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POODIEN
This former-member of the independent charity collective known as Food Not Bombs can be seen frying pisang goreng at underground gigs for 50 sen a pop. A freelance visual artist who dabbles in graphic design, Poodien spends most of his days working for NGOs and listening to the Buzzcocks.
What was the turning point when you knew you had to get involved in activism?
The turning point is when I found punk rock. Punk rock saved my life. I was an outcast; I hated everything around me that was so pale and lifeless. I felt so hopeless and didn’t see how I could play a part or have any say. I started to get involved in the underground, DIY punk rock scene and when I got my hands on the 1st local punkzine, it blew my mind! I felt this blast of empowerment and energy to learn and change things. I got into anarchism, collectivism, human rights, philosophy, personal politics and social experiments, and the “anger” was channelled into concrete causes. I don’t really like to label myself as an activist. I just do what I do, which is responding, and contributing my time and energy towards what I believe in. Social settings are changeable and open to distortion by active action.
If your tee could change the world, what would it say?
It would say, “F*ck power!” That’s it-in your face, radical, strong enough to change the world. Or at least my world-by getting beaten up by rednecks who think that I’m against them for wearing Power brand shoes.
What’s your personal view on fashion trends and the people who follow them?
Fashion, or the way people represent themselves, is an art form in itself. It’s up to the individual to choose and, more importantly, create their look. Be the creator! Fashion trends are lame in the way that they create a mass of followers. Their origins can be traced to 18th Century Europe’s Industrial Revolution, where mass production of clothing started and trends were created out of patterns that were being mass-produced. Somewhere along the line, the textile industry became the fashion industry. In our hyper-consumerist society, whatever that starts out as an indie trend usually ends up being monopolised by big businesses that in turn feed the demand with the blood and sweat of abused workers in 3rd world countries. I think this should be considered in your practice of choosing fashion trends.
So there’s no such thing as a good trend?
Trends will always be there. They grow when there’s a big change in economy and social nature. I’m always pro any good trend like indie DIY, eco-friendly, recycled and culturally mashed up clothing and streetwear.
What do you dislike the most about Malaysian society?
I dislike how Malaysian society is divided along racial lineage, language and religion. Why are we too scared to question anything and break into action to counter this crappy stuff? We rather take this plurality as a reason to be divided and not understand a thing than see this as an advantage for us to enrich ourselves culturally.
What would you like to see people on the streets wearing more of?
I would like to see people on the street naked with no clothes. That would strip off anyone’s prejudices, won’t it? And in a literal way! But seriously, people need to be more sensible in what they wear.
If you had to design a national uniform to be worn by all citizens of Malaysia, what would it look like?
Sh!t! This is the last thing that I would ever do. I’m quite allergic to words like “national”, “uniform”, “citizen” and “Malaysia”. Only if a gun was pointed at me would I do it. At the same time, I’d still look for ways to sneak in my individuality into the design. Hopefully something that would allow the citizens to redesign it according to their own tastes.
Why is it that Malaysians in general spend most of their life complaining about the situation of the country instead of actually getting involved and doing their part?
Because we are the nice, moderate, hormat-menghormati, bertimbang rasa Malaysians! Too comfortable (or engineered to feel so) and not daring to risk or lose anything.
Malaysia boleh, if…
1. Everybody really does something to break out of their comfort zone, challenge themselves more and cut away from the strings that have entangled them all these years!! Too ambitious, eh?
2. The people start to question themselves and everything else…and also learn to laugh at themselves.
3. We murder the government-I’m talking in theory here, c’mon, take it easy brother. Democracy reduces government power to nil when power is distributed and practiced equally by the citizen. So let’s participate.
If you had a political party, what would it be called?
The Party Party.
Who would be the ideal person to model your clothes if you had a fashion show?
My amazing friends! And people who honestly like my clothes!
