Why do I support Komas

I have meant to write about this for quite sometime already but it just keeps slipping out of my mind... You see me trying to promote Komas's Freedom Film Festival 2007; you'd be wondering why I am doing so.... I am doing this because I support their cause, as in what they are actively trying to create awareness of, which is

Empowerment with the poor and marginalized community towards the attainment of human rights in Malaysia, through popular communication approaches.

When we talk about the poor and the marginalized people, what usually comes into your mind??? These are some feedback when I asked some people.

Usually you think of the poor people in Malaysia as well as the people who are being downtrodden by society. I used to have that kind of thinking, but actually the poor and marginalized people are much more than that. There are the original people of this land but they are not fully given the rights they fully deserve. What more, in our daily life, we label people or should I say, classified them into different categories and hence creating a rift between the different races. Mind... When I was growing up, I recall very well my OWN mom telling me that I shouldn't mix much with the Malays and the Indian people. The reason, Malays are lazy people and the Indians are thieves No serious offense, my Malay and Indian friends... I never though of those AT ALL!!! I just want to show one of the many examples of how people think and WE, as the children have been brought up hearing all this and been imbued with THIS kind of thinking. Since it has been told to us since we were young, we actually tend to follow it. How many of us will actually stop and ponder whether all these are true???? I dare say that only a small handful will actually stop and smell the roses; to know what the real reality of things is. Have YOU stopped and smell the roses of reality???

We acknowledge the Malays as the "bumiputra" of Malaysia, as in the original settlers in Malaysia but what about the indigenous people??? THEY are the real original settlers of Malaysia. Yes, yes... I know you are going to tell me that they are also acknowledged as "bumiputra" but are they really getting the benefits they rightly deserve??? If there are, why are there such issues as Land Rights??? If it belongs to them, give them. It's their right as well; it IS their ancestral land after all. Why are we denying them that right??? I know... For the sake of development, we got to make sacrifices and stuff. HOWEVER! Are you sure that you want to sacrifice their WAY OF LIFE?? The forest is their source of life.

Download, watch this video and tell me, ARE WE TREATING THEM RIGHT???
Ponder on that