Yep, 2016 is drawing to a close. And like some others who want to better themselves in the new year, I have some pointers for myself too. So, here goes ….

MY 10 New Year Resolutions (that will probably be not kept):

No 1: I will not be addicted to my mobile phone anymore

I have a confession to make – I am addicted to my mobile phone. It’s bad enough that I am a news junkie. I am also a phone junkie. I can’t live without this gadget. My wife has always complained that I “play” with my phone all hours of the day.

But I tell her that I am working, not playing. After all, I need to be on the alert. I am ‘on’ 24/7 – the ultimate newsman. I am a news cop – breathing, eating and dreaming news. Cops sleep with their gun under their pillow but I sleep with my Samsung phone right next to me.

Don’t play, play. News is no longer just in the print format but also online, on Twitter and Facebook, in video, on Star TV and radio channels. It’s news, news and more news.

But the wife has thrown in a dampener: Wake up lah, don’t be so drama! You are no longer the group chief editor. Stop bluffing yourself lah. But hey, I am still a journalist. And will always be one.

I am still working in a news media group and I must be on top of things.

Information from all channels comes in fast! A plane hijack, a sinkhole, a murder, an arrest – I love and live for the adrenaline rush!

I can’t just take my eyes off the phone, I will go crazy! If my phone is not with me, it will affect my mental health, which could be worse.

No 2: I won’t spend so much time on Facebook

Oh, I am seriously working on this one. I have no reason to post pictures of what I eat. It’s akin to self-promotion! Speaking of people who are addicted to FB, I cannot understand why some of my FB friends comment (while I totally appreciate it – come on, of course I love immediate responses!) at 1am or 3am! Don’t they sleep? Or do they also sleep with their phones or tablets next to them?

I have decided that in 2017, I will cut down posting pictures of how I spend time bonding with my three girls – erm, my three furry girls, I mean. I have two breathtakingly beautiful Siberian Huskies – Bella and Missy – and an equally gorgeous and intelligent poodle, Paris.

Strangely, these girls seem to get the most “likes” and comments every time I post something about them. It means only one thing: my FB friends are more interested in the lives of my dogs! Obviously not mine!

Why are pictures of my lazy dogs – sometimes sleeping and often in less-than-polite positions (to use a popular Malaysian term, kaki terkangkang) gaining such popularity?

Duh, no more! No more pictures of my pets. My dogs are becoming the BFFs of my BFFs on FB? Hello!

Ok, in 2017, there will be fewer FB postings, less time spent on FB.

There are good reasons too. I am following some friends because I like to see them and their families doing well. FB is a modern way of bonding with friends but hey, some of them are getting into uploading the products they are selling, their work, office mantra and propaganda, and pictures of their colleagues ….

Please, I need advice. Should I unfriend these friends and incur their wrath in the process? I know I could be sending the wrong signal which could cause an unnecessary loss of friendship. As I said, this is the trend now, with social media and all. Where friends are unfriended. I could lose a decades-old friendship because I unfriended them on FB. I can’t do it lah.

No 3: I will spend less time on Twitter

Over the years, despite almost a year of “slumber” on Twitter, I have build a decent number of followers. But my adult daughter says I am “old school”. Why am I wasting time on Twitter, she asks? Only old people who want to look and sound like they are competent in social media use Twitter, she scoffs. To put it bluntly – Twitter is in financial dire straits and its top guys are quitting the company.

It’s a good time to give up this silly bird-sounding thing. I don’t need to be fed this platform. I get unsolicited replies, sometimes from ungrateful followers, which shortens my life by a few seconds. I don’t need it at this age.

Sometimes, I get rebukes from people who don’t even follow my tweets but they hear about my purported offensive tweet from a friend, who heard from another friend. We don’t check, we are Malaysians, you know. We just forward any message and we believe in fake news.

Then again, the biggest user of Twitter is president-elect Donald Trump. He could well be the first US president to issue a decree, policy and decision via Twitter – even before he discusses anything with his Cabinet!

