I wonder whether it is lucky or unlucky for Orang Asli Yok Meneh to meet a tiger.

The tiger attacked and Yoke Meneh's skin and flesh were torn. It was of course, very painful.

However, the tiger was hit back and it slunk away. I believed it had paid a price.

The fight ended in a draw, neither the human nor the beast won.

It is a pity that it was not video captured. Otherwise, Yoke Meneh would be the headlines of the world's major media and he might become more famous than Wu Song, a Chinese fictional hero who was well-known for killing a tiger with bare hands.

As the Year of the Tiger is fast approaching, Yoke Meneh can make a tour to share his experience of fighting a tiger and after it is reported by media from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, he will be known by the world.

If he can bring the tiger with him, it will even give a better result for sure.

However, the vigorous tiger, oops, should be a weak tiger instead (otherwise, how could it run away just after a punch on its face?), has escaped a week earlier before the Year of the Tiger. I wonder what does it mean?

The tiger made an early appearance. Would it be because it was too hungry after failing to find food in the forest? Or, the shrinking forest had forced it to come out and find another shelter?

It should be carefully studied by local feng shui masters and perhaps, there is a hidden meaning behind the incident which is closely related to the country's fate in the Year of the Tiger.

The economy is unstable this year. Even though new measures have been introduced while a lot of money have been spent, it seems to have benefited only limited people.

Meanwhile, some new policies are not properly implemented.

Foreign investments have not been increased yet while we are constantly losing domestic funds. Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok Hock Nien had disposed of his assets and the reason was unclear. No matter how, the richest man is gone and inevitably, it has affected the confidence of others.

Also, the international economy is still in uncertainty and the United States may fall into the second wave of recession while the global economy has not completely recovered yet, how can it withstand another blow?

At this moment, dealers are uncertain whether they have seen the light or are actually entering the darkness.

In addition to economy, we are also encountering political and social instability.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial has been staged before the religious controversy is subsided. Together with the MCA party crisis and the Perak turmoil, how can we expect the Year of the Tiger to be a peaceful year? (By TAY TIAN YAN/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily)