IDEAS recognises the immense contribution of women to our nation’s development. We applaud Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s response to Ahmad Shah’s statement, as well the government’s commitment to empower women via the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

When Tunku Abdul Rahman declared in the Proclamation of Independence that this nation “shall be forever a sovereign democratic and independent State founded upon the principles of liberty and justice”, we can be sure he had a dream of a country that does not discriminate against its own citizens on any basis. Any suggestion that there should be discrimination against women in favour of men, or vice versa, is completely against our Bapa Kemerdekaan’s vision of a country based on “liberty and justice”.

IDEAS believes employers should maintain a recruitment system that is blind to gender, race or religion. There shoud be no attempts at social engineering by selecting one group over another as Ahmad Shah seems to be suggesting.

***
This press statement was released on February 23 2010 as a response to the Secretary-General’s statement that “such imbalance will have long-term implications on the progress and growth of the country.”

All Penang PR Wakil Rakyats are willing to be sued by Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng for defending and upholding CAT principles. The real reason that Tan Tee Beng left PKR was his unhappiness in not being appointed for positions in PBA, and his various demands that were not CAT-compliant.

So far, Tan Tee Beng has failed to apologise to PR and Nibong Tebal voters for failing to support Penang PR Government’s CAT principles of Competency, Accountability & Transparency and instead threatened to sue Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr. P. Ramasamy & Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi.

Penang Chief Minister had explained that Tan Tee Beng was unhappy with Lim when Lim had refused Tan’s request to intervene in a shop house in Chow Thye Road. Tan had told Lim that his uncle was interested in renting the shop house but Lim had insisted that CAT principles be followed.

Until now, Tan had dared not deny his involvement in helping his uncle obtain the shop house belonging to PDC in Chow Thye Road. Tan had only challenged that reports be made against him with the MACC.

Why should a report be made when Penang CM had ensured that there is no wrongdoing by insisting a full compliance with CAT principles in renting the shop house? It is ridiculous for Tan to ask for a report to be lodged against the MACC when Tan knows that the Penang CM had taken steps to ensure that there is no wrongdoing.

It is because of such behavior that is not compliant with CAT principles that Tan Tee Beng was not appointed to any positions in the state government. Tan should realize that being in government is not about jockeying for positions but principles, not about private interests but about public interests.

For that reason, his departure is no loss to PR but reaffirmation of Penang PR to CAT principles.

I felt compelled to pen down my opinion after looking at two Facebook groups – mainly ‘We support the use of the name Allah by all Malaysians’ and “Menentang pengunaan nama Allah oleh golongan bukan Islam”.

I have joined the first group, of course, and so have  thousand other non Muslims, as well as few practical thinking Muslims. Kudos to them.

I can’t help but to notice that the other group has got thousands of Muslim fans as well. What saddens me is that some of them who are against the use of the name Allah by non-Muslims are my own friends.

Now, I am not much of a fan of religion or politics.  And I know that “Allah” issue has died down very much recently.

In fact, I sometimes use the word “Allah” – jokingly to all my friends and they in turn try to use some Tamil words on me as well.

The question is – What if one day I get fined for using the word for harmless fun?

All this problem recently coupled by the statistic of Malaysians migrating overseas which has ballooned in the past year or so.

Why is this happening? Did everyone feel threatened by the direction the country is heading?

Should I migrate as well?

I always wondered if I’ll ever miss Malaysia if I travelled overseas. Which I did, tremendously. Like the saying goes, there’s nothing like home.

I miss the mamak stalls the most, during the cold nights in New Zealand I just wanted to have something hot without mixing it myself, I didn’t have a place to go as all shops shut its doors by 5pm. I missed the hot humid air a little bit, as I was getting bored of always being clad in sweaters and jackets. Honestly, I did miss Malaysia.

But where do I go from here?

It’s easy. I am not into religious issues or politics, but that does not mean I am fine with anything the Government do.

I am not against the ruling Government, nor I am a fan of them. I am just neutral.

Like all my non-Malay Malaysians, I would like to know my rights and demand it should I feel that I am not getting my fair share.

Looking at everything that has been happening – the cow head issue, the burning of churches, the pig head thrown into mosques, the “Allah” issue, and everything else, maybe I should consider moving.

But maybe not to far away. Probably to a secluded island in Malaysia  because honestly I can’t live without ‘mamak’ stalls!

This was the long and short of what constitutional law expert and political analyst Abdul Aziz Bari had to say about the recent Federal Court decision in the controversial MB vs MB case.

