The Tower of Babel.
Sunday, 17 October 2010
The story about man's vanity to build tall towers is well known in the Bible. It is also told in the Quran. Quite aside from the issue of man's technical ingenuity and quest to break frontiers, is another story.
It is one about the symbolism in building such towers.
Before the tower was built, according to biblical records, mankind shared one language. I suppose, it's something like 1 Malaysia that we are now having. It was 1 this and 1 that.
In the bible the mythical tower was the tower of Babel. It symbolises man's arrogance in challenging the power of god. It wasn't just a tower to unite the efforts of mankind, or about making the tower as the focal point of cities. It was also a symbolism of a structure to subjugate the minds of mankind under the rule of one.
We know where it ended. It ended in breaking up of the one language. Its breakup was intended so that mankind could not come together in conspiracy. From here we learn, there is much merit in maintaining diversity as there are much disadvantages in uniformity.
One tower can also be a symbol of dictatorial powers and arrogance.
In Islam, Muslims are also well aware of stores about building towers. The Pharaoh ordered Haman to build up a tower to the skies. So that he can confront the God of Moses. It was his arrogance to build the tower so that he can prove Moses to be a liar.
It's also a symbolism of big government. That our bounties are determined and cared for by the overseeing and paternalistic government. That we derive the good life here as a result of the rule of one man.
But we must also be mindful of the ending.
When God saw that they acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly, since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the former sinners [in the Flood]; but he caused a tumult among them, by producing in them diverse languages, and causing that, through the multitude of those languages, they should not be able to understand one another.
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34 comments:
Dato' Sak,
Even dunces can deduce that the construction of the tower is to leave behind a legacy and above all to make a cut from the 5 billion ringgit it is projected to cost. As is usually the case the price will balloon to any amount that you dare to imagine. Do we need it? Definitely NO! We have more pressing things to do with the money but since the power that be wants the tower, so we have to have the tower.
Dato',
You are just great la. When will UMNO leaders realize and come back to reality of what is happening around the country.
So sorry if UMNO ended up losing in the next PRU and Najib must be taken to task for all the failures as he toppled the sleeping PM as though he has the answer to the nation especially UMNO's problems.
The clock is ticking and the retired elitist civil servant that he gathered at his Sri Perdana will not help him. Aseh! oh...he believe in this guy! Macam la pekerja bawahan ni tak tahu perangai buruk pegawai tinggi kerajaan tu yang ... just donno how your PM prefer to talk to those kaki bodek.
Alahai...warisan Merdeka!
If we are to study the situations those countries faced after building tallest towers, all soon after completion faced problems. Latest being Dubai. Malaysia twin Towers was followed by recession.
So I believe completion of this building, may see one major disaster befalling us. Maybe... bankcrupcy when she can't pay her debts like Phillipines years earlier. It is inevitable.
The spending is so huge and the civil service now taking 75% of the allocation for development will balloon to near 100% since lots and lots of "unemployable" graduates must be employed somehow.
By then also quite consistent. With the rise of China to be the world's biggest economy and the lack of good business/employment opportunities, Malaysian Chinese and business community may have been diluted to near zero.
The productive sector will move naturally with or without NEP as the situation worsens. USA outsourced their factories to China and today she is in deep trouble.
We should see what we would be like Acheh today with Sharia laws etc but little economy. Today we export top talents and by then we export maids plus new top talents (remaining ones).
The one and only chance for the Malay race to rule a developed country (like the Chinese in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and parts of China) is gone forever.
The local Chinese, with knowledge of Mandarin, would join and work in developed countries earning developed status money. This is akin to the comparision of Malaysia and Indonesia.
So who cares for the "Tower of Babel" of Malaysia. The sign and fate is glaring at us. There is little a weak PM can do today.
Looks like everyone grabbing whatever they can. Who cares for tomorrow.
Let's do what we are doing everyday... talk nonsense and do nothing. Enjoy the spending of our EPF money and when time comes, hope those ringgit we take out can buy us a loaf of bread as happened in Zimbabwe.
It is really disheartening to read of guys who still regretted having given citizenships to 1 million Chinese and Indians without realising that without that happening many would have left this country. Guess these guys still think Malaysia would have progressed so fast in the 50s and 60s. They forgot Malaysia would have been like Sumatra today.
When you become rich, you forgot who contributed to it. Even a mention of major contribution gets retribution from Ibrahim Alis kind of fellas.
Sad...
But why built that within KL, when is its jammed packed. Why not built it elsewhere and creATE A direct link to KL. That will create spin off effect in the nearby areas
Najib and UMNO has completely lost touch with the pulse of the people. He lives in a dreamland oblivious to the plight of the 'kais pagi makan pagi' folks.
One private practitioner told me the other day that a Malay patient paid for her treatment/medication in coins!
