OBSOLETE
Main Entry: 1ob·so·lete Pronunciation: "äb-s&-'lEt, 'äb-s&-" Function: adjective Etymology: Latin obsoletus, from past participle of obsolescere to grow old, become disused, perhaps from ob- toward + solEre to be accustomed Date: 1579 1 a : no longer in use or no longer useful b : of a kind or style no longer current : OLD-FASHIONED 2 of a plant or animal part : indistinct or imperfect as compared with a corresponding part in related organisms : VESTIGIAL synonym see OLD - ob·so·lete·ly adverb - ob·so·lete·ness noun1) The real evidence of the old man getting obsolete, out of touch with the common people in the street, is when he fast resorted to his old foreign interference rhetoric on ridiculous issues and in the same time foolishly undermine our intelligence. 2) Patriot dulu : Why the fuss? The old fart has developed Malaysia and blah blah economic development blah blah... just feel lucky, don't be tak kenang budi onelah. Patriot sekarang: Thank you for giving me the chance to use the word OBSOLETE on you and the old fart himself with one single argument. First thing is first. There is much difference between the status and state of mind of a developing nation and a developed nation. There is no doubt, the old man was a good with a developing economy. I'd hire him myself (with limited powers though)as a consultant to developing third world countries. But, as the country shift from a third world to developing and then developed status, we tend to forget that much efford is also needed in the social aspect of development(basic rights, morality, responsibiliy etc) The strain of material development on our social life menifest itself in social problems such as bohsia, abandoned babies, alcohol, free sex between malay youths and other ill things. The fact is that we are on the verge of becoming a developed nation but our good "developing" leader is still on his developing mode, out of touch with the realities of the culture of a developed nation economies (clean and transparent policy and free of cronyism)and developed social aspects of it (civil society, free speech etc). The fact that he is out of touch with the previously stated aspects of a developed country doesn't automatically make him obsolete. But, with ferocious tenacity and some panic in trying to preserve his legacy amidst economic chaos, he abandoned all basic civil humanistic rules and sent Malaysia back into the dark ages and that is why he is obsolete; no longer relevant not because we are ungrateful but because his despotic, oppresive practices. Now, for the other "obsolete" matter-the attitude of "terhutang budi" we should consider as lapuk (kinda the malay equivalent of obsolete). True that it is a malay tradition that has its merits but modern malay man no longer can be trusted like in the old days. It is a culture that binds and oblige us to do things that might not be necessary and sometimes could be very unprofessional (that might run against work, social and muslim moral ethics). We can't abolish the tradition because it is our identity but we have to reform its definition and application as one of the first step in freeing ourself from apathy.