Maybe he does discuss things with his wife, daughter and son-in-law over dinner first and then he tweets.But of course, we’d rather have Trump and his fingers tweeting on his phone than on a nuclear bomb button. Or than his hands on someone else, other than his wife …

For now, I will keep my Twitter account but perhaps spend less time on it next year. I am not sure. Just like Trump or Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte, I could change my mind. Whatever my decision, I will tweet about it. And change my mind in a subsequent posting.

No 4: Give up on Instagram

Why would I care what Paris Hilton eats for breakfast? And why would I want to know what the less-than-clear-headed Kanye West is mumbling about today? Then again, I confess – I follow them!

But I have a good reason to do so – as a journalist, I need to know why millions of people around the globe are also following them. True, we should be worried about Aleppo, global warming and its effects on polar bears, the mad radicals blowing themselves up and our shrinking ringgit but instead we are keen to read about Kanye’s declaration that he is running to be the next US president over Instagram. Next president of the Mental Health Institute, perhaps?

I have been told that I need to follow our local celebrities, to be one of their millions of followers. Hello, brother, you must follow them because they are huge, people say.

They will be helpful to you and your work, they say. Ok, so now I have added more names to the list of people I follow.

I read about what one fashion icon is doing with his moustache and why he is always in suits. Another is always in pink and selling her products. Yet another is selling expensive tudung. How do these guys get their millions of followers and in Malaysia alone? It’s an educational trip for me! But l love Lisa Surihani the best. Intelligent and witty.

And of course, Harith Iskandar, do keep uploading pictures – err, of your family.

No 5: Enough of video on demand

I love movies but I can’t seem to find time to go to the cinemas. Catching up on movies on the plane has been one way for me but airlines usually have a selection of old movies – too many movies made long ago. In one film, Bruce Willis still had hair when we all know he is now completely bald. Home Alone and all its sequels – please lah. That boy has gone from being a cutie to another Hollywood mental case.

So now, I am into video on demand. OTT is the buzz word. Over The Top – any content stream on to your gadgets via the Internet. TV is out. OUT in capital letters! The number of people watching video on their mobiles is crazy! Surely you have experienced being ignored by a salesgirl glued to her phone watching some Thai or Korean drama at the Platinum Mall or Chatuchak market in Bangkok. Well, it is happening in Malaysia!

I am not a big fan of the plastic surgery-enhanced characters of Korean dramas. They seem to look and sound the same. But you know, millions of Malaysians love them. But I love Thai horror movies. And here’s an advertising pitch: sign up at dimsum.my, the Star Media Group-owned video on demand service. Download the movies on your tablet and watch them on board.

Maybe I will give up on other service providers peddling old Hollywood movies and have my eyes glued to the drama that is broadcast simultaneously the same day.

No 6: Give up on WhatsApp chat groups

Frankly, I am in so many WhatsApp chat groups that I have lost count. I am confused. And there are many confused friends in the same position. A few male friends accidentally posted obscene pictures in an alumni chat group – which naturally included many women – when they meant to post the pictures in another group chat consisting of all-male whiskey- drinking members. Needless to say, the male administrator of the alumni chat group was forced to kick out these people. How can these hum-sap (“amorous” in Cantonese) guys be kept in our group, the women asked.

Then there is my neighbourhood WhatsApp chat group which was set up to discuss issues concerning uncollected rubbish, water cuts, crime updates, selfish neighbours, runaway maids or maids getting pregnant and the like. But the discussions have turned political – red, yellow or orange. It’s not even a discussion, it’s plain propaganda that’s forwarded without thinking and they assume everyone shares their political allegiance.

With the general election said to be held in 2017, I can imagine how these chat groups will sound – in true Malaysian style. Prayer groups will pray for certain politicians, drinking chat groups will have bottoms up emoticons for certain politicians, alumni chat groups will post pictures of themselves with their favourite self-serving politicians – instead of with their families. It’s the silly season of the general election. Brace for it.

No 7: Give up on Waze

Are we becoming dependent on Waze? It’s hard to focus on our device while we drive – no matter where you place it. But I am hooked on it.