In spite of the Federal Court decision, written as it was in the flowery language of the law, the UIA law professor urged all involved to raise above the technicalities and instead look at the essence of the decision.

The main danger here, he said, is that the court has reduced the constitution – which sought to put in place a democratic government – to a mere legal document.

“One wonders whether judges really understood the concept of responsible government which stands as the pillar for the prevalence of cabinet government in the constitution,” questioned Abdul Aziz.

More importantly, he added, the decision overlooks the fact that the state government belongs to the house of representatives. The state assembly which is an independent entity under the doctrine of the separation of powers.

This, Abdul Aziz contends, is something that is underlined by the need for the government to command majority support in the house.

According to him, the judgment of the Federal Court in the MB vs MB case, has taken the power of the sultan – or for that matter Agong and Yang di-Pertua Negeri – out of context.

“The power (official duty of the head of state) – either to appoint the government or dissolve the house – is a mere tool and formality to assist the democratic process. Not to take over the process,” stressed Abdul Aziz.

He believes that the sultan should not view these powers as personal powers. While the label put upon their power may be ‘discretion’, the real essence of their duty is not. Indeed it is perhaps more ceremonial or official in nature.

‘Democracy out the window’

The precedent set by the Federal Court decision is far reaching, as Abdul Aziz pointed out, “if that is the case, then “the Agong have the power to dismiss the PM at will or to wilfully reject a request to dissolve the house”.

He put forward the basic principle of a ‘constitutional monarchy’ which is a consistent precedent throughout the commonwealth. Something which he believe should have been taken into account.

“The essence of the sultan’s power is that it is not a prerogative, for this is against the very idea of constitutional monarchy,” said Abdul Aziz..

The law professor explained, the concept of a constitutional monarchy is that of a monarchy whose authority and power is subject to the dictates of democracy and constitutionalism.

“It is not acting on advice per se. So when the constitution says the Agong or the rulers or the YDPNs may use discretion this does not mean whims and fancies,” he added.

As was set in the precedent of the Kalong Ningkan case in 1966, a head of state, be it a Governor or Sultan, cannot override the powers of a duly elected state assembly.

Nor can the head of state, determine on their own, whether or not an MB has the confidence of the majority of the house or not on their own cognizance.

It would require a vote of no confidence put before the house to decide whether or not an MB has majority support.

Abdul Aziz said that in this case, “the court has added another entry to a list of cases that go against the very idea of constitutionalism and democracy which stand at the very heart of the constitution.”

“It is a pity that the court took a literal and pedantic approach which throws democracy out of the window,” concluded the constitutional law expert.

As this happened, where was the police? Where was anyone to help me? The ‘ane’ from Agros stood helplessly as the men rode off. I had to walk a few hundred metres, frustrated and crying, all the way to the Mont Kiara Police Station to make my report.

2 hours later, I found out that the 7 Eleven store in Hartamas was robbed by two men on a motorcycle. Possibly the same men, possibly not.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — The Government Transformation Programme (GTP) registered an excellent early performance in the National Key Results Areas (NKRA) when it charted a 13 per cent reduction in street crimes last month.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the street crime rate for the fourth quarter of 2009 fell by 7.6 per cent while the crime rate dropped by 3.7 per cent in the last quarter ending December.

News like this makes me want to puke in the faces of our ministers. Are you seriously blind?

A foreigner got shot in Sunrise, Mont Kiara last year when he tried to help a woman whose bag was being snatched. The Bukit Kiara Police Station WAS RIGHT IN FRONT.

American Hero in Stable Condition

Do you really think thieves are scared of the police? Do you think that by having road blocks all over the place you can really reduce crime? Do you truly understand the root of these petty crimes? Poverty. Drug abuse. What have you done to address poverty systematically, efficiently and effectively?

The Police/Traffic Force is heightening road blocks, OPS Sikaps and catching speedsters with fancy new gadgets, but where are the police patrolling the neighbourhoods? What fancy new gadgets have they invented to catch getaway thieves on motor kapcai?

In an effort to meet that target, several initiatives have been implemented including ensuring the presence of police at 50 hot-spots backed up by 3,000 trained Civil Defence and Rela personnel and having 500 closed-circuit cameras in those areas to deter crime.

Wow. Impressive. I feel so safe now.

I just feel like by releasing articles such as the above, the Government is giving a false impression that the country is safe. Someone I know has to house-sit and miss a diving trip because his house was broken into before. Just this afternoon, 2 cars were jacked in front of a row of shop lots near my house. Crime rates escalate especially nearing public holidays like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and others.

