GRIMM’S ALLEY, SECTION 7 SHAH ALAM.

By: RAZA SYAZANI

SHAH ALAM – Jalan Plumbum, Seksyen 7 marked as a dangerous junction in Shah Alam because of such over occurring accidents between various vehicles every month.

According to the statement from Inspector Mohammad Faizal Che Azmi, Investigative Police Officer of Shah Alam’s police station says that, it is about three accident cases recorded per month until May 2014 at this particular junction. Jalan Plumbum intersection is in front of the i-City entrance which every vehicle can do the U-turns and enter the junction freely.

“The accidents usually involved cars and motorcycles that are using the road and come from two different directions”, he said. The junction might causes the drivers and the riders are on their blind spot to acknowledge the presence of other vehicles from the other directions. This is the main cause that leads to such repeated accidents at the junction.

On December 16 2013, there was an accident between a motorcycle and a car which is seen as the worse among all the cases because it took someone’s life. The motorcycle was hit by a Proton Prevé which was about to enter the junction. The motorcyclist died on the location because of serious internal injuries caused by strong impact of the collision with the car.

 The victim was Malek Sukiman, 42, an Indonesian worked as a construction worker at Industrial Park Bukit Raja. He was about to go to somewhere around Section 7, Shah Alam from his workplace at Bukit Raja.

As one of the witnesses of the accident, I can say that the motorcycle was driven in speed and there was almost impossible for it to stop whenever the car came suddenly to the intersection. The Proton Prevé might had overlooked its front and thought that it can get through the junction before the motorcycle reached there. However, they did cross the intersection at the same time and leaded to that death accident. The blame can be put to both of them.

A few weeks before, at the same intersection of Jalan Plumbum, Section 7 Shah Alam, an Indonesian woman was hit by Nissan Serena. It was the same negligence actions of both parties. The motorcycle tried to enter the junction but did not realize the coming car from its front.

Considered based on the cracked front glass of the Nissan Serena, it was driven at speed which when the car hit the motorcycle, a hard impact of the collision between the car and the motorcycle caused the glass to crack.

The victim, Suraya, 36, a foreign worker at a restaurant in Section 7 was unconscious for a few minutes at the accident location.  She was brought to Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Klang for medical help.

Everyone is advised to be very careful whenever using Jalan Plumbum, Section 7 Shah Alam as it is called Grim’s alley which explains that it is dangerous for not being alert and wise when using that road.

SAME LOVE: WHAT SAY YOU?

Gay is a state of being cheerful, merry and jolly. However, the most popular definition of gay is homosexual which certainly known as being gay, sexually and that kind of gay is what this write up is all about. 'Gay' is a general term generally referred to those who prefer others of the same gender, this broad term comprises of all the types of unnatural sexuality there is. Namely, lesbians are those females attracted to their own kind, bisexuals refer to those who go both ways, transgendered is a gender trapped inside another while asexual is a group who prefer to not have a gender all together.

There has always been a great debate on what constitutes a person to ‘gay’ some might say it is a pre-programmed code in the human DNA. Others infer it to be freedom of choice and expression. The rest just say it is a trend catching on from one to another. Nonetheless it is spreading like wildfire and the fears and harms of it is prominent and real. We see this as a ‘stigma’ of being homosexual is spreading quite rapidly and at an alarming state. What really is the cause of this anomaly? Can we curb this ‘trend’ from spreading? Should we shun those in such groups away from society or should they be accepted by the society with open arms?

When it comes to sexuality, the equality will come together. Equality is a subjective matter. Every each homosapien who’s living in this world somehow might have or might not have differences in opinions, thoughts and perspectives about equality especially in sexuality. However, the authority and the divine sources are what we need to guide us. Every religion forbids the same gender relationships. In Islam, the holy Qur’an stated which in Surah Luth that explained Islam banned the same gender relationship among males and females. So, we have to rely on the divine rules that have been there for quite long as for guidance.

There are a lot of factors that can lead to the spreading of homosexuality in our society. One of the discovered factors is the influences from peers and surrounding. Different people live in the different area and life style. Our behaviors and actions usually affected by the people who we live with. The influence of people who is very close to us is very strong as we normally act as who he or she is. So, whenever the homosexuality comes in close to a person, somehow it cannot be denied that the person can be influenced.

