At 6.15 a.m. this morning, yarl restaurant's kitchen hood is already making loud and deafening noise to disturb the entire neighbourhood much to the dismay of everyone. This is really madness particularly when the entire neighbouthood is so quiet that you can even hear a pin drop. I don't think anyone in their tight senses would shout or talk loudly at this time because even a whispering sound can be heard clearly at this hour of the morning. But yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise can be heard in the entire neighbourhood telling everyone that's it's time to leave their bedrooms. Actions speak louder than words and when yarl restaurant's boss turns on his loud and deafening kitchen hood early every morning, it is as though he is saying:
Hey, you fools, GET UP, GET UP, GET UP. I want to make big bucks today. I want to turn on my loud and deafening kitchen hood now because it cannot function properly without making loud and deafening noise so please leave your bedrooms immediately. I will only lower the volume of my kitchen hood whenever anyone comes to check on my restaurant. When no one is there to check on me, I will turn on my kitchen hood to its maximum capacity. I don't care how my kitchen hood noise is affecting you. I only want to do business and make lots of money. If you can't stand my kitchen hood noise, you can shift elsewhere. If you want to stay here, you must bear all the sufferings that my noise pollution program is causing you with fortitude. In this lawless cowboy town, I am the law and I can do what I want. Even the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) people can't do anything to me. That is why I am so daring. If these DBKL fellows ever come to check on my restaurant, I'll just show them the speaker and tell them that the speaker is the kitchen hood and they will believe me. No one can do anything to me. I am in control here because I own a restaurant. My skin is very thick and I don't know how to feel ashamed of myself. I know very well that my kitchen hood is making a lot of noise but I don't care. I am also a liar. Sometime in August 2013, I lied to Fong Kui Lun's (MP of this area) assistant that I would reduce the noise in the neighbourhood without any intention to do so. Since he came to see me to ask me to reduce the noise after complaints from the neighbours, I might as well lie to him because I know that he cannot do anything to me. I am not going to spend a single sen to solve the noise problem. Let the neighbours suffer as long as I can make money. It is really amusing to make everyone in the neighbourhood suffer for the sake of my business. The entire neighbourhood is very quiet at this hour of the day, so quiet that you can even hear a pin drop, and the only noise you can hear is my kitchen hood noise. Each morning, when I turn on my noisy kitchen hood, everyone has to flee from their bedrooms. At night, long after bedtime hour and even at midnight, I can still make loud and deafening noise so that my victims cannot sleep. How funny! Sleep deprivation is a beautiful thing! See how my victims suffer? This clearly shows how grand I am! The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has given me the authority to do so through their inaction. These DBKL fellows dare not do anything to me. I can make others suffer under my noise pollution and sleep deprivation program and they cannot do anything to me. No one can do anything to me. Can we torture others for the sake of our business? Well, Malaysia Boleh and that is why I am doing it! MONEY FOR ME, NOISE FOR YOU-this is the motto of my life. Ha! Ha! Ha!
I am writing this article even though I am feeling sleepy and tired because after being wakened up by yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise, I can't sleep anymore with the noise. This is what I fear every day of my life - to be waken up suddenly by yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise when I am still in my deep sleep and to go to work sleepy and tired due to inadequate sleep. Forcing myself to stay awake and to do work when I am extremely sleepy is like being punished in a concentration camp but this is what I have to endure every day of my life because of yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise. Due to lack of sleep, my mind often turns blank. While I am giving a talk, I suddenly find myself unable to remember what to say because I am too sleepy. Sleep deprivation is seriously affecting my health and my performance at work. Having to endure yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise is the worst thing that could happen to us in our lives. We want to sleep peacefully at night and wake up peacefully in the morning but since yarl restaurant started operation in January this year, there is no more peace in the neighbourhood. We have to sleep with yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise every night, to be waken up by yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise every morning, and endure this noise all our waking hours. And of course our health and quality of life are deteriorating because of the kitchen hood noise. But sad to say, nothing has been done by the Malaysian government to bring an end to our sufferings despite repeated complaints to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). It seems that these DBKL people is only good at doing magic shows and increasing our property taxes. Well, what can we expect from the authorities when cyanide and radiation can be good for you?