Our government should not slack just because there is a drop in crime rates of 13% and are ‘awed’ by it. The government must persevere until we can truly feel safe to walk on the streets of our neighbourhoods again. The Police Force should do more than just sit at the counter writing reports. Rounds shouldn’t take place between 10-5, or any given time, but continuously.

Taking measures into my own hands, I no longer carry girly bags – just a pouch would do. I walk with my car keys in between my knuckles so that the sharp edge sticks out, my phone in my pocket, and I stop whenever a motorcycle pass by me.

Left my house at two thirty, I picked up Dide (pronounced dee-dur) to escort me there. It was drizzling as my Satria weaved through the zig-zagging road of Penderas. At three, we reached our destination. Orang Asal is the PR’s term for all the indigenous people of Malaysia, like the Orang Aslis or Kadazans or Ibans or any other earliest settlers of Malaysia. According to Jim Baker in his book ‘Crossroads: A Popular History of Malaysia and Singapore’, the Orang Asal first inhabited Malaya about forty thousand years ago. The Malays only came about two thousand years ago. Therefore, the Malays can be called a ‘kaum pendatang’?

Upon arrival, denoted by a few PKR flags stuck on a fence, we noticed that no one was around, I asked this guy about the whereabout of the meeting. He was hesitant to answer, as if there was a CCTV focused on us. He just said I don’t know. Then I saw Fahmi, Kuala Krau’s Youth Wing head honcho, busy setting up the PA system. He told me that Haji is waiting for Felicia Ling. Felicia is the Cheras Division head. She’s supposed to give a speech. Okay, we’ll wait said I.

I went straight to the meeting hut and there were about fifteen people waiting. We had a chat, and me, trying to be pro-active, start writing down their grouses. A bit later, Felicia, Haji and two others arrived. Immediately they headed to the hut and greetings were quickly hurled. At first I thought that Felicia is going to give a boring speech about human rights and those sort of topics. As it turned out, she was asking the ladies about pandan woven bags. The Orang Asal are good at weaving bags, mats or even their own version of a backpack. She told them that since the PR states of Penang and Selangor had banned the use of plastic bags on Saturdays, she was thinking of having the Orang Asal weave pandan bags for shopping use instead. The ladies were interested. Felicia then told them that she is going to organize a bag weaving competition soon. The best bag gets some monetary reward plus it is going to be a prototype for the others to follow. The rest of the kampong is going to copy the winning bag and Felicia is going to buy them and later market it in Selangor and Penang. The ladies were delighted. Instead of hoping for some government body to set up a promotions and marketing arm to sell the bags, Felicia did it on her own initiative. I thought this was a novel idea.

Felicia having a serious chat with the ladies of Penderas

There was also goodies for the kids. On the day of the competition, there is going to be a story-telling competition for Jahut children. The best thing is, the narration is not going to be in Bahasa Malaysia, as usually the norm, but in Jahut language. Everyone smiled in approval.

It was almost four. I had to go off early because there was football practice at five. The kids will run me down if I failed to be at the school padang. So it was goodbye to the PKR people and the Orang Asals and I left. On my way out, I noticed this 4WD full of people. As it turned out, according to Haji, later, there were more than fifty people gathered and some even filled in PKRs enlistment forms. Driving along the wet road leading to civilization, I couldn’t help but admire at how Felicia managed to give them boats and nets instead of giving them fish. Also, the steadfastedness of Haji, trying to win the hearts and votes of the Orang Asal, are also commendable. Working hard with limited resources and assistance. Well done to two people with originality

citizen journalist report Working with a social enterprise that interacts mainly with oil palm plantations, I had an opportunity to step into a plantation in Bintulu, Sarawak.

It was to conduct focus group interviews with smallholders who supply fresh fruit bunches to a nearby oil palm factory preparing for a Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil sustainability audit.

My day-to-day job usually requires me to stay in the office, or even at home, since as an editorial and communications coordinator, my only working tool is my laptop.

But with a background in anthropology, my superior decided to have me, and my colleague Ying along on this trip which took place in December last year.

He was in charge of health and safety guidelines and another associate looked into the environmental aspects while we visited the longhouses to meet with the independent planters.

The ‘real’ longhouses looked nothing like the ones at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching. For one, they seemed ‘vacant’. A lot of the younger Ibans had moved to town for work while the children were sent off to boarding schools because the longhouses were too far from the schools.

