Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Syerleena's journey: From kickboxing and water sports coach to reformist MP By Fion Yap
Thursday, March 09, 2023
Malaysiakini : INTERVIEW | Under the blue skies on
the coast of Penang Island, a young university graduate took an unusual
path, teaching water sports enthusiasts windsurfing and wakeboarding.
The
visual communication graduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) then
went on to work as a kickboxing coach and fitness instructor, while
also being active in the independent music scene. She even performed in
the UK at 27 when she was in a band with her brother Riz.
More than a decade later, this outgoing woman, Syerleena Abdul Rashid, is the newly elected Bukit Bendera MP. Syerleena joined DAP in 2013 and quickly became a rising star of the party. She was appointed a local councillor after joining the party, before
running in the 2018 general election and winning the state seat of Seri
Delima.
Last year, the 43-year-old achieved even greater success -
she was given a chance to contest a parliamentary seat and won with a
huge majority of 42,610 votes.
Born into Reformasi household
In a recent interview with Malaysiakini, Syerleena shared her experiences of transitioning from sports, music and arts to full-time politics.
