L'Internationale

The song, which is playing at this moment, named The Internationale. For your little information, The Internationale (L'Internationale in French) is the most famous social democratic song and one of the most widely recognized songs in the world. The original French version was written by Eugene Pottier (1816 - 1887), who also was a member of Paris Commune.

The original lyrics in French:

Debout! les damnés de la terre
Debout! les forçats de la faim
La raison tonne en son cratère,
C'est l'éruption de la fin.
Du passé faisons table rase
Foule esclave, debout! debout!
Le monde va changer de base
Nous ne sommes rien, soyons tout!

Refrain
C'est la lutte finale
Groupons-nous et demain
L'Internationale
Sera le genre humain.

Il n'est pas de sauveurs suprêmes:
Ni dieu, ni césar, ni tribun,
Producteurs, sauvons-nous nous-mêmes!
Décrétons le salut commun!
Pour que le voleur rende gorge,
Pour tirer l'esprit du cachot
Soufflons nous-mêmes notre forge,
Battons le fer quand il est chaud!

L'etat opprime et la loi triche,
L'impôt saigne le malheureux,
Nul devoir ne s'impose au riche,
Le droit du pauvre est un mot creux.
C'est assez languir en tutelle,
L'égalité veut d'autres lois;
«Pas de droits sans devoirs», dit-elle,
«Egaux, pas de devoirs sans droits!»

Hideux dans leur apothéose,
Les rois de la mine et du rail
Ont-ils jamais fait autre chose
Que dévaliser le travail?
Dans les coffres-forts de la bande
Ce qu'il a créé s'est fondu.
En décrétant qu'on le lui rende
Le peuple ne veut que son dû.

Les rois nous saoulaient de fumées.
Paix entre nous, guerre aux tyrans!
Appliquons la grève aux armées,
Crosse en l'air et rompons les rangs!
S'ils s'obstinent, ces cannibales,
A faire de nous des héros,
Ils sauront bientôt que nos balles
Sont pour nos propres généraux.

Ouvriers, paysans, nous sommes
Le grand parti des travailleurs;
La terre n'appartient qu'aux hommes,
L'oisif ira loger ailleurs.
Combien de nos chairs se repaissent!
Mais si les corbeaux, les vautours,
Un de ces matins disparaissent,
Le soleil brillera toujours!

Billy Bragg version's translated from the original, the song that playing now!!

Stand up, all victims of oppression
For the tyrants fear your might
Dont cling so hard to your possessions
For you have nothing, if you have no rights
Let racist ignorance be ended
For respect makes the empires fall
Freedom is merely privilege extended
Unless enjoyed by one and all

Chorus:
So come brothers and sisters
For the struggle carries on
The internationale
Unites the world in song
So comrades come rally
For this is the time and place
The international ideal
Unites the human race

Let no one build walls to divide us
Walls of hatred nor walls of stone
Come greet the dawn and stand beside us
Well live together or well die alone
In our world poisoned by exploitation
Those who have taken, now they must give
And end the vanity of nations
Weve but one earth on which to live

And so begins the final drama
In the streets and in the fields
We stand unbowed before their armour
We defy their guns and shields
When we fight, provoked by their aggression
Let us be inspired by like and love
For though they offer us concessions
Change will not come from above

Gentlemen, enjoy the song!!!

Here, there is a little introduction video regarding this magnificent song!!

Petition of FSSS students

Petition of Art and Social Science Faculty undergraduates to the Dean
of Art and Social Science Faculty

Hereby, we request for an annulment for the assignment "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" and reassessment for the "soft skill" program as endorsed by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.

Background and Raison d'etre

The final year undergraduates of Art and Social Science Faculty a.k.a. FSSS received an order from the vice dean through a notice, dated of 8th March 2007, which is pasted at the faculty notice board, obliging the students of FSSS to attend a workshop titled "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" on 17th March 2007 in DK F, FSSS from 8.00 am to 6.30 pm.

593 final year undergraduates had attended this workshop on 17th March (according to a staff from the workshop on that day), and we found out that this workshop is endorsing the insurance field by the Syarikat Aznita Mgt (M) Sdn. Bhd. to the students. Also, in the afternoon session, students were segregated into 53 groups to discuss an upcoming `project'. Each of the groups is
requested to find a location to hold a seminar that is intended to introduce "Am Cash" to the other undergraduates in the campus. In addition, the seminar will be given by members of the said company. All the expenses for this seminar and the printing of the pamphlets and flyers will be beared by the students themselves. Finally, the students are requested to hand in the project report to the dean office before 2nd April 2007.

After attending the workshop, a majority of students felt something was amiss as to the reason why such workshop which is intended to train the undergraduates' `soft skill', metamorphosed into a seminar that call out to the undergraduates to profit from insurance sales. The most peculiar part is that the students have to bear all the unnecessary expenses for the said project, which is directed to introduce "Am Cash", but nothing to do in training the `soft skill' of university students.

Therefore, we, the final year undergraduates from FSSS of UM feel that "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" did not achieve its aim in training students' `soft skill'. Moreover, we did not have any obligation to publicise a product or service of a company. Thus, we would like to provide few rational suggestions to the Dean of FSSS.

Our Petitions

1. Abrogate the assignment as demanded by the speakers of Syarikat Azmita Mgt (M) Sdn. Bhd. i.e. to run a project holding a seminar in publicizing an "Am Cash" product or service to the other
undergraduates in the campus. We do not have the obligation to perform activity for any products and/or services of an outside company.

2. Reassess the `soft skill' program which is ordered by the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia recently. We collectively felt that this `soft skill' program is prepared hastily and without a proper planning so as to fail to bring any positive effects to the undergraduates of Malaysia. An in-depth discussion between the authority of the University with the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia has to be held.

3. Evaluate the undergraduates' `soft skill' through participation and presentation while attending lessons or tutorials, and also through the co-curricular activities which are held in the
campus. We felt such assessment of an undergraduate' s `soft skill' through a project after attending a workshop is superficial and could not evaluate the undergraduate holistically.

4. The Dean office of FSSS should not oblige the undergraduates to attend any workshops and seminars in the time to come. We should be allowed the liberty to attend any workshops and seminars as it is not our responsibility as undergraduates.

5. The Dean office of FSSS should not state that "whoever did not attend this workshop will be barred from graduating this session." According to the <> printed on the year 2004, to graduate
in FSSS of UM, undergraduates only have to complete the credit hours as assigned by the departments in the faculty. Workshop or seminar attendance is not one of the prerequisites to graduate in UM.

We that support this PETITION attached our signatures and persuade the Dean to give appropriate response or explanation as soon as possible.

Thank you.

written by Cash Chow (Malay version)
translated by anonymous (my friend who is a part-time translator)