He said he was also touched by some who paid in one-ringgit notes and even ask for a discount.
It's surprising, while undergoing such hardships, they are still holding onto UMNO for that elusive "better life".
In what way can that 100-storey phallic symbol benefit these folks whose children (even graduates) are unable to find jobs outside the civil service.
UMNO has ignored education as the cornerstone of a nation's progress.
Here's a google map of the proposed site:
http://is.gd/g51yc
It has been announced that both Stadium Negara (red box) and the Merdeka Stadium will remain.
All the other 'empty' spaces in the map are filled - car parks, old buildings, Victoria Institution, Syed AlBurkhary mosque, Polis depot, Methodist Boys School, Basketball Association office, small hotel, hostels. It's actually a very compact place.
If the two stadiums are not removed, then there is not much space to build a RM5 Billion complex with a 100-storey tower, taking the Maybank HQ as a miniature model of just office on hill, unless what we are really having is a land play.
If most of that money goes into the tower, then it must be broad to contain offices and malls for rent in order to recoup the cost, otherwise it becomes like KL Tower and what is that?
If broad, that means many tenants and therefore many customers and thus many cars.
From J Stadium and Hang Jebat, the whole place is on a hill, accessed by indifferent and very narrow roads. If the roads are broadened, there won't be much walkway. Besides, cars need to park and digging below ground will require proper soil study and a strong foundation, especially for a 100-storey tower on a hill.
In addition, one end of J Hang Jebat ends in the Petaling Street area which is a dense reticulate completely useless for heavy traffic. The other end hits J Hang Tuah which feeds the PDRM HQ on one side and the Pudu Jail on the other before reaching one of the busiest cross-junctions beyond which is Times Square and BB Plaza.
At which point we might as well ask Rose Chan what she thinks.
If nevertheless they are going ahead with it, some more money has to be allocated to spruce up the surrounding areas. Imagine seeing how decrepit the low-cost flats across the mosque looks, even the PDRM HQ, from up on the tower. Likewise the entire stretch of fifties shoplots along J Pudu. Why not go all the way? Might as well build a new Pudu Market, at present the largest in the country but given its low-income conditions would the mayor himself shop there today?
Developers will say there is a spinoff effect from building high iconic buildings. Some numbers supporting that for KLCC would be good.
Does this post sound like babbling about babel?
sigh.
Do we need it?Good leaders should leave legacy of good governance not megalomanic monuments.
Budget 2011 was a disappointment.How does 100 story tower help us to become high income nation and Eco-tourism resort in Karambunai,Sabah that only help boost the share price of the current resort which is almost bankrupt due to high gearing.Is this where the casino going to be?
Isn't this symbol thingy a favorite pastime of us Malaysians. Everyone wants a title to their name and when they don't get it by their own ability, there's always the internet when one can download an MBA or two. And then there are those who spend a fortune to get their datukship. All want to drive a Mercedes or Bemee even when they have to borrow from Ah Long to repay their installments. Like Yen Yen said, we have to do it because we can. After all, it's not Najib's or Rosmah's money but ours. We peasants can eat grass for all they care.
Sak,
Once agaain, its the taxpayer's money that is going to be f@#@$ed for good by this TDM clone!
Gosh! what is happening to our country!
The hoisting of the keris caused BN the loss of its 2/3 majority. This 5 bil tower will definitely bury BN for good.
There is a underwear sales blitz around the country!
There is going to be no increase in toll charges for the next 5 years.I am certainly going to benefit from this briliant move.I use the PLUS highway frequently , so i think with the no price hike i will be able to save rm200 monthly.I am going to pay the same toll charges right? so i can surely save right? sheeeeesh!
All the diseases (eg. corruption, Ketuanan, Mamakism, nepotism, big projects, wild wild west mentality of the institutions etc etc) of a Mamak are catching up in this country.
dato sak..
maybe we malaysians should start a campaign say no to the new tower..
Dear Sakmongkol
“Do we need it? Definitely NO! We have more pressing things to do with the money but since the power that be wants the tower, so we have to have the tower.” Pak Zawi
Such resignation! What a pity. The Malays are such patient, tolerant and forgiving people, but often with the undeserving. Any wonder why their leaders can so easily take advantage of them? To the Pak Zawis of Malaysia, do not forget that the 100-storey Tower of Babel will be built with PNB money, that is, your hard earned savings.
By the time the '1Malaysia' tower is completed the cost of the whole project would have ballooned to RM20 billion. If you are still doubtful about this prediction there are many useful precedents to guide you.
So walla has transformed himself into an urban planner.. equipped with a high tech google map of course.
Its nigh to imposible to open decrepit minds but lets have a go ;
1> The stadiums will be retained but not necessarily for its original intended purpose.Creative minds can create new icons from a heritage.
