Unbelievable as it may seem, Malaysia was once upon a time under the British colonial rule. Yes, we were part of that great British empire. When we gained our independence in 1957, we inherited the structure of society the British had earlier laid down, like the judicial and political system, the monarchy, the road systems and railways.
Now, what is interesting is, the British monarchy is permanent. The premiership, i.e., the Prime Minister and the ruling party, isn't. It changes every five years or more, if the Prime Minister and his party is re-elected for a second term.
In Malaysia, however, the monarchy changes every five years, while the premiership and his ruling party is permanent. So, while England has "monuments" for the Queen, we have "monuments" for our Prime Ministers. For example, the former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mahathir has the Petronas Twin Towers and the KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) as his "monuments".
Not to be left behind, it was announced yesterday in the news that in three months' time, Malaysians are going to have i-Dola and Jean-i. They are laptops and desktops named after the Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and his wife. (Read more from The Star.)
Hmm......why didn't the British think of a laptop, i-Beth, named after Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II? I guess they're more obsessed with "blimey" than "England Boleh", huh??!!
