the readviewer

That's a pretty provocative statement isn't it? Yes, I will not be surprised if some readers even leave insulting and nasty comments just because of the title itself. But I still stand by my conviction that communism has left its mark on this country's democracy until today without most of us knowing it. Read on....

The year was 1948. Malaya, under the rule of the British, was in a state of disarray, still trying to recover from World War II (WWII). To make things even worse, they were also battling communist insurgents who were organising guerrilla attacks. The British had declared a state of Emergency after 3 European plantation managers were murdered in Perak. They also passed the Emergency Regulations Ordinance 1948 which allowed the detention of person(s) suspected of being communist sympathizers or helping the communists for up to a period of 1 year WITHOUT trial. The British labelled this as "preventive detention", or today's corporate culture, it would be called being proactive.
In 1960, the state of Emergency was ended and by then, Malaya had already achieved its independance from her colonnial masters. However, the threat of these Communist guerrillas was far from distinguished and communist sympathizers were still many. The Malayan government decided that preventive detention was still needed and passed the Internal Security Act (ISA) under Article 149.

Today, 48 years later, the threat of communists planning guerrilla attacks and communist sympathizers have all but evaporated. The only communists left are those who relate to their ideology and yet still enjoy the perks of democracy. Heck, even China themselves cannot be called a true communist regime when they condone capitalism! But yet, the ISA still exists in the Malaysian Constitution.

Even more disturbing, this law that was intended to be used against terrorists and threats against national security has been abused time and time again to serve the interests of those in power. In 1987, the biggest abuse of the ISA was done under Ops Lalang. 106 Malaysian citizens were arrested and detained without trial under the ISA.


More recently, a little over a week ago actually, the ISA keris was again unsheathed and 3 people were detained under ISA. The famous internet-journalist / blogger / expose king Raja Petra Kamaruddin, better known as RPK in the cyberspace was detained along with Teresa Kok (MP Seputeh) and Tan Hoon Cheng, the Sin Chew Daily News reporter.

Besides the 3 names stated, others who have suffered under this draconian act are figures like Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Karpal Singh, Chandra Muzaffar, Maximus Ongkili and Jeffrey Kittingan, just to drop a few names.

The longest imprisonment under ISA was Loo Ming Liong, detailed for 16 YEARS (1972 -1988) because he was SUSPECTED to be a communist.

As far I know, none of these people have been brought to court to be tried for the charges to which they imprisoned under ISA. Some of these figures have been brought to court and charged, but the charges were either not the same, or amended. How unfair is that?


ISA was an act that was initiated because of the unrest in Malaya at that time and because of the threat of communist agendas. These agendas are gone (the Bangkok treaty is proof of that), and even Malaya is now Malaysia. Why is ISA still here? Why do we still condone it?

And that is why, the legacy of communism still lives in Malaysian democracy through the use and abuse of the ISA.

Here's a question: Have ANY of the detainees under ISA since 1960 till present day ever been successfully charged and convicted with being communists?

NOTE: This very dissatisfied readviewer is totally against ISA, regardless of who uses it and who it is used on. Anyone who is deemed to be a threat should be given their day in court and a chance to defend themselves. Until the day ISA is abolished, this readviewer readily maintains that Malaysia does not practice democracy. Rather, is only practices an illusion of what democracy should be.

PS: For those of you who would like to know more about ISA and speak up against it, there will be a forum entitled Abolish ISA tomorrow. The details are given below:


Panel of speakers include:

• Lim Guan Eng (Chief Minister of Penang, former ISA detainee)
• Teresa Kok (MP - Seputeh, former ISA detainee)
• Khalid Samad (MP - Shah Alam)
• Nurul Izzah Bt Anwar (MP - Lembah Pantai)
• Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (Lawyer / Bar Council President)
• Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Chairman, Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA aka GMI)

The wives of the current ISA detainees (Raja Petra Kamaruddin aka RPK, M. Manoharan and V. Ganabathirao) wil be present and will be given the opportunity to speak

What do most young working adults in Malaysia have in common? The fact that most don't cook at home. And it's no different with this readviewer, who only ever seems to cook when there is a party or pot-luck to attend. Otherwise, there just doesn't seem to be time. Don't you think so too?

ignorant fool AKA me: Bang, yang ni macam mana nak makan? Sedut je? (Hey man, how on earth do I eat this funky looking bone? Do I just suck it out like some drink?)

bewildered seller: Ah, ya lah. Sedut je! Nak beli? Cubalah! (Like duh! Just suck it you moron. That's what the straw is for! Say, wanna buy one to try? I mean, you've already wasted 2 minutes and 3 customers of my time)

ignorant fool AKA me: Berapa harga dia? (Well, not to be insulting or anything, how much do I gotta pay for this bone which I would usually get for free from the market?)

bewildered seller: Murah je, RM13.00... tapi kita bagi dengan daging dan soup sekali (because you wasted my time, it's RM13.00. But because you look like nice guy, I'll throw in some beef and soup as well...numbskull)

So, here's the scenario... it's night time and we're travelling along the main road when suddenly I'm told to turn left into this contruction looking area..... and stop there.

