at my daughter's baby-sitter's and it reminded me of what Asian culture, especially in olden times, entailed. An old but powerful matroness of a leading family in the city was the de facto absolute ruler in her household and she barked out orders at her whim and fancy. When her son dies of illness and leaves behind a widow, she gives the daughter-in-law ("DIL") hell. One day, DIL was falsely accused of adultery and to escape punishment DIL runs back to her maiden home. DIL confides her troubles to her brother who after much persuasion, convinces DIL to go back to her husband's home with him alongside as peace-maker. Once there the brother presents a gift to the old matroness and speaks frankly to the old matroness who gave him her promise that no ill-will was borne and that DIL would be well take care of. Having extracted that promise, DIL's brother returns home leaving DIL under the old matroness' supervision. Big mistake. And what does the old matroness do? She promptly tricks DIL into an "outing" and when they have arrived at the temple grounds, DIL is promptly told that she is to become a NUN to save the family face. The old matroness justifies her lying to DIL's brother as a way to avoid conflict and that no one has the right to interfere in her family's affairs. So DIL is shaved bald and puts on her nun's robes. DIL's brother upon learning of this is furious but is unable to do anything as the old matroness knows the city's governor.

I didn't watch any further but this story line is typical of Asian period costume dramas. The feudal system in all its face-saving glory is shown to the entire world. So much harm comes from wanting face or wanting to "save face". Face is so terrible that i understand that in China, even the China of today, "face" can be used as a weapon. We have become materially well-off today compared with a hundred years ago, but our culture has essentially remained the same. Perhaps in Malaysia we are more exposed to ideas from other countries due to our location and role as a great trading nation (Malaysia is afterall a nation of traders), but the feudal system is never far away. It manifests itself in our government: "do as i say, not as i do". Commands are issued and orders are obeyed. face is to be saved and given at all times. Don't get me wrong, face is not exclusive to us Asians, even foreigners, westerners, have their own version of face and saving face. But it is more pronounced here, sometimes very uncomfortably so. To the point of extreme ludicrosity. How can face or saving-face be more important than one's happiness, i ask? Isn't that what we all live for ultimately? To be happy?