2> Envision seamless integration of people movers against the conventional and narrow mindedness of cars,cars and more cars.
3>Develop global mindset of seeing the bigger picture;river of life,KLIFD,Sg besi,Bangsar,Sentral as hubs spiderwebbed by monorail,skybridges,LRT,MRT,trams and scenic old fashion garden walkthrus.
4>Green Green..embedded Solar PVs,wind micro turbines.PLUS lush traffic free Plaza Warisan.
5>iconic Merdeka Steps as a natural interactive hotspot emphasizing 1Msia social network where physical and cyber morphs to a "one touch,one feel"ambience
No walla..ur too isolated to envision the way fwd.Most probably ur asking..where do I park my bullock cart?Well..we can accomodate if you can assure us that there's no bull shit.
Funding..thankfully the world is not run by old codgers..Global Reits,Private Equity and plain old value investors..the deal flow is over flowing ready to commit.
You see the difference..we Msia do have the ability to create "viable"land marks.Obviously,walla thinks only China can.
Sorry Sir..go sleep.
....building a "Tower of Babel" is surely the tail-end of B-end as history has shown.
After that, I only hope and pray, we MALAYSIANS will come together and work together to rebuild this country again. We can do it! Our history started as a diverse unnamed land that eventually became MALAYSIA. We can do it again..... LU CAYA SAMA LU!
When the Petronas Tower was completed Malaysia fell under the spell of an economic perdition which it has not fully recovered since. It send the country half-way to a Zimbabwean model of a failed state.
Now comes Act II. Najib, the clueless, Apco-tutored accolyte PM is going to out-Mahathir Mahathir with his RM5-billion 100-story '1Malaysia' tower and hoping to carve his name in stone. By the time the '1Malaysia' tower is completed the cost of the whole project would have ballooned uncontrollably to RM20 billion. An another economic perdition and the likely implosion of the Pax Americana world would send Bolehland towards a journey to a full Zimbabwean model, and the country that we know today as "Malaysia" would be fractured into 4 major provinces to be colonized or annexed by Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
This is just another source for corrupted UMNO and BN people to milk the country. The contract will balloon or maybe they will built a cheap japanese car for the price of a ferrari.
Anonymous of 17 October 2010 09:48 reminded me of how distant the present leadership is from the Rakyat. I have seen people counting money before proceeding to even order roti canai for breakfast!!!
With 80% of the workforce having SPM or LOWER, it is quite impossible for many to earn sufficiently to achieve financial liberty - especially in the urban areas. The silent majority must raise their voice to protest against the Babel project.
Rakyat yang didahulukan di dalam projek Menara Babil.
Hoi....
He is not the PM materials lah.
He is good enough to see the figures and how much his portion will be and read out the written text by the expensive expert pay from his loots.
The timing, quality, strategy tell all lah, the blind also can smell it is looting fantasy.
Dear Dato'Sak,
I think directer Marc Webb will be interested in producing movie Spider Man 5 here when the 100 storey tower is built.
Sir,
Of course must have MEGA projects.
Otherwise, how are the UMNOPUTRAS going to have MEGA $$$$$$.
Saya sokong.
Sokong membawa rebaj.
"Dato',
You are just great la. When will UMNO leaders realize and come back to reality of what is happening around the country."
To Anonymous....please stop dreaming or hoping. Those UMNO leaders tahu dan faham masalah dalam negara tapi apa yg perlu mereka risaukan. Harta dan wang dah bertimbun. Jika PRU13 ni menang lagi, mereka akan sambung lagi tambah harta kekayaan. Kalau kalah...so what...dah kaya. Cabut je la. Buat apa nak tunggu dalam negara jika kedudukan sudah terancam. Daripada letih cuba membuka kisah keburukan pemimpin UMNO lebih baik berzikir. Tak kan ada apa yg boleh menjatuhkan mereka kecuali mati. Insyaallah tak perlu tunggu di Padang Masyar. Dalam kubur pun dah mula menerima pembalasan. Bukan menuduh namun terlalu banyak bukti yang telah dibaca melalui berbagai blog namun nothing happen. Ceritalah apa saja, mereka tetap macam tu jugak. Hanya Allah saja yang akan membalas perbuatan mereka. Contoh yang nyata, berbagai cerita tentang KM Sarawak yang telah didedahkan tapi tak ada tindakan untuk siasatan pun.