The only difference between a Hollywood movie and the scenario I was in was that nobody died or gets shot in the head. And the other difference, I'm supposed to be on the way to dinner!

Well anyway, after passing this under-construction building, yours truly suddenly sees some bright lights that dance on my car window, enthusiastically beckoning you....

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Subang's best kept secret: Ben & Nick's Diner, or more fondly known as B&N Diner

Looking at the fairy lights already makes me warm and fuzzy... eh, seriously lah... don't tell me even this photo doesn't make you feel all happy and feel like going... aaaaaahhhhhHHHH......puas.


But eh, makan also not yet... sorry... got carried away....ok ok, back to B&N...
Once I got over the very pretty lights, I go in and I'm greeted by none other than famous Jim:


The first thing that I notice is the very homely feeling that you get. The furnishing and decoration is simple, but nice. It's not wannabe, but it's not tacky either....




After that, very quickly, the next thing that hits me is... "WAH, a bit small right the place?"

Seriously, B&N has a very small seating area inside......but after you sit down and look at the table, you feel as if the decoration on the table is there specifically to answer what every other Tom, Dick and Harry is wondering about the space.....


They provide us with menus and straight away I knew that I already liked this place. Anyone with menus like this definitely gets into this readviewer's good books.... funny lines and quirky quotes definitely I like! =)


And just because it's not the most famous eatery right now, it does not mean that it hasn't caught the attention of those whose reviews warrant attention...


So, we order our food... and the first dish that comes along is the garlic bread (RM3.90).


Now, the thing that is good about the garlic bread is the fact that they toast it well. And because it is fresh, it is crispy instead of the "masuk angin" feeling. Plus the taste is yummy with enough ingredients. Presentation wise, not so nice, but hey, if the food tastes good, the presentation can close one eye lah!

Next up was the mushroom soup (RM6.90), which was really creamy and yummy. It goes really well with the garlic bread as well! They give a slice of garlic bread with the soup, but for those who really enjoy soup and bread, you might as well order a garlic basket....


The Caesar Salad (RM18.90) that we ordered was a little special because we requested for chicken meat to be used instead of beef. The vegetables are tasty, and the meat is heavily marinated with oregano herbs which gives the meat a very nice taste... for RM18.90, it's pretty pricey for a salad, but the portion is worth the money and there is enough to go round, even for our party of 6.. of course, don't bring all the food killer friends lah... then that one definitely not enough...


The first main dish to arrive was the Cajun Pasta (RM17.80) and it looked good. It also tasted as well as it looked... the chicken meat was tender without that chicken-y taste, the sauce had a unique flavour, unlike your typical pastas, the cheese plentiful, so yeah.. it was good... now look and drool...


My Combo blanket (RM18.90) was the next main dish to arrive and I was smacking my lips in anticipation when it arrived. Beef and chicken meat are grilled well wrapped in a tortilla served with a generous portion of salad... again, the generous use of oregano herbs makes this something to savour and enjoy...


Next up was the Cajun Chicken (RM13.90).... Served with mashed potatoes, coleslaw and a small bowl of sauce, it's really worth the price. I must also add that the coleslaw wasn't murdered with too much mayonnaise which was a plus..


Then the Chicken Chop (RM13.90) arrived... it looked pretty much the same as the Cajun Chicken, except that the sauce is different (mushroom sauce) with peas and the taste of the chicken isn't as nice as Cajun Chicken.


We all ate to our hearts' content and our plates were pretty clean by the time we were through.. here's proof:


After we finished eating, Sonny (the owner of the shop) comes over to find out whose birthday we were celebrating... and guess what? The birthday boy got free apple crumble AND homemade bread and butter pudding, both of which came with a scoop of ice-cream! Wah, we were SO impressed! And I must say, even though we were quite full, greediness took over. And boy was it worth being greedy that night!


We couldn't possibly move at that moment, so we took some time to talk to the owner. Sonny is actually a retiree who decided to start of shop with his 2 sons Ben and Nick. In June 2007, B&N Diner was born... no prizes for gussing what B&N stands for. Ben is actually the chef in the kitchen, while Nick drops by every now and then to help out.


It would be worth noting that B&N does cater for specific occasions and the restaurant can be booked for functions...


Due to that and the fact that B&N isn't exactly the biggest place in the world, it would be best if you made reservations before going there to avoid having to stand around with a rumbling tummy...



I don't have a map and I'm too lazy to draw one, so here the address:

ben & nick's diner (next to Carrefour Subang)
lot g10, e-tiara service apartment,
persiaran kemajuan,
47500 subang jaya.

tel: 016-2010189

Anyone of you been there? Share your experience with us!

till the next readview, this is the readviewer signing off...


PS: Sonny, if you're reading this, my apologies that this readview came out later than expected =)

So far, this readviewer has reviewed movies and also some wonderful local news that brings a new meaning to the word "gatal" (that's itchy in English). In the pipeline is also a review of a website, hopefully.... but that's another topic for another day...