I listen to the voice of AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes telling me where to walk when I am overseas. He’s an idol but it’s frightening. He is everywhere I go. Turn left at 100m, turn right. Next, he tells me everyone can walk with him – with extra charges billed! He tells me where to stop at a pub for a drink and where to get the best food. You know, the AirAsia model.

But I have chosen his voice for personal safety reasons – imagine having a female celebrity’s voice. Wives get jealous for the craziest reasons, you know. I guess the voice of a big aviation boss can’t hurt. It’s an amazing device but we are all addicted.

No 8: Stop sending text messages to someone sitting next to me in the office or at home

I don’t know why but I am so guilty of this!! Not in an addictive way. But it’s crazy. Why do we send a text instead of speaking to a colleague or family member sitting with us in the office or at home?

This MUST stop. It must. Errr. I didn’t see your message. You told me meh? I didn’t see your text. Next time, please text lah. Sheesh, we just can’t win.

No 9: No more social media acronym

I will be 56 years old next year. Some of my friends are dead or dying, many are losing their memory or pretending to be cool when we are not.

It’s hard to keep up with the social media fad. We burn data when we are supposed to be semi-retired or have retired. No one is paying our phone bills.

LOL, LMAO and LMFAO are already so yesterday. There’s really no point in learning more acronym and getting ourselves confused.

#WCW isn’t WongChunWai but Woman Crush Wednesday and #TBT isn’t the latest word connected to lesbian, gay or transgender. It simply means throw back Thursday or an old picture posted on Thursday. Enough is enough. There’s only so much an old, used up brain can absorb.

No 10: The last word on social media

It’s not going to happen. I can’t think of another resolution to end this article no matter how hard I try. I know I won’t be able to keep or intend to keep the previous nine resolutions. So, here are my parting words for now. STAY CONNECTED, no matter where we are!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, stay safe and healthy in 2017!

HERE are 10 myths of Christmas, which I think are appropriate for the festive season, and to have a better understanding of the festival.

Myth No 1: Jesus Christ was born on Dec 25.

Dec 25 is not his birth date. I am sorry if you have been listening to Boney M’s Mary’s Boy Child all your life. No one really knows when Jesus was born. There’s no mention of his birth date in the Bible, either. So there’s plenty of guesswork and interpretation. Some say Christmas was made a festival in the grim winter months and before long, it became a Christian festival. The date was chosen by the Roman Catholic Church.

Of course, retailers the world over hijacked the festival -– well, it is the year-end and since bonuses are usually given out to employees during this period, it’s a good time to persuade people to spend.

Restaurants also cleverly jack up the price of meals and include the “traditional” turkey as part of the courses even though having this big bird for Christmas has never been a part of Malaysian culture. Come on, admit it, the meat is just too tough for us Malaysians. It’s just good for Malaysian-style porridge to be served on Boxing Day. Now, that’s something to look forward to!

Myth No 2: The Christmas tree is a religious item.

It is not a compulsory or must-have item in Christian homes. No religious hardliner should get too excited about this. In Malaysia, we are very realistic – our plastic Christmas trees are from China. They are just as gorgeous. The Chinese probably ship them around the world. I am also very sure Father Christmas is now residing in China, busy answering letters requesting gifts.

The Christmas tree is reportedly a mid-18th century idea, and it was the Germans who took the idea to the United States. In the 1900s, then US president Teddy Roosevelt was reportedly peeved at the fad of cutting down trees for Christmas. I mean, what were these Germans thinking?

Myth No 3: “Xmas” is wrong.

Christmas isn’t X rated. It’s a wholesome family festival. Some Christians are upset with the abbreviation “Xmas”. But there’s some basis to this Xmas explanation, with some claiming that in the Greek language, the word “Christ” is written with a letter similar to X. Research on the Net says the first letter “X” or “chi”, is written as “X” in the Roman alphabet. Well, all this is Greek to me.

The only time I come across “chi” is when it is mentioned in tai chi or kung fu in the movies. I know it has to do with some power. Christ is powerful for sure. I don’t want to get into this but I know some sub-editors says “Xmas” is shorter and is easier to fit into headlines in a tabloid newspaper.