In other countries, restaurants are only allowed to make noise after 7 a.m. and before 10 p.m. at a fixed level i.e. below 60 dBA and in some countries below 55 dBA. During the weekends, they can only turn on the kitchen hood after 8 a.m. because it is understood that people do not normally get up early during the weekends as it is the only time that they can enjoy their sleep a little longer. How much is 60 dBA? The sound level of an ordinary conversation. But what about yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise which sounds more like a noisy diesel truck outside my window all the time? The question is, "Are there any laws in Malaysia to protect the rights of ordinary citizens like us?" Can a stranger simply come into a town, does what he likes and threatens the lives of the people there but yet nothing can be done to stop him? If this were to happen in a cowboy town in the distant past, then perhaps his victims would have to accept their fate. But we are now living in the 21st century in Malaysia which is supposed to be a civilized country. Should this kind of lawlessness be allowed in Malaysia? Should we still live like slaves after 56 years of independence? Why are we still living like slaves? This is because we have to live according to the whims and fancies of yarl restaurant.
After battering yarl's kitchen hood noise for one year, I have finally broken down and started writing in the hope that my voice would be heard and so that peace would be restored to us again. In actual fact, my life is worse than that of a slave's. I can't decide when to sleep and when to wake up. I can't go for late night outings, watch midnights movies, watch football matches, or attend wedding dinners because I can't afford the luxury to get up a little bit late. For instance, if I were to attend my company's annual dinner and get home at 12.00 midnight, serious consequences would await me the next day. This is because I have to wake up when yarl retsurant turns on its noisy kitchenhood very early in the morning and this would mean that I have to endure another sleepy and tired day. That was why I did not attend my company's annual dinner this year even though I knew that I had to give up my luxurious lucky draw presents. (In the past, I used to look forward to the luxurious lucky draw presents every year but this year I had no choice but to stay at home and sleep early because yarl restaurant would wake me up very early in the morning). Every employee in my company gets something from the lucky draw every year. These include TVs, printers, ovens, cooker, etc. I have no freedom. My every move is controlled by yarl restaurant. I dare not even visit friends in the hospital after work as I have to rush home to sleep. But the problem is I don't always get to sleep early even though I try to be home as early as I can. We don't know when yarl restaurant's boss would turn off his noisy kitchen hood. There have been many instances when yarl restaurant's boss turned off his noisy kitchen at midnight only to turn it on again at around 6.00 a.m. the next morning leaving us with little sleep. Thus one can see here that yarl restaurant's boss actually doesn't allow us to sleep!
I can't even stay in my bedroom because it is vibrating all the time due to yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise. If I want to stay in bedroom, I must turn on some kind of music or nature sounds to cover up yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise. My electricity bills have also gone up because of this. Who is going to pay for me? Is this what we call global peace? What is global peace from our Malaysian perspective? To have our lives filled with noise all the time? Can human sufferings caused byYarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise be regarded as global peace? How come nothing can be done to protect the most basic rights i.e. the right to a peaceful living of an ordinary citizen of Malaysia? Is this what Malaysia is promoting through the Global Peace Convention that was held in Kuala Lumpur recently (5-8 December 2013)? Maybe the time has come for our country to look into the basic rights of ordinary citizens like us and to ensure that these rights are protected. What am I asking for all these while? The right to have enough sleep and to live peacefully. Is it really that difficult to sleep peacefully at night and enjoy a peaceful life in Malaysia?
What is the theme of the Global Peace Convention 2013?
"Unity in Diversity:
Building Social Cohesion for Sustainable Peace through Universal Aspirations, Principles, and Values."
- What then is our aspiration? To destroy peace and promote noise pollution?
- What is our principle? Noise pollution is good for us? Or ignore the basic rights of Malaysians?
- What values are we promoting? Money for me, noise for you? Selfishness?
Although I wasn't really interested in what is happening to the LYNAS and GOLD FOR ME, CYANIDE For YOU victims initially, I am now beginning to understand their plight after being plunged into hell by yarl restaurant. I know what it means to have some intruders entering a cowboy town and threatening the lives of the people of that town but nothing can be done to stop them because there is no law to protect these innocent victims!
The theme of this year’s Convention is, “Unity in Diversity: Building Social Cohesion for Sustainable Peace through Universal Aspirations, Principles, and Values.” Malaysia is the right place to discuss such a theme and to craft initiatives based upon it. Malaysian society is multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural and democratic. As such, you are uniquely positioned to offer the world a successful example of unity in diversity, where all the parts, while retaining their own unique religious and cultural identity, cooperate together for the greater good of the whole society.
Is Malaysia positioned to offer the world a successful example? What example? Noise pollution, health deterioration, sleep deprivation, gross infringement of human rights, and the destruction of peaceful living? Are these intended for the greater good of the whole society? Are these the aims and aspirations of the Global Peace Foundation?