The elders usually go out into their fields in the morning and only return in the afternoon. Nevertheless, we managed to conduct our interviews with a small group, of between 2-10 people, in eight different longhouses within close proximity of the oil palm factory.

The villagers plant crops such as paddy, vegetables and fruits for domestic consumption. For most of the smallholders, oil palm planting is their main source of income, especially for the ones who are already retired.

Prior to planting oil palm, several of the smallholders planted the well-known Sarawak pepper, famous for its distinct taste while others tapped rubber or worked in the logging area.

Because of limitations – pepper is a fragile vegetation prone to diseases and pests, rubber tapping is only feasible under good weather conditions, and logging is best doable when you’re young and able – these smallholders opted to cultivate oil palm because of its market value and high yields.

I discovered several issues – such as high cost of fertilisers, pesticides and seedlings – that are burdening the smallholders. But for most, the obscurity pertaining to their land rights proved to be the most worrisome.

Uncertainty over land rights hindering progress

According to one of the smallholders who is also a village chief, the government had only allowed 5ha of the villager’s land to be developed for oil palm.

The villagers claim to own hundreds of hectares of land which they’ve inhabited for centuries, but the boundary which separates the Native Customary Rights (NCR) land and state land is vague.

He claimed that the state government would not share a topographical map with the villagers which clearly demarcates these boundaries.This, he says, is a way to discourage villagers from developing oil palm and to keep the land free for corporations to develop the land.

The government would reap huge profits from selling the land to corporations rather than giving the villagers the opportunity in agriculture. He also hinted that the state government does not want the Ibans to succeed, and this is a form of discrimination.

Most of the smallholders I talked to expressed an interest in expanding their oil palm plantations, but this obscurity is hindering their plans.

Some smallholders who have planted outside of their 5ha boundary are worried that development will bulldoze their hard work and source of income at any time.

Mohd Naroden, assistant minister in the chief minister’s department said that many people did not understand the concept of developing NCR land, and explained that natives can develop the land in tandem with large companies.

I do not advocate the expansion of oil palm plantations since I recognise the negative environmental and social impacts the industry can have on our planet.

But after spending time with these villagers, I have to acknowledge that the industry has given them a steady source of income and provided better living conditions after the introduction of oil palm in their area.

The issue of land rights is pressing and is not alien to us; over here in Peninsular Malaysia land rights are an issue faced by the indigenous communities and in East Malaysia, it is an everyday court battle.

Whether my source’s claims are true or not, we must address this issue and find solutions to better protect indigenous land rights from exploitation and discrimination.

Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, SHARYN SHUFIYAN is the offspring of two journalists. She completed her Diploma in Advertising at Taylor’s College, and pursued her BA degree in New Zealand. Her liberal but somewhat leftist leanings were inspired by the likes of Rousseau, Marx, Locke and other great minds. A supporter of equality, democracy and cultural relativism, Sharyn is just another average girl weary of the political and social situation of her dear country.

citizen journalist report On the auspicious full moon of Thaii, which occurs between January and February, thousands of devotees will converge on houses of Lord Muruga, a popular deity among the Tamil community of south India.

In fulfilment of a vow taken a year before for protection, a new lease on life, good health, wealth, strength or many more reasons, a devotee will carry a kavadi as a gesture of thanks.

Thaipusam will be celebrated on Jan 30 this year. In Selangor and Penang, it is preceded by a chariot procession that carries the statue of Lord Muruga from the temple to his ‘abode’ in the hills two days earlier. Smaller events are held in Johor, Perak and Negri Sembilan.

In Penang, the Thanner Malai Murugan temple in Waterfalls Road is the focal point of the festival.

Penang Hindu Sangam chairperson Ravichandran Balasandorom said the Penang Hindu Endowment Board has been doing a remarkable job in organising the annual event.

However, littering remains a big problem and invariably mars the occasion.

“Devotees and visitors have a tendency to litter the procession route, even though rubbish bins are set up at designated places,” said Ravichandran.

“The Penang government is now going green and we should support it by not littering during the celebration. This is also in keeping with the auspiciousness of the occasion.”

Another worrying issue, said Ravichandran is the tendency of some devotees, especially youths, to be boisterous. Most of the time, this creates a disturbance and sometimes, leads into fights.

He reminded youth that Thaipusam is a religious festival and that devotees should observe moderation in everything they do.