My friends and I have done in a research for our Psychology class in part 1 on the causes of homosexuality. We discovered that one of the contributing factors that cause such growth spurt is due to being misled by opinion leaders.

Local opinion leaders like Ambiga and Marina Mahathir are prominent figures. Their opinions speaks louder than anyone else and not to mention that the masses deemed all of their sayings as very credible, due to them having professional profession (UtusanMalaysia, 2006). These kinds of people have the power to shape and influence the society and the fact is that Ambiga is promoting the ‘Seksualiti Merdeka’ which concern about the equality in sexuality. Meanwhile, Marina Mahathir has been defending the rights of the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered) all the way along with Ambiga.

So, by having those opinion leaders who also are public figures that support this spreading cancer, we have to admit that these gay people will feel supported and feel more comfortable with what they are doing. That is why this problem is now become very popular and perhaps a trend.

Homosexual is popular among the youngsters. It cannot be doubted that elder generation do have this issue but somehow pretty much of them have stop and back on the straight life. So, youngsters are more likely to try out almost everything in life. In some researches that I have read before, younger generation nowadays get into an intimate relationship as even as early at the age 16 years old. So, normally those kinds of love will not last long. Then, the heart broken lovers will figure out something to stick the pieces of heart back together. Unfortunately, there are parts from them that pick a way whereas they switch the preferences to the one that is in the same gender. Once they take a try, it keeps them addicted and get influenced. At the end of the day, more and more homosexual people produced.

As an observer, I do believe that this problem can be solve. We can try to prevent this from happening. We have can reduce the numbers. To change someone is hard but impossible is not. We can solve this with so many tools but must have the cooperation and supports from all.

Youths are easily influenced by websites and blogs. This can also spread among their friends. So, if possible we get to write more and more writings about homosexual as to influence the youth in the social networking. In this era, people used to check the updates on their smartphones almost every five minutes, so the probability to grab their attention to read is high.

We urge the government to implement sex and sexuality education in schools. Instead of instituting restrictive gender roles in schools, children should be given comprehensive sex education so that they can learn what better about sex and sexuality. Perhaps, it can help to prevent the anomaly of sexuality.

Comprehensive sex education should comprise topics on gender, sex, and sexuality. Children should be taught about gender identity, the emotional effects of healthy peer relationships, as well as the various forms of sexuality. This will not necessarily lead to children becoming sexually active or becoming homosexual. Instead, it will help children understand their bodies better and make informed decisions on sex and sexuality. The Convention of the Right of the Children (CRC) under the United Nations states that children must be allowed to develop to their fullest potential. Hence, the government should educate them instead of trying to identify gay children and singling them out for condemnation.  It is essential that any guideline or policy developed be in the best interest of the child.

After all, being gay is not a choice but it is something that defined who you are. Nonetheless, we should realize that the god have stated that man are living with pairs. Earth is created to pair with the sky. The sun is created to pair with the moon. So do males must be paired with females? Yes, it is. I do believe in equality but somehow we have to follow the rules. Yes, rules are created because there are people who broke them before. So, don’t be as one of those. Be the one that create the changes and see the world through the eyes. Be as gay; molly jolly that you want not gay, sexually.

COLOR BLOCK ITU FUNKY!

Sejak kebelakangan ini, fesyen pakaian "color block" atau warna kontra semakin mendapat tempat dalam kalangan penggemar fesyen, terutamanya wanita dan golongan muda mudi. Tidak ramai yang berani memakai pakaian fesyen "color blocking". Hal ini demikian kerana, ada sesetengah masyarakat yang berpendapat bahawa fesyen "color blocking" menampakkan seseorang itu seakan-akan seorang badut. Lebih memedihkan telinga apabila ada yang menyatakan bahawa anda seperti pendatang asing dari Bangladesh apabila memadankan warna yang bertentangan. Memakai pakaian warna yang terang dalam satu penampilan dilihat janggal. Baju kuning, beg tangan merah jambu dan kasut berwarna biru, sebagai contoh dilihat pelik. 

            Sebenarnya, apa yang si penyindir tidak tahu ialah gabungan dua warna atau lebih rona polos dalam pemakaian adalah fesyen terkini yang dinamakan “colour blocking” atau warna kontra. Hakikatnya, gaya begini atau dipanggil "color block", tidak asing, bukan perkara baru. Ketika era 60-an, "color block" menjadi kegilaan penggemar fesyen dan ibarat roda, fesyen itu kini kembali menjadi fenomena.            

