昔のことを回想する

Christmas is approaching and looking back to the past, I still vividly recalled my experience in Malaysia. Exactly the same date a year ago, I had just arrived in Kuala Lumpur, barely 2 days I knew no one, understand nothing, I took a taxi to Kelana Jaya station and rode the LRT all the way to KLCC. I gasp at the sight of majestic Petronas Tower and the high tech driver-less LRT. Christmas was such a joyous affair last year, not like this year. Days were filled with shopping, sale, going to mamak endlessly, travelling around, and of course thick pocket and credit cards. These days, I spend my time looking for houses at the net, staying at home to save money and looking for jobs. Oh, I miss those days... And I do miss all of you guyz there, especially Bebek, Tonny, Indra, Dewi, and Sue... :(

I can't go home either this summer, this will be my first time to spend summer in Melbourne. Been here for more than 6 years, yet never once stay for the whole 3 months of summer. I guess, I will miss those ang pau in Chinese New Year and my family back home. My wish to meet my godbrother in Singapore, my friends in Malaysia, and my family has to be postponed again indefinitely. Despite all of these, I'm grateful that I have someone right now and I just got a news that I get job in Nandos.

死刑

For the past few weeks, the news about Van Nguyen, the Australian drug smuggler who were hanged in Singapore were so big here. Despite all the compassion for him and his family, about 47% of Australian still support his death by hanging, including my own my god brother in Singapore. I found this so appaling and disgusting. How can you let someone die, I can't imagine what his mom has to go through, her healthy son who she can only see through the glass had to die the next day.

Whatever the reasons are, capital punishment is wrong. You can punished people for their crimes, jail them or force them to do social work. But taking lives or cut hands (like in muslim law said) is plain wrong and barbaric. We have no rights to do that, we are just god's creations like others and we have no rights to take His creation.

I never say that Van Nguyen is innocent, but what he done is not equal to the punishment. And it's not like he is a regular smuggler or doing it for profit. He is just doing this out of love to save his twin brother from the loan shark. I can't imagine what his brother has to go through for the rest of his life.

Does capital punishment really works and effective? According to the statistics and articles I read during my high school years, it is not. Look at USA for example, despite the capital punishment put in place, the criminals are just as high and doesn't affect the crime rates overall. In my opinion, most likely just being effective at the first time they introduce it. And singapore is still is the transit hub for the drug smugglers.

Whatever the reason is capital punishment is a murder, it takes people's life and doesn't change anything except a broken hearted mother and brother.

Rest in Peace, Van Nguyen