‘Show respect’

Ravichandran also said it is inappropriate and disrespectful to place emblems of English premier league football clubs and other unrelated pictures and logos on the kavadi.

“There was one occasion where a kavadi resembled a popular beer logo. The Penang Hindu Sangam strongly objects to, and rejects, this irresponsible attitude.

“There is no need to have modernised versions of the kavadi. Thaipusam in Malaysia has became the focus all over the world for the worship of Lord Muruga. Thus we must be on our best behaviour.”

He added that the organising committee and the authorities will work together to ensure a safe celebration for devotees.

LEOW BENG HOCK is a Citizen Journalist trained by Malaysiakini through the CJ.MY project. He is an environmentalist who loves the outdoors and is always on the lookout for issues affecting the public. He believes social justice is achieved through mediation and not through extremism.

citizen journalist report Documentary stories are often those of the filmmakers and not the communities where a development project has taken place. I wanted to try something different on the community-based ‘Fish Culture’ project that I lead.

In July 2009, together with filmmakers from the Bangladesh NGO Proshika, two men and two women from Melandi village in Rajshahi were trained for a week in video camera techniques, before they wrote and produced their own film.

The experience was one of the most rewarding and inspiring of my life, particularly as I watched the transformation of one of the women, Archana, during the course of the training, and the power that the video camera confers.

I have written this account to try to convey something of the participatory video (PV) experience, which has the power to transform communities by giving them a voice, often unheard as a result of their remoteness from centres of power.

‘Island of dreams and success’

Standing beside her home, a room in a homestead she shares with her extended family, Archana grins broadly as I ask her about the events of the last week. As one of four people from her village to produce the community’s first documentary film, the last seven days have been something of a departure from the usual daily activities in Melandi village.

Archana (right) is a young mother of two teenage children. Married at 15 to a man she had not met until her wedding day, she now lives with her husband’s family in Melandi village, in the western province of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

For the women, life revolves around the home, and family. Rarely venturing beyond the village walls, women are answerable at all times to their husbands, to whom they defer on all decisions. They are rarely called upon to voice their opinions and are excluded from community meetings.

Melandi is a small Hindu community located on an ‘island’ within the Rajshahi floodplains of the Padma river. Reachable only on foot or motorbike, the village is practically cut off during the flood season when passage by boat is only possible when the waters are high.

On the day of our visit, we walk barefoot for 3km to reach the village, ankle-deep in mud. This is my second visit, as part of a project to boost fish production from nearby Beel Mail, a depression in the floodplain that fills each year during the monsoon rains. With help from the local fisheries department, the people are culturing fish in the flood waters to eat and sell.

At the village, we notice changes. There are more brick houses amongst the traditional mud houses, more televisions and a palpable change in the atmosphere. My last visit left a stark impression of poverty and hardship. Whether these changes are due to the project it’s hard to say, but the local fisheries officers are pleased with the results and hope to try the same approach in other villages.

Power of video

Our arrival causes a stir. Visitors are not uncommon, as the research team makes this journey regularly from Dhaka – it’s the video equipment that is unusual, and the children gather round to get a better look. A meeting is called, and before long the village square is full of people. They have the difficult task ahead of selecting just four people to represent their community and make a documentary film on a topic of their choice.

Including women in the team isn’t immediately accepted by the community leaders, who insist that they are too busy taking care of children and the household to participate. There is also a murmur of sentiment that women are not capable of using a video camera and producing a film. The film makers are insistent and eventually two women are selected to join the team.

Led by Kazol, a filmmaker from Proshika, the Melandi team are taken through the basics of video camera techniques.

On day one, they each hold the camera for the first time. By day two, they are testing camera angles and setting up a range of shots. By day 5, the team has produced a beautifully shot film about the town where the training took place, ‘The story of Bhobaniganj’.

Archana says: “I loved seeing our video after we made it. Making it was a great experience. I never went anywhere before and freely spoke to people. It felt great.”

Unlike most women in her community, Archana has spoken directly to the local district officer, and asked him questions. Under normal circumstances, for a woman to approach a government official in this way would be unacceptable, but with a video camera in her hand, the usual cultural norms no longer apply.

For Kazol, the video represents an opportunity to revive a way of film making that is close to his heart. As part of a ground-breaking PV team, Kazol has seen how powerful video can be in the hands of women. In 1990, he trained a group of village women in video film production.