Myth No 4: Santa Claus is real.

As far as I can recall, Santa Claus is fat and bearded. I don’t know why. I also don’t understand why Santarina – the female version – must be hot, sexy and slim … Santa Claus is based on a fourth-century bishop known as St Nicholas who was said to have delivered secret gifts to the needy. In Malaysia, the term “Santa Claus” is used even during the non-Christmas season to mean one should not be expected to be too generous. Thus the expression “Eh, you think I am your Santa Claus, ah?” No, the beard of St Nicholas is not made of cotton. It’s probably real since he was of Nordic (or Turkish) origin.

Myth No 5: Rudolph is real.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer isn’t real. No animal pulled a fat man, dressed in a ridiculous red suit, around, as that would clearly be a violation of animal rights. Rudolph is said to have made his appearance only in 1939 in a booklet written by Robert May. According to the story, Rudolph was a neglected reindeer who caught Santa’s attention because of its glowing nose. I am sorry to tell you this but Mickey Mouse is older than Rudolph (!) as the super mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney.

Myth No 6: The red Christmas stockings have special powers.

Christmas stockings, no matter how big or small, are purely decorative. We Malaysians prefer our presents in boxes. Also, often even well decorated boxes are empty and are only good enough as decorations under Christmas trees. Don’t be easily fooled.

The story is this – the tradition of red socks started when Father Nicholas left a piece of gold in the stockings of a poor farmer which had been left hanging to dry near the fire place. The farmer wanted to marry off his three daughters, and it was a tradition and a requirement then to give away valuables to the bridegrooms. On hearing the plight of the farmer, St Nicholas slipped into their home at night and placed the gold in the stockings.

Again, please be reminded that one should not place such red stockings outside the gate … please be aware of the kind of attention and interpretation you would get, especially if you are a female.

Myth No 7: Candy canes are a must.

Candy canes are not compulsory items in Malaysia. We all know that Malaysia has one of the highest numbers of diabetic patients in the world. And take note – there are no sugar-free candy canes yet. These candies are supposed to represent the purity and sinless nature of Jesus Christ, according to a website, with the red stripes symbolising the blood shed by Jesus and the shape of candy canes resembling the shepherd’s staff. It is said that when the stick is turned upside down, it denotes the letter “J” in Jesus Christ. The candy canes have been reportedly in existence since the 17th century and its significance is surely one of the more meaningful ones.

Myth No 8: During the Christmas season, Christians consume turkey meat, visit the homes of relatives and friends and go to church.

Well, yes and no. It is a busy, busy time for footballers and an equally intense time for football fans as we cancel all evening functions to ensure that we watch matches “live” on TV if our favourite team pulls through in the three crazy days of English football. The champion is always decided upon during this mad period. Will it be Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City?

Myth No 9: Boxing Day is for boxing matches.

Christians do not go to boxing matches on Boxing Day, the second day of Christmas, Dec 26. The only boxing we may see, if any at all, will be on the football field when English teams play their games, a day after their one-day Christmas break.

It is called Boxing Day because in the 1830s, presents, which were delivered in boxes, were regarded as a gratuity for good service rendered on the first weekday after Christmas. There is nothing special about Boxing Day in Malaysia. In Europe, shops have Boxing Day sales but in Malaysia, we have sales throughout the year.

Myth No 10: Malaysians have a deep suspicion of each other’s religion and have become increasingly religiously intolerant over the years.

NOT true! We all love each other and respect each other’s religion. We will happily support calls for more long weekends and public holidays to celebrate each community’s religious festivals. Yes, cuti lah! I sokong!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all Malaysians! Treasure the time you spend with your family, friends and loved ones. Travel safe and have a good time!

THE move by the Perlis state legislative assembly in allowing one parent to convert a child to Islam is totally at odds with what the Federal Government is finally doing.

It has disrupted the legal process of the Federal Government, and like it or not, this tiny state has set off a dangerous precedent.

