The Malaysian Flag, the Plastic Water Meter and the Successful Marriage of Mr. & Mrs. Lee

This is the Malaysian Flag, which is called Jalur Gemilang, roughly translated to mean the Glorious Stripes. Yes, the name is rather pretentious but you know, when people wanna name the flag of their country, they tend to be rather uppity. We have been around for quite a while, and in spite of earlier predictions that the young country, born in 1957 will descend into chaos and civil war in 7 years, that hasn't happened. To a large extent I think that is based upon the traditional, sensible and reasonable-mindedness of the forefathers of the nation. And also to the everyday typical Malaysian of all stripes, brown, yellow and fair, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Animist and Muslim, who simply wants to live in peace, bring up their children in a safe environment and given an opportunity to earn a decent wage. Of course, we could do so much better. But that is not something to be frustrated about. It simply means that we can do so much better. And that should be both a reason for national celebration and motivation.
The copper water meter has been replaced by a plastic water meter. And it is one of the few tool / equipment in Malaysia's daily life which actually has to be named. There is a reason behind this - for years, drug addicts and other enterprising entrepreneurs have been stealing the copper water meter (any thing with copper in fact - including electrical wires and cables) to pawn off the copper for money. This criminal hobby has become a national problem due to the high prices of copper now in the international commodities market. And given the likely mental state of the copper thief, zonked in their hallucinogenic high, the authorities thought it necessary to spell it out, ... "Yes this is a plastic meter. Your eyes do not deceive you. So don't bother stealing it!"

Mr. and Mrs. Lee are chained together in wedlock. It was an arranged marriage. "She too short and fat", Mr. Lee initially said to his mother. "He too tall and skinny!" the soon-to-be Mrs. Lee complained to her friends. But as it turned out it, it was a happy and convenient marriage. "I cook. You sell.", Mrs. Lee whispered to her husband as they lie in bed, basking in a sweaty post-coital glow of their wedding night.

The happy customers of Mr. and Mrs. Lee.

Have a lovely Sabbath, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.