Among them was Shahnaz Begum who, after the training, chose her neighbour Aleya as the subject of her first film. Escaping her husband, who became violent when her family could not complete her dowry payments, Aleya fled her home and struggled to build a new life with her daughter, living off a meagre income from menial labour and selling betel leaf. In the film, Aleya speaks candidly about her experiences, her voice heavy with emotion.

The film received international awards, and has been shown in 23 countries. But it is in Bangladesh that the film has had the greatest impact; shown in villages around the country it has empowered women who recognise their own situation in the experiences related by Aleya, to speak out against the financially crippling dowry system.

‘Amplifying voices’

The practice of putting cameras into the hands of people targeted by development organisations was pioneered in the 1960s and 70s, but the recent development of relatively inexpensive, digital video cameras has prompted a rapid increase in the use of video to empower communities.

Development agencies frequently employ professional filmmakers to document their success stories. The finished product is polished and professional, but the content is dictated by outsiders who choose the storyline that best fits the communication needs of the agency.

In handing over the camera to the communities on the receiving end of international aid and development projects, agencies are not only relinquishing control of the camera equipment, they are also giving the film makers control over the stories they choose to tell and it’s not uncommon for communities to find importance in a local story overlooked by outsiders.

Insightshare, an organisation founded by Nick and Chris Lunch, is a leader in the training and application of PV. The organisation has trained groups all over the world, frequently working with indigenous groups who have produced videos on a diverse range of issues.

Nick describes the PV process as “amplifying the voices of the poor, of the disadvantaged, the marginalised, people who don’t get to speak, who don’t have a voice”. The magical quality they attribute to PV seems to be most pronounced when the camera is placed in the hands of women.

“I find often the empowerment is all the more strong for the women”, says Chris in an interview with OneWorldTV.

“They feel they are doing something new, it’s giving them new possibilites, because often they are able to interview men or enter contexts where perhaps they wouldn’t normally enter. The camera does somehow allow women to transgress some boundaries in a non-threatening way.”

The transformation that the Lunch brothers describe was also clearly apparent amongst the Melandi team, whose confidence grew visibly from day to day. For Archana, the transformation was most profound.

“Before the training I was a little scared. I am not educated and I was worried whether I would be able to learn. I only knew I have to work with a video. But I had never heard of, or touched a video camera before. I loved the experience and felt great when I held the camera.”

Profound experience

On the fifth day of their training, the team chose the topic of their film, ‘Island of Dreams and Success’, in which they wanted to describe, through interviews with different people in the community, how their village has changed in recent years.

The content was a mystery to me right until the screening in a makeshift movie theatre in the village. As dusk fell around 7pm, the whole village started to gather. A large white sheet had been strung up between bamboo poles and the children, carrying bundles of straw to sit on, began to vie for a place on the ground.

Technical difficulties with the sound threatened to bring the evening to a disappointing end, but with the aid of an enormous television that appeared as if out of nowhere, we were finally able to see the finished product, disturbed only by a flock of geese passing through the crowd.

Although I couldn’t understand the language, I was transfixed by the film, and so was the audience. With the composition of the shots and the smooth transitions between each scene, it was hard to believe that this was the work of a team who held a camera for the first time just a week before.

The film describes the importance of floodplain fisheries for the villagers and the way that the village has worked together with different people to improve the fishery and to develop the settlement.

What strikes me is how natural and comfortable the interviewees are in front of the camera. I can’t help but think that the responses and attitude would have been different if a team of outsiders had made the film. As the film came to end, there was a loud round of cheering and applause, before the crowd quickly dispersed. It was late, and the day starts early in Melandi.

But it’s not only about the content of the film – the change in each of the new filmmakers has been remarkable. The next day we interviewed each of the members of the video team.

Each had enjoyed the experience, and wanted to make more videos. They asked for video equipment, not knowing that Kazol was already making plans to provide a camera and equipment, and more opportunities to make films on a whole range of topics.

The PV in Melandi has become a spring board for Kazol to create a network of rural village video makers, who can harness the power of the camera to make their otherwise quiet voices heard.

I am conscious that being part of this video initiative has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career to date, as I see the potential for the empowerment of women through film and the way in which the camera gives weight to the opinions of the people of Melandi, who may otherwise be overlooked and unheard by the authorities.

I’m looking forward to seeing where the next video takes them.

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NATASJA SHERIFF is a Citizen Journalist trained by Malaysiakini through the CJ.MY project. She is currently a researcher with the World Fish Centre based in Penang, Malaysia. ‘Fish Culture’ is led by the WorldFish Centre with funding from the Challenge Programme on Water and Food.