Please take note that I am not writing this article for fun. I am so busy that I have no time to die. But why am I still writing? I am a victim of noise pollution calling for help everywhere but no one can help me. I am now totally broken down and am calling for help helplessly from everyone and everywhere. Is there anyone out there who can help me? I am dying from sleep deprivation and stress brought about by yarl restaurant's kitchenhood noise. I am not a war prisoner or a criminal. Why am I subjected to this kind of torture in Malaysia which is supposed to be a civilized country? It's time we stop yarl restaurant's noise pollution program!
Here I would like to share with you Dr. Hyun Jin Moon's speech at the convention. According to him:
KEYNOTE SPEECH
DR. HYUN JIN MOON
The 5th Global Peace Convention
“Unity in Diversity: Building Social Cohesion for Sustainable Peace Through Universal Aspirations, Principles, and Values”
Opening Plenary, Global Peace Convention 2013
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . December 6, 2013
Your excellencies, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is both an honor and a great pleasure for me to welcome you from the four corners of the earth here, to Malaysia, for the Fifth Annual Global Peace Convention.On behalf of the international participants, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all those “owners,” here in Malaysia, who have worked tirelessly to make this Convention possible. In particular, I want to recognize the Department of National Unity and Integration of the Prime Minister’s Department, who are co-hosts of this Convention and whose support has been invaluable.
We are particularly grateful to Co-Chairs Honorable Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, the JPNIN Cabinet Minister, and Honorable Tan Sri Zaleha Ismail, my grandmother, and Chairwoman of GPF Malaysia. May we give them a round of applause? As well as all of our Malaysian leaders, once again, could we also give them all a round of applause?
I also want to commend the work of two of our many strategic partners here today: the University of Malaya for its support in developing the convention program; and the Character Education Partnership for their engagement with the pre-convention Summit on Character and Creativity.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the Global Peace Foundation’s Global Leadership Council, and to all the other dignitaries, partners, and supporters who are with us here today. Give them all a round of applause. May I say, thank you for your visionary leadership, and your ownership over this mission for peace. I believe it has been mentioned several times today in this plenary, but I would like to mention once again.
You know, there are few men and women in history who have such a profound affect that their legacy continues to live on even though their lives have passed. I believe that Nelson Mandela is one such figure who carried on the message of true love, even loving thy enemy, to build the bridges of peace that could heal the wounds of the experience of segregation that had separated two races in South Africa, setting a precedent of leadership rooted on principles and values and as someone who has a kindred spirit at heart who shares that humanity is truly one family under God; and that humanity needs precedents like the life that he has lived.
Once again, I would like to extend my condolences to his family, but more importantly, to make the commitment with all of us here that we shall carry on that legacy through our work by being owners of that vision of one family under God; being peace builders of in our communities, our nations, our regions, our continent and eventually the world. So once again, could we give Nelson Mandela a round of applause?
We also need to remember the tragedy that humanity has faced, especially in this region of Malaya with the tragedy in the Philippines, then even the recent floods here. So could we take a moment to give remembrance to those who have suffered, and who are no longer with us, and the families that continue to persist under those very difficulties? Could we just give a moment of silence in remembrance of them?
Thank you.
The first Global Peace Convention was held just four short years ago, in 2009, in Manila, in the Philippines. It then moved to Africa in 2010, to Nairobi, Kenya, where then-President Mwai Kibaki was the patron. That convention accomplished significant work in addressing the causes of the 2008 post-election violence, and in advancing what has now become the Character and Creativity Initiative.
2011 saw the convention held in South Korea, the land of my birth, and the launch of an important initiative to engage ordinary Korean citizens in a grassroots movement for the unification of the Korean peninsula. Last year the convention was held in Atlanta, the birthplace of the civil rights movement in America. There, a call for a new “great awakening” on a hemispheric level was made, to inspire the Americas to take on the mantle of true moral and innovative leadership on the global stage.
The theme of this year’s Convention is, “Unity in Diversity: Building Social Cohesion for Sustainable Peace through Universal Aspirations, Principles, and Values.” Malaysia is the right place to discuss such a theme and to craft initiatives based upon it. Malaysian society is multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural and democratic. As such, you are uniquely positioned to offer the world a successful example of unity in diversity, where all the parts, while retaining their own unique religious and cultural identity, cooperate together for the greater good of the whole society.