Memang dah ramai yang letih dengan kepimpinan BN tapi nak pilih PKR, lagi haru nanti!! PAS pulak suka berdolak dalik. Dulu kata sekongkol dengan Cina tak boleh, ni dah boleh pulak. Cuma kita patut berdoa agar UMNO dapat dipulihkan dari mempunyai kepimpinan yang mementingkan keuntungan diri sendiri dan keluarga mereka. Kita sebagai bangsa Melayu ( bukan bangsa Malaysia ) kena bersama-sama perbetulkan UMNO. Bagi saya persetankan 1Malaysia. Persetankan nak jadikan kita 1 bangsa iaitu bangsa Malaysia. Kita Melayu dan sampai mati pun akan Melayu. Nak tuduh saya racist, terpulang tapi agenda bangsa lain di Malaysia ini sebenarnya lagi teruk. Kita yang ramai tidak faham apa yang ada didalam kepala mereka.So berbanggalah jadi Bangsa Melayu BUKAN bangsa Malaysia TAPI warganegara Malaysia.
Is this what we called the height of stupidity? Towering fools indeed!
jed
come on people lets not be cynical..who says the PM doesnt listen to people..he is listening to developers and contractors..number of contractors to population is 1/5..so 1 company becomes filthy rich, while 5 people do not benefit from it..
There is a theory for the continue display of penchant for phallic symbol for the ketuanan cartel; to disguise ther sense of siege mentality in a cocooned world.
For the lacks of the past archaeological remains, what better way to make up for 'lost time' by doing it now, at the expense of a dying culture?
Dato',
My son who had just sat for his PMR asked why do we need another tower. My answer: The PM needed a tower to fall from. I was surprised by his next question: Is the Petronas Twin Tower fully occupied?
It is very surprising bcos the questions come from the quietest and most shy of my brood. I am always quarelling with him bcos he spends too much time on his computer games. So when he asked, I was like: OMG, he's actually aware!!! He might be able to vote in PRU14. So maybe the Tower could really be one more NAIL.
-MAKORANG-
How they spend our EPF money will ultimately affect my retirement money .. if I can retire or must still work my butts out.
Or if the ringgit would fall like Zimbabwe you need a wheelbarrel of money to buy a loaf of bread.
What can we do except at the ballot box? By then too late lah.
having stayed in kl practically all my life, perhaps it would be useful for
the people who one is going to build the humongous project to know a bit of local geography
about Bukit Stadium and its surroundings. Walla had mentioned of the stadium area being a
former burial grounds. The chinese used hills for two major purposes- one to build a
school and the other is to use it as a burial ground. hence one finds bukit china in
melaka and the small hill opposite the sg besi airport used as burial grounds.
There may not be any obvious graveyards on bukit Stadium now but traces and supporting
building are still around and operating. if one approached Bukit Stadium from jalan
birch jalan bandar is on a one way from the jalan hishamuddin flyover there were two chinese
temples on either side of the approach road , one lying on the side of the road from Jalan
bandar[ now a one way to go to wisma mahkota ] and the other building elevated
at 50 feet or so from the ground. In those days before nv multi and other professional
funereal managers were established the chinese kept their dead in the lower building. At
least that was the story told by my sister's pal .
In terms of feel good factor , bukit stadium is a 'heavy place', spritually speaking.
It reminded me a place , like Lille in Belgium, where there was war memorial to indicate
that many allied soldiers had died on the field during the World War.
contd 2/2
2/2
The twin towers compared with the klcc suria
----------------------------------------------
as a regular in the klcc suria, i noticed that there are more people in the suria
than in the 2 towers.
The structural elements took practically all the space of the towes. it is no mean
feat to build a 100 storey building.
Probabaly a substantial footprint of the building is used by the structural elements.
Malaysia does not need a second tower. Surely sanity must overcome 'bragging rights'
it would be better for PNB to build a beautiful piece of architecture , designed by a
world class architect like I M Pei or Tange , which we can be proud of.
Look at I m Pei's design of a series of buildings in Singapore - the Gateway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gateway,_Singapore
The technology to build around 30-40 storey is entirely local. At least PNB could support
local bumi firms if the bod has a mind to do so.
The beauty and the uniqueness of the design must be brainstormed .
Parting shot
-------------
The land in bukit stadium had been available for 10 years or so. Does anyone wonder
why a chingkie led company like ytl or desmond's malton did not lobby for it?
So mat Sarji be careful of the man bearing gifts. Look for a better site if u need to build
a building complex. Show that UM can produce some thinking people. Remember your predecessor
Tun Ismail Ali was a national treasure- and he had shown what a degree fom cambridge meant
khong khek khuat
comparing singapore building to mention the bestest in comparsion to malaysia is totallay wrong to explain and compare things. Even Singapore ppl like to come over to malaysia in melaka and johor.
there must be sumthing good about malaysia. So i think i agree with datuk building a tower is sort of symbolism drive, but i don't know they must be sumthing useful that we are not aware of. why not ask PNB for explanation.
In budget, it can be sumthing that u have spent which u foresee some revenue in return. Lets ask them to guide us to understand rather than just critics without some basic foundation.
i am really scared of what will happen in malaysia and world in future.
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