Malaysians have argued, debated and decided on this contentious issue – and now Perlis has sent this controversy back to square one.

The issue of unilateral conversion became controversial in recent years after several cases like that of M. Indira Gandhi and S. Deepa, two women who faced lengthy court battles to gain custody and reverse the conversion of their children, carried out by their Muslim convert former husbands.

Understandably, Islam is a state matter but state legislation should be consistent with federal laws and the amended enactment by Perlis clearly contravenes the aims and spirit of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Bill 2016 which is intended to secure the constitutional rights of non-Muslims.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had noted that the Federal Constitution ruled supreme above all state laws, even in cases of unilateral conversion of a child.

“Once the amendment (to the Law Reform Act) is passed, it becomes federal law and it should be noted that Article 75 of the Federal Constitution provides that when any state law is inconsistent with a federal law, the federal law shall prevail over the state law,” she said in a statement.

You don’t have to be a lawyer or legal expert to understand that Section 88A of this Federal Bill specifically states that “conversion to Islam can only be done with the approval of both parents”.

Azalina tabled the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Bill 2016 for first reading at the Dewan Rakyat last month, the highlight being the inclusion of a new section (Section 88A) that explicitly states that “both parties in a civil marriage” must agree to the conversion of a minor to Islam.

Specifically addressing the “Religion of a Child” in civil marriages where one spouse has converted to Islam, the amendment also said that the child will remain in the religion of the parents at the time of marriage until the child is 18 years old, when he may choose his own religion.

“Where a party to a marriage has converted to Islam, the religion of any child of the marriage shall remain as the religion of the parties to the marriage prior to the conversion, except where both parties to the marriage agree to a conversion of the child to Islam, subject always to the wishes of the child where he or she has attained the age of eighteen years,” the section reads.

The proposed amendment also states that if the parties to the marriage professed different religions prior to one spouse converting to Islam, “a child of the marriage shall be at liberty to remain in the religion of either one of the prior religions of the parties before the conversion to Islam.”

I hope the state assemblymen in Perlis, regardless of their faith, have taken time to ponder on what they have decided on. It is easy to just say sokong (support) in unison. But have they considered the consequences?

Is it too difficult to allow children, where one parent has converted to Islam, to hold on to their original faith until they can decide for themselves at age 18?

Reverse the situation – if a Muslim parent residing in a non-Muslim country decides to embrace Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, and then converts the child to another faith – what will the reaction be? Frankly, I do not think this should be admissible either.

The same rule should be adopted and taken from a compassionate and humanitarian stand. Worse, we should never allow religion to be used in the fight over child custody when a marriage breaks down. It’s simple, common sense. Let’s do what is humane and right.

In a nutshell: unilateral conversion should not be allowed for whatever religion, be it Islam, Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism.

Should a parent convert to a religion which is different from that at the time of marriage, especially during the dissolution of marriage, the children should remain in the original faith until they turn 18.

Forcing the children to embrace any religion when one party decides to convert may show a lack of confidence in oneself in practising one’s faith or worse still, show a lack of faith in the attractiveness, beauty and truth in his or her religion.

It is more rational for parents to show their children the beauty of their faith, new or otherwise, and allow them to decide once they become adults.

There is nothing to stop a Hindu father or mother, who has become a Muslim, from bringing his or her child to study Islam or visit the mosque to share the beauty of Islam.

When the time comes, let the child decide for himself. The question is – what’s the hurry?

This is a country which is predominantly Muslim. Certainly, the presence of Islam is increasingly dominant and the religious authorities should not worry about numbers.

These wise men of Islam, in fact, should be aware that there are selfish men and women out there who use religion for their own motives when a marriage goes sour.

Why are we denying justice to the non-converting spouse?

The same principle applies to those of other faiths too, and we acknowledge that all religions believe in justice and compassion.

We should also remind ourselves that the Federal Constitution is a major piece of legislation aimed at balancing the needs of all races and religions that make up this multi-racial country.

If a single parent is to be allowed to convert a child it would only have the effect of ignoring constitutional provisions.