Malaysia is a country on the rise. In recent years you have experienced impressive economic growth. Malaysia is also taking on a greater leadership role both in the region, – hosting and mediating peace talks between the Philippines government and parties in Mindanao, for example, – and globally, through the Prime Minister’s launch of the Global Movement of Moderates. For Malaysia as for many emerging countries, this is a moment of historic transition. The prospects for the future are bright but there are serious challenges to be faced, most importantly from identity-based conflicts, based on ethnic and religious differences.
The threat of interreligious conflict is most serious and extends beyond individual nations. It has the chilling potential to become global in scale. With the end of the Cold War, the two competing ideological blocs fragmented, spurring the rise of identity-based conflicts first in the Balkans, and central Asia, while fueling on-going conflicts in the Middle East, South Asia, and parts of Africa. It is clear that with the rise of such sectarian conflicts, the geopolitical dynamic has been reconfigured through politicized forms of religion, operating on a regional scale, and claiming a spurious legitimacy from the great faith traditions.
As history has shown, the ferocity and ruthlessness of such interreligious conflicts is something that humanity cannot afford especially in this age where weapons of mass destruction – nuclear, chemical, and biological – have proliferated throughout the world. Unlike the Cold War era where two rational protagonists played the game of nuclear deterrence, a religious conflict or a clash of civilizations will not be constrained by reason but, fired by passion, could lead humanity to commit the greatest sins against itself, in the name of religion.
As a man of faith, I believe that these developments should sound a clarion call for all true men and women of faith to become the true peacemakers of this age. A true interfaith movement should emerge at this time, that can bring the different faith traditions to work together in harmony, not to further their own particular agendas, but upon a common platform of universal aspirations, principles and values.
As people of faith, we should recognize that what we share in common is greater than our differences. We all aspire to establish peace on earth, to recognize the value of human life, to recognize the importance of individual responsibility in living according to the laws of nature and heaven and of the individual conscience in guiding us to do so, and to realize that we are truly One Family under God.
The threat of sectarian extremism will never be resolved by political or economic means alone. A true and lasting resolution must be rooted in faith, expressed through practical spirituality. In fact, the universal principles and shared values of the world’s faith traditions provide the essential basis for rising above conflict and building social cohesion in diverse and multi-religious societies. They offer the antidote to the threat of global religious wars.
That is why cooperation among faith leaders is essential for securing peace at this critical inflection point of modern history. Such a movement of cooperation calls for a vision that can transcend the many differences and divisions that feed conflicts worldwide today. I believe that vision is the simple yet profound idea that all people, regardless of race, nationality, religion, or culture, are members of One Family under God.
Ladies and gentlemen, if we strip ourselves of our pretensions, and we stand honest and naked before God and all of humanity, we are all the same. If we strip ourselves of our national pretensions, our racial pretensions, religious pretensions, we will recognize our common humanity and our common destiny to live a life of co-prosperity and peace.
On the basis of this vision, that so powerfully expresses our fundamental human
aspirations, the great faith traditions can unite and work together. Then they will not only counter religious radicalism, but uphold fundamental human rights and freedoms through the universal principles and moral values that they share in common. From this foundation a global ethic can then be developed that will provide the moral and cultural framework of a peaceful and harmonious world. The GPF approach here is both timely and relevant. It addresses one of the most pressing contemporary threats to peace, namely the possibility of global religious conflict. Our approach is different from past interreligious initiatives which focused on dialogue and mutual understanding among different faiths.
GPF initiatives are multi-sectoral, engaging partners not just from the faith community, but political leaders, educators, business people and social entrepreneurs as well. Our projects are practical, bringing faith communities to work together to change attitudes and thus behaviors in order to solve social problems and resolve conflict.
The new and very different geopolitical dynamic of today calls for fresh thinking and new initiatives. With that in mind, I propose the establishment of a faith-based Peace Council at the United Nations to meet the global challenge of identity-based conflict. Through such a council the collective wisdom and resources of the world’s great faith traditions can be mobilized to counter the radical elements that are distorting the original spirit of those traditions.
We need to recognize the power of religious authority in amplifying the message of peace to local constituents in the most troubled hot spots of the world. They represent a largely untapped resource for peace, yet, because they are deeply rooted in their communities, are far more effective peace builders than the UN’s ‘blue helmets’ who can only contain the level of violence. When local faith leaders become true ‘owners’ of the vision of peace, they will inspire their constituents to act in ways that build lasting peace.
