Lost in transition

Blog saper yg lama tul tak hapdet nih?

work like a robot

I love spending my money for good deeds such as donation, contribution to charities, or even paying for the gas for my car whenever I travel long distance to visit my parents and relatives. But, I detest wasting money for nothing, even if it were to settle summons. Settling penalties for road traffic offences which do not deserve penalties is a sheer waste of money.

My journey back from Pahang today after visiting relatives in my hometown ended in pure frustration. I don't mind departing with my money if I'm guilty of the offence. But, what if it is 50-50? Yes, from the traffic officers' position, they might have seen my car overtaking the bus on the double line. However, the fact that I started overtaking it before my car reached the double line was simply ignored by them. I just couldn't finish overtaking the bus, whose driver seemed unhappy, thus increasing the bus speed, before the double line, nor could I reduce speed to get back to my earlier position as it could endanger other vehicles behind. So, I decided to finish it off for good I believe.

A few minutes later, the traffic officer at the road block pointed to the raodside, indicating I had to stop. Normal procedures followed, and the sad ending to my trip back to my hometown was worth RM300. No tolerance, no compromise. My explanation was quashed aside just like that.

My respect towards the men in blue was receding fast. Some of them, not all, work just like robots. No emotion, no human consideration. Is the same being felt by many Malaysians today?

GO TO HELL WITH 'EM

Last night, I was relishing the sweet moments of not having to attend any class due to the H1N1 contagion (has it been declared a pandemic by WHO?). On H1N1, don't eat pork should be the moral of the story.

Now, coming back to the story, becasue I didn't hafta attend my class yesterday after work, I went to a very popular hypermart in Kajang. There appeared sales galore with all those yellow ad cards hanging in the air or jutting out from the racks. Cut price, sales, bla bla bla...

RM4.89 for the 1.5L pack of Marigold strawberry milk ya!!! My still reliable momery said, in not so distant past, the price was around RM4.59. So, an increase of 30 cent or 6.54% is justified by the already forgotten oil price increase? What nonsense!!!

At the ground floor, among the lots was a chicken rice shop (no, not that Chicken Rice Shop you are thinking about) where I used to have my meals everytime I went there, until the day they served me very salty chicken rice which made me decide I had had enuff.

The issue here is, again, the cut price cutting customers' throats. I asked the girl at the counter,

"BIla harga naik ni?" She said, "Semalam." No whirlwind, no tornado, the price was up 30 cent from RM4.50 previously. 6.67% up. Another nonsense!!! I decided to find somewhere else to dine.

What's happening to us, Malaysians? While the Government is trying every level best to improve the well-being of the rakyat, there are still culprits out there trying to take advantage from the cooled-off period in the aftermath of the oil price spike. They (not all) lurk among the business community, with their sole aim of making profits to the maximum. Not that I can't afford to pay a lil' extra, but there are people who will suffer from these jerks.

Has the Government not done enough? When the service delivery and enforcement parts become the buck passed to the Government, those profiteers are cage-free, joyous and bouncy because the attention is steered away from them. When the fuel price had to be increased due to the pressure from the world's oil price hike, they argued their cost had gone up, therefore, they deserved incentives and the right to increase their service price (service quality, well, it's ok to remain or be reduced sikit-sikit la).

AND WHEN THE FUEL PRICE HAS STABILISED, THEY EITHER KEEP QUIET SO THEY WILL GAIN FROM THE EXTRA PROFIT DERIVED FROM HIGHER PRICE MINUS STABLE FUEL PRICE, OR THEY QUIETLY INCREASE THEIR PRICE.

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL THEM TO GO TO HELL!!!

A dream come true

She is back home after finishing her study in Medicine in another part of the world. As a cyberfriend (hope this will develop further), I'm aslo happy to know that she's finally attained her dream of becoming a doctor. A dream of the entire family, I suppose, as her brothers are right on the same track. Not least importantly, she is now added to the growing list of professionals in the country.

A hurdle is past her. In unknown quantity, more challenges loom ahead for this beautiful intelligent girl, though.

What I can do for now is to pray that she'll get through it all.

When the pasture is not so green...

At the 3-day Homedec '09 at KLCC on 1-3 May, I managed to get a few things initially inked on my checklist. Brushing shoulders with other visitors at this fare was not as bad as during any PC Fair, especially those held over there, so I had more breathing space, and maybe O2, then.

Spotlight with infra-red remote sensor, bed lamp, laminated floor for my living room, what else.. err.. a dream to put a spa and sauna at my backyard (just dreaming as the price is not worth spending when there are more urgent needs).. and the Yale brand door latch too.

Owh.. lest I forget, security was the main theme for my trip to Homedec this time round, although I also didn't miss the chance to get a feel on my butt off those heavily discounted yet still expensive bed frames + mattresses, sofas, dining sets etc. Nor for me right now ok.

I was at least satisfied with the improvement of my new house safety level, it being far from perfect notwithstanding. It all began when I was awakened at around 4am one night by the eerie sound of footsteps on the rooftop. Two possibilities evoked in my mind, burglars or metaphysical beings. I'd hate to think it was the second possibility as much as I'd hate the first one. The next best thing that conjured up in my mind on the dot was to call the police hotline.