Take a breather, listen to our hearts of heart, do what is fair, just and right – not what is politically right or politically beneficial.

THE trouble with Malaysians is this – many of us often see issues from a religious and racial prism.

So if Rohingyas are getting slaughtered, raped and forced to flee from their homes, it is a Muslim problem.

The only ones who should be getting hysterical are their fellow Muslims and if radical Buddhist monks are said to be involved in the mayhem, then it is plain social media propaganda – these are the exact words that some Buddhists have used to tell me off.

Many of us cannot handle facts well especially if they involve issues relating to our race, religion and community.

Some vocal non-Muslim groups and personalities, who are often quick at issuing press statements over the flimsiest of issues, seem to be indifferent towards the Rohingya issue. And it doesn’t help that certain Muslim groups are busy holding protests because the Rohingyas are Muslims.

The reality is that this is essentially a human rights-humanitarian concern. We are talking about people being persecuted – not just Muslims being oppressed.

And those who have been hero worshipping Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, are now just as silent as the de facto leader and Myanmar foreign minister.

We have finally come to realise that she is just as another selfish politician, who is more concerned about being popular with the majority than the principled statesman we expected her to be.

She is not standing up for the oppressed Muslim minority and has refused to even address the genocide taking place in the northern Rakhine state in Myanmar.

She no longer deserves her international hero status. To put it bluntly, she’s quite a disgrace. This is because her silence only means she is condoning the genocide in Myanmar. The Nobel Peace Prize award should be taken away from her.

The Queen Mary University, in a statement recently, rightly said “her claim that ‘we have not tried to hide anything on Rakhine’ is utterly disingenuous. Her statements can only be interpreted as denial – a familiar and integral strategy deployed by criminal states to deflect blame.”

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed in multiple villages amid an ongoing crackdown by the Myanmar military following violence last month, according to the Human Rights Watch.

The authorities have reportedly claimed that the fires were set by local militant groups and have disputed HRW’s account.

The Rakhine state is home to 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims, a stateless ethnic minority that has faced discrimination and persecution for years.

The Myanmar government’s official position has always been to not recognise them as “Rohingya” but illegal Bengali migrants.

International observers have reportedly documented the systematic disenfranchisement and discrimination Rohingyas faced including government restrictions on marriage, family planning, employment, education and freedom of movement.

There are serious implications here. While Asean has often adopted a non-interference stance on domestic issues concerning member countries, this time, Myanmar has crossed the line of decency.

No member country of Asean should be allowed to violate basic human rights while we, as a fellow Asean member country, look the other way and say that it is not of our concern.

Are we supposed to turn a blind eye when mass murders, looting and rapes are taking place on a grand scale this very minute?

We are living in the 21st century and not some barbaric age, where slaughters are an accepted form of behaviour.

Thanks to modern technology involving satellites, the world is now able to track accurately what is taking place in Rakhine.

Clear images of villages being destroyed are now easily available as evidence to show the unimaginable destruction that is being systematically and mercilessly carried out.

We should seriously call for an emergency meeting of Asean to discuss this matter beyond the protests. That is simply because Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos may soon have to face a fresh round of refugees.

Refugees are unpopular, let’s face it, in any country but we do not turn refugees away or send them back to the seas.

Myanmar may have carried out some degree of democracy but it must learn that human rights is very much a part of democracy. To respect human values is an integral part of a democratic country.

Myanmar has outraged the world and not just Asean – and we urgently need to engage with the superpowers that deal with the military junta, making it clear that they must stop what they are doing.

International pressure must continue and this has to come from countries like Thailand and China which Myanmar depends on.

Malaysia, together with other Asean members, must also state categorically that Myanmar leaders are not welcome here for the time being.

Suu Kyi, for example, had to call off a trip to Indonesia after protests there over her country’s renewed crackdown on its Rohingya minority.

Let’s stand up for the Rohingyas – not because they are Muslims but because they are people with families running away from state sponsored murderers, presumably acting in the name of race and religion.

It is sheer madness that such brutality in violation of human rights is happening now. It must not be allowed to continue.