This process is already happening in a very real way in Nigeria where Christian and Muslim leaders are partnering with GPF to take the One Family under God message into every single local community in that nation. Their example of religious cooperation and unity is a powerful statement against the religious violence of the Boko Haram extremists. Several of those Christian pastors and Muslim imams are here with us at this Convention. Let’s recognize them with a round of applause. Please stand so we can recognize your leadership.
Drawing as it would on such local faith resources, the council should be given serious weight in peace deliberations. Its establishment would help the United Nations adapt to the current global realities. The UN is often limited in its effectiveness in addressing broader issues by the self-interest of its member states. Today religious identities are regional in scope and appeal, spreading far beyond national boundaries. That is something the existing UN is not well equipped to deal with and that a religious peace council could remedy.
The council would also provide a stronger voice for fundamental human rights and freedoms, than currently exists in the United Nations. Unlike the American Declaration of Independence, which recognized those rights and freedoms as endowed by the Creator, the United Nations at its founding, due to the circumstances of the Cold War, failed to acknowledge God or the Creator as the source of human rights. That is why the UN has been ineffective in protecting those ideals in a world where authoritarian regimes make human rights dependent on their own power. A faith-based council would strongly uphold the principle that all human beings, having the same Origin, are created equal and endowed with equal rights by our Creator, rights that no government or any other human institution can deny or infringe upon.
The international movement of cooperation among faiths that I am calling for would find a powerful public voice in the council, working within the institution of the UN. To establish the council it will be crucial for several nations, with the support of international religious leaders, to take the lead in advocating it. I hope that Malaysia will be a champion for this endeavor.
Malaysia can play a unique role here, as a Muslim nation. Malaysia can also become a global leader through demonstrating that Islam is a force for peace in the world. Through pioneering a model of social cohesion and unity with Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism – the other great faith traditions present here – this country can powerfully dispel many of the violent and negative stereotypes that color the perception of Islam in the West and other parts of the world.
I believe we stand at a moment of historic transition, not just for Malaysia, but for the world. Humanity is being challenged to take responsibility for the future and answer this fundamental question. In the words of my father, who devoted his entire life to the pursuit of peace, “Will everlasting peace ever take root? Or is humanity doomed to repeat the tragedy of the 20th century?” – a century fraught with unprecedented levels of human violence, with two World Wars, the Cold War, genocide, and numerous regional conflicts.
The time for discussion is over. The time for leadership is here. True leaders have a vision and pursue it single-mindedly. Their strength comes from moral authority, like our beloved statesman, Nelson Mandela. That moral authority is rooted in spiritual principles that are then mobilized to engage social change. True leaders are also innovative. They clear away the logjams of the past through fresh thinking, changing the framework of the debate, and establishing new precedents. These precedents replace old, corrupt habits, establishing new ethical standards, that are the basis of a new culture.
You have all gathered here because you share the hope of a peaceful world rooted in the vision of One Family under God. You share the principles and the values that bring us together in this common cause. Now is the time to take up our responsibility to give substance to our hopes, and shape to our vision.
I call upon all of you here to join me in the mission of creating the institutions and the structures that will advance the cause of peace. Let us create a global movement of faith communities, working together as a powerful social and cultural force for peace, as they are doing in Nigeria, but on a global scale. Can you do this, yes or no? [Yes!] Let us establish the faith-based Peace Council as part of the UN. Can we do this, yes or no? [Yes!]
We can be sure that the extremists are not sleeping. Let us determine that it is not they who will determine the future, but it is us that share this common vision to build one family under God, to put our mark in this very crucial moment in human history, and shape the future of humanity. If we rise to this challenge we can move beyond the threat of a global Clash of Civilizations, beyond the stage of a Dialogue among Civilizations, toward a world of peace and harmony.
I pray that you will join me today and unite for this common cause. This is a solemn moment. But I cannot leave without giving a challenge. This is a big, big challenge that I am proposing here today: Will you become owners of the dream of One Family under God and make it a living reality for future generations? If you do, please stand up.
I want to share with you a Korean word: “Aju”. My father explained that this word has tremendous meaning to it, because it means that “I will take ownership over it,” not somebody else. “Peace will start with me. I will be the peacemaker.” So could we say together, “Aju!”? [Aju!] Louder, could we say, together, “Aju!”? [Aju!]
Will you be owners of the dream of One Family under God and carry this message and the large mantle that is present before us to the world as the true peacemakers of this century? Will you do that? Yes or no? [Aju!]
Thank you, thank you very much. May God bless you and your families in all your endeavors.
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