BBQ at Burswood Park

PERTH, Mon: The other day, I wrote about the Bersih protest at Forrest Place in downtown Perth and stated my observation of there being no Malays involved. Some of you weren't happy about that but I will continue to make that kind of observations, if you don't mind. I am of the opinion that things Malaysian should be representative of Malaysia. If the "1Malaysia BBQ" at Burswood, a popular lakeside park just outside the city of Perth, was attended by just Melayus or mostly Malays and a handful of Cainis and Indians, I would be disappointed. And I will blame the organizers for failing to make a so-called Malaysian event really Malaysian. And I would feel sorry for the Prime Minister because it would mean that Malaysians of all races were not receptive to his 1Malaysia concept.

But Burswood was a high point for both visiting Malaysians and their countrymen in Perth. unlike the Bersih stage work in Friday, the barbecue yesterday was a colorful event. There were some Mat Sallehs around, including one in songkok! Even the Bersih protesters who came for the event were taking pictures of and with the PM and wife, even though they seemed to preferr to "camp" a little away from the rest of us. We did not mind as long as they were happy they had their own "corner", and that they respected the fact that the majority - easily 350-450 people, according to a Mat Sallehs who was there - wanted to have a good and easy afternoon with their PM and his wife.

The kids played soccer and cricket, the adults chatted and ate and watched the children play soccer and cricket. There are aout 20,000 Malaysians in West Australia, mostly in Perth, according to our Consulate. Aout half are Malays. I had the pleasure of meeting a Melayu taxi driver, Melayu IT specialist and a young, pretty Melayu medical doctor at the park yesterday. And their spouses.

I also met Chen, who used to like my blog because I was anti-government but who read me less now because I am pro-government. I tried to explain to him the difference between the government(s) under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak but stopped myself. If you don't know me by now ... the song played in my mind and I reminded myself that Chen was there for the PM, too. Junior was interested in my skull ring and Mrs Chen was taking our picture. I think we may have agreed to disagree ..

We also met Mimi from Penang, who has been here 26 years and still "i am a proud Malaysian, OK". Natasha from Ipoh, who looked like a Mat Salleh model, and her dashing husband who was in yellow and declaring "I am not pro Bersih, I am pro Giordano".

And then there was Mr Glenn D'Silva with wife and two children who had a brief exchange with Najib just before the PM went into his car to the airport. They were about 10 meters apart so they were not actually whispering.

Mr d'Silva: Keep up the good work, PM.

Najib: (turns around to locate the voice) Huh?

Mr d'Silva: (louder) Keep up the good work, Mr Prime Minister!

Najib: I will, thank you.

I have to say I am proud of Malaysians in Perth, whether or not the Malaysians at Burswood are microcosm of 1Malaysia, as the PM put it in his address. If I am forced to leave my country, I think I will migrate to Perth. Can't afford to be Pak Lah's neighbor, though, and not that I wish to be.

P.s. I will post pics from my Panasonic GF2 later but I took some with my Samsung Galaxy S2 and they are on my Facebook

- rocky's bru