'Sorry for sounding cynical, but when such things like this happen, quite often, it is always that some fat cat has some monetary designs involved somewhere.'

RM30 mil donation rejected, philanthropist puzzled

Anonymous: Now we will see what the MCA politicians are all about - declining a RM30 million donation. The MCA leadership will have to explain point-by-point why they rejected this offer. Well, what can a layman say? It is all about vested interests.

Mr Koon Yew Yin, perhaps you should come up with other ideas of helping poor families from all races. I am sure your RM30 million can provides scholarships to all the nine-A students who miss out on other scholarships. They can pay back to your fund to help other students. Who cares a damn for MCA political leaders who have bastardised the system by being corrupt like their Umno warlords.

DontPlayGod: Sorry for sounding cynical, but when such things like this happen, quite often, it is always that some fat cat has some monetary designs involved somewhere. Maybe that RM30 million meant for building hostels is a threat to those powers-that-be who are already raking in a handsome amount from rentals of houses in the nearby housing areas? If not, what other reason can there be?

Clearwater: Within the MCA universe, self-interest trumps public interest anytime. If Utar were to accept Koon's offer to build hostels for the good of the students, property-owning MCA members and sympathisers in the vicinity will suffer economic loss; and MCA, their votes. The reason to reject Koon's offer is all too obvious.

Utar students just have to suck it up, they have no say in the matter.

RubyStar: It is unbecoming of MCA to reject an offer of RM30 million donation. Mr Koon has no personal agenda and until the offer was rejected, nobody actually knew of the donation. MCA and its band of financial marauders have perhaps ring-fenced the whole area near Utar to be parceled out among its band of conniving thieves to share the loot.

I remembered when I was studying in Universiti Malaya, the biggest problem a student faced is cheap accommodation near the campus. Mr Koon, you are doing a great and selfless service to the students of Utar. Please keep up your crusade.

Anonymous: Mr Koon, do not give this money to Utar. Actually, their educational standard is very low. Give it other institutions. Or start your foundation in Singapore to help Malaysian students who want to study there. That way, we can be sure they will benefit only on merit. Or start a foundation to channel these funds to opposition candidates in the next general elections.

Yap Chee Seng: Some people built a lot of shops and are depending on the students to rent their rooms. Otherwise these shops will be empty. So there is great resistance to Koon's cheap, affordable hostels!

Hello: Dear Mr Koon, instead of arguing with those MCA idiots and getting them to agree to accept your generous offer of RM30 million, why don't you buy a piece of land in Kampar, build your hostel and rent it out to the Utar students at cheap rates and according to the terms stated by you? Wouldn't that solve the dilemma of everyone, especially those poor students?

Sarawakian: It's obvious that someone is after the land. Once the hostels are built, they cannot sell the land. That's how corrupt politicians think. The students can sleep in the streets for all they care.

For M'sian gays, hope for a better tomorrow

Paul Warren: When a church elder I know had to announce to the congregation that his daughter was to engage in a civil union with another girl also from the same church, he said it most aptly, ‘I cannot agree with the life she has chosen to lead, but I have accepted it'.

He then beseeched the rest of the congregation to also accept his daughter's choice. Well, Pang Khee Teik, I would suggest that would be a goal for you to work towards. Getting acceptance. Not approval. That would be too much to start with.

Ed: And to the person who said that because there are gay people out there who are miserable and therefore gay people will never be happy until they accept that they were made to mate with the opposite sex, I have news for you.

Have you seen the number of miserable heterosexual schmucks out there? Can it be that the people they mention (Freddy Mercury, Leslie Cheung, etc) are/were miserable because they were celebrities that lived in the limelight 24/7?

Aiyoyo: Nature doesn't ‘intend' anything. Bodily functions and processes change over time and the very fact that we exist shows that we are indeed ‘natural'. Our hands were originally meant to swing from tree to tree - does the fact that we're now typing on a keyboard mean that we're unnatural?

What about the fact that puberty hits us when we're in our early teens (and in fact, it's hitting us earlier and earlier). Does that mean we should start having sex as 12-year-olds just because nature has intended us to do so? Does that mean laws preventing underage sex are unnatural?

Also, what about the widely reported incidents of homosexuality in the animal kingdom? Is that natural enough for you? Huh? What's that? Humans can reason and animals can't? First you say that homosexuality is unnatural, then you say that being natural is primitive.

Helen Ang: Steve Oh's letter puts across his point clearly, ie, that the reverend should not misinterpret Christianity/the Bible on homosexuality and then proceed to spread this misrepresentation to his church congregation.

Oh has never said he is personally against the gay lifestyle, but only cautioning against attributing to the religion what its teachings do not say. In fact, it is very pertinent of Steve Oh to raise this issue - that sacred text should be read faithfully for what it actually preaches.

Bebas2fikir: A very well-written article. While I'm straight, I have many friends who are LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders). While I still remain friends with them, I still do not agree with their lifestyle choices. However, it is their life and I will continue to walk the road of life with them. I do feel their pain and will continue to hold them when they need comforting.

Anonymous: ‘Bigotry, homophobia, hate are all learned'. Well said.

Noisy, sexy 'ge tai' irks Georgetown mosques

Ferdtan: It is obviously a political ploy to play on the religious sentiments of the Penang Muslims. It won't work as the Muslims in Penang are not stupid and can see through this charade.

Please don't let there be a repeat of another 'religious conflict' like the one in the past between an Indian Muslim mosque and a neighouring Indian temple over the loud ringing of the temple's bell. It was so serious that the then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim had to fly down to Penang to mediate.

Cala: I may be wrong but I suspect that the main reason why such a stage show is organised by local street associations is because it is a way of raising funds for the local group. Otherwise, why do you need so many of them? Lim Yam Koi (Penang Teong Guan Association adviser) may have more details than me on this. But as a Chinese, it is mind-boggling that scantily-dressed girls are required to perform for those in a different world.

Anonymous: Ahmad Zahid, who was once the minister in charge of Islamic Affairs in the PM's Department, had defended these dances. That was when he was fishing for votes during the Bukit Gantang by-election. Let's see what his take on them now.

At the time, when pressed on whether such performances would translate into votes for BN, Ahmad Zahid said that they were a ‘part of the Chinese culture'. But in my constituency, we did not win by holding such performances. However, we also respect Chinese customs. In fact, we should respect the customs of all races.

Ida Bakar: In Penang, four days of blaring loud music? It is enough to drive anyone mad, let alone those trying to have peace and quiet in the two Penang mosques not 30 metres away. This is a public order nuisance that continues for four days. A day or two is understandable. Don't reduce this to religious or ethnic concerns. Some readers still have their ethno-religious blinkers on.

Anonymous: I live in an area where there is a surau. In the holy month of Ramadan, the activities in the surau were so loud even children could not sleep. They make speeches with the loudspeaker right on top of the surau. Whoever giving the speech each night is only giving it to the people within the surau so why do they have to use a loudspeaker with high volume? And why does the speech go on for hours?

To whom are we the non-Muslims going to complain? The Agong? I am planning to move out of the taman. What choice do I have?

PlsSaveMalaysia: We should be more mature in this. There used to be Chinese opera during Hungry Ghosts month but I guess this organising committee found ‘Ge Tai' (though I strongly oppose scantily-clad singers) attracted more audiences.

But both are loud. We should be more considerate like using the appropriate volume (just loud enough for the immediate audience) and end it before it become too late into the night.

However, we shall not justify excessive loudness by arguing that ‘the mosques also do it'. We want others to appreciate our culture but not by being confrontational.