Bahkan, setiap tahun, ramalan warna di pentas peragaan menjadi isu hangat, begitu juga dengan kemuncak penggunaan warna dalam tata rias kerana warna mampu memercikkan semangat kepada setiap individu. Tahun ini, pemilihan fabrik pakaian berwarna kontra menjadi gaya yang popular di seluruh dunia terutamanya bagi kaum wanita kerana wanita seringkali dilabelkan gemar mengenakan pakaian sedondon dari atas hingga ke bawah. Namun, kaum lelaki juga turut tidak ketinggalan dalam menggayakan fesyen warna kontra ini. Antara warna yang menjadi kegilaan dalam trend "color block" adalah merah, fuschia, biru elektrik (electric blue), biru diraja (royal blue), kuning, jingga (tangerine orange), merah jambu (neon pink dan shocking pink) serta rangkaian hijau terang.            

Warna kontra atau "color block" merupakan gabungan warna-warna terang pada pakaian, contohnya warna merah jambu dengan kuning, hijau dengan ungu, oren dengan biru dan pelbagai lagi. Biarpun sebelum ini fesyen warna kontra dilihat sebagai sesuatu yang pelik, tetapi kini tidak lagi kerana fesyen ini bukan sahaja menjadi kegilaan selebriti, malahan turut menjadi ikutan masyarakat. Hal ini demikian kerana, pemilihan warna sesuka hati ini tidak memerlukan kita mengeluarkan belanja yang besar kerana terpaksa membeli aksesori atau pakaian yang sama warna. Pakaian "color block" adalah pakaian yang dipakai serentak seperti baju, skirt, kardigan, kasut, tudung dan sebagainya yang terdiri daripada pelbagai warna terang. Contohnya, baju merah dipakai bersama skirt biru, kardigan ungu, kasut jingga dan tudung berwarna kuning. Beranikah anda? 

          

Kini, fesyen "color block" mendapat tempat di hati warga Malaysia terutama anak-anak muda. Sungei Wang, Berjaya Times Square dan Lot 10, menjadi tumpuan remaja masa kini di Kuala Lumpur untuk mendapat barangan yang bertemakan "color block". Butik-butik pakaian kini juga memainkan peranan dengan lebih banyak mengeluarkan produk-produk pakaian yang menjurus ke arah fesyen "color blocking". Harga pakaian yang dijual bertatutan dengan kumpulan tumpuan iaitu remaja yang kebanyakannya masih melanjutkan pelajaran dan tidak mempunyai pendapatan yang tetap. 
              

            “Saya berbadan kurus tetapi mempunyai kaki yang agak besar, jadi saya gunakan nada lebih gelap pada bahagian yang seharusnya disembunyikan atau kurang cantik sementara warna lebih terang pada bahagian yang lebih menonjol untuk menarik lebih perhatian,” katanya. Sesuaikan dengan tubuh dan bentuk badan seperti kelaziman dalam penggayaan. Contohnya, nada warna gelap pada bahagian pinggang ke bawah untuk nampak lebih volume (lebih menonjol) di bahagian bawah badan selain menampakkan kesan langsing. "Kini amat mudah untuk saya mendapatkan pakaian dalam fesyen "color block" ini kerana banyak butik-butik pakaian sekarang menyediakan pakaian seperti yang saya inginkan. Malah, harganya berpatutan untuk saya yang masih belajar", katanya.

            Fesyen color block dilihat sebagai satu inspirasi fesyen moden yang boleh dijadikan ikutan oleh sesiapa sahaja dan amat berpatutan. Oleh itu, kita hendaklah berani dalam berfesyen dan pandai berbelanja. Penampilan kita pada hari ini sememangnya tidak boleh lari dari dunia fesyen. Hari ini, fesyen warna kontra atau “color blocking” semakin mendapat tempat dalam dunia fesyen, bukan sahaja dalam kalangan selebriti, malahan turut menjadi pilihan utama masyarakat, khususnya bagi penggemar fesyen terkini. Jangan takut untuk menggayakan fesyen warna kontra kerana kontra itu bakal menimbulkan penegasan serta menampakkan anda sebagai seorang yang berani.