Kacang is Nuts!

Personally, I find it hard to show any sort of enthusiasm about the first Malaysian in space. Call me a wet blanket if you will, but I see no point in hurling a man into the stars just for the hell of it. Yes, let us say it as it is. We launched a Malaysian into space Just-For-The-Hell™ of it. Let’s not be addled by whatever so called “experiments” which are to be conducted up there, as they were merely tacked up to give some measure the legitimacy of the mission. The truth remains that these experiments were concocted to give a purpose (any purpose!) to the space mission. After all, I’m sure that many people still remember the brouhaha that followed after we Malaysians started bandying around about making “teh tarik” and throwing “roti prata” in space when this “project” was announced. Apparently the Russians balked at that one (Throwing tea and bread in the ISS??? Yob tvoyu maht tovarisch, no!!!), and we had to go back to the drawing board to see what else we could do. Sounds just like putting the cart before the horse, no?

So why did we launch our Malaysian into space anyway? It wasn’t as if we had anything to boast of, since we did not contribute any technology or knowledge to the mission. There also seemed to be no specific purpose for the mission, since we had to look for something for Dr. Sheikh to do once he actually got to the space station. This whole thing stinks of us just wanting to get bragging rights and say “Been there, done that, got the fuckin’ T-shirt”. Well, excuse me. While we’re busy bragging to the world how big our balls are, the world is laughing behind our backs at this foolishness and wondering how much money were we conned of for this space tour. Yes, it is a space tour, since we went there just for kicks and paid good money for it. Sorta like taking a holiday to the Caribbeans or Maldives. Money which would like have been better spent on actually developing the country instead of being pissed away like this.

Wake up Malaysia. There are only so many mistakes we can afford as a developing country. While we’re busy shooting people off to space, our national unity is being shot to hell. Crime and corruption are spiraling out of control, and the transparency of the current administration is as crystal clear as a brick wall. Let’s have some common sense here and not be carried away with such inane things in future. We need FOCUS on the more IMPORTANT things. Let us be proud of our very own Malaysian Astronaut when we ourselves have the technology and knowledge to blast our own country men to the great beyond, and not before.