Kudos to the policemen on duty who reached my housing area pretty fast. According to them, the area I was staying, and its adjacent villages and residences, used to be a black area, with many houses becoming prime targets of burglars and robbers. This adverse reputation faded after the culprit had been shot dead by the police not so long ago. But, crime can be deterred, not busted once and for all. The feeling I have until now is more inclined toward the more mortal form of creature who woke me up that nervous early hours of the day, hence the need for the security system.

So, while my search is still on for the most formidable burglar-unfriendly security system, I need to confide with the effectiveness of the 300W infra-red remote sensor which covers a distance of 12 metres in 240 degrees from left to right, and also the latch for which I just summoned my McGyver-like skill to fix it on my room door a few hours ago.

Now, I'm a lil' safer, although the sensor is yet to be fitted!!!

But, there's something else... (am not going to mention it now when the clock will strike 3)

Moving into my new house from the apartment I rented for the past 2 years may not be the greener pasture I have been dreaming of. It's my own house, though.

Brave through everything I will by the name of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful.

the woman with the bag

Her name is Ruzimah.. When I saw her step into the commuter, I quickly emptied my seat for her. Those days when I was younger (now, still young I am (",)), such a reaction was synonymous of myself especially when gorgeous chicks came by. Today, it ain't any curvaceous chick, though. Ruzimah was a blind woman of her early 50s, I guess. She in her traditional worn-out baju kurung looked much older. In her right hand was her walking stick.

What struck my eyes, and then my worryingly increasingly mean heart, was the bag in her left hand. Supported on her lap, 2 thick books which looked more like a set of 2 encyclopedia volumes fitted in the bag just nice. My instinct was telling they must be Braille books. Braille books they were. With the most polite and best-mannered way possible, I broke the ice with her by asking where she came from and was heading to. She was on her way back home from the National Library. (While I'm writing this blog, I pressed my lachrymal gland so I'd not shed tears).

I asked her again, "Akak selalu pergi library tu? Pergi sorang je ke?"
She answered, "Dah biasa, dah. Boleh pinjam buku kat situ."
"Siapa baca?"
"Siapa-siapa pun boleh baca."

For a few moments, I closed my eyes and tried to imagine being a blind man. I was not ready for that.

Then, I felt so small and guilty; small because one of Allah the Almighty's creations was teaching me to treasure my healthy eyes, and guilty to myself for not optimizing my healthy eyes to read regularly whilst a blind woman could frequent the National Library on her own just to borrow some books. And this fragile woman travelled from Kajang to the National Library to borrow Braille books not available in Kajang or somewhere nearer.

I was looking at my watch, trying to figure out if I could head straight back to Kajang to avail myself with more time talking to her. But, I already bought a ticket to somewhere else, therefore, I might not be allowed to pass through the gate at the Kajang station. When I was reaching the station where I was supposed to alight the train, I wished her all the best, left her my card and a few bucks, and told her to contact me using the details on the card should she need any help.

So touched by this encounter, I know it will live very very long in my memory as indelible as it may be.

The Malay Dilemma - Revisited

2 Menteri Besars.

Sultan - the 1st defendant in a litigation a political party will proceed with.

The power of the court.

Divided Malays.

Stubbornness.

Derhaka.

Melayu diperkudakan.. di mana bangsa lain masa demonstrasi?

Power struggle.

Corruption.

Profiteering, and puppeteering too.

When will this last?

English, Science and Maths.... BM?

This debate on the teaching of Science and Maths in English may carry on and on without any fair conclusion.

Whilst our passion in fighting for the already elevated position of English in the "Hall of Language" should receive positive response from every corner of the society, please bear with my humble opinion that our purposeful actions should also be predicated on practicality and effectuality of the original purpose itself.

If teaching English is meant to improve the proficiency of our students in Science and Maths, mainly those in the areas where English is hardly spoken, and produce our new generations who with their English proficiency can easily access technical knowledge and know-hows, and eventually contribute massively to our economic growth especially amid the unprecedented kinda global economic challenges, then forgive me to say that we should also teach our school students Accounting, Finance, Economics and other subjects in English. The reason being, there are lotsa subjects contributing to our economic growth, not just Science and Maths.

When we continue teaching Science and Maths in English yet the expected proficient level of our students still leave much to be desired, we start blaming those who champion the status, importance and usage of Bahasa Melayu (BM) despite their noble cause being well guarded by our most supreme law, the Federal Constitution re its Article 152. My humble opinion again, the cause to promote the wide usage of BM must not be condoned by all means mainly in the current of discontent among certain quarters with regard to certain provisions in the Constitution and in the undercurrent parallel to it. And some of us are taking the opportunity to blame the policy as a wrong move by the Government. There a vast difference between using BM at home and in formal communications. At home, our Malay students speak their mother-tongue in a casual way with slangs and dialects intertwined more often than not. This way of using BM got no place at work or when they attend classes, hence the reason to preserve and promote the usage of BM as an official teaching medium. Failing which, BM will one day become a dead language.

Promoting the teaching of Science and Maths in English is a good cause. The Government just sowed the seeds a few years back, but most of us seem to expect the fruits overnight, which sounds a bit unfair as the policy could only yield the expected results when those students who joined the program at its inception begin to demonstrate their proficiency in the job market, or earlier at their tertiary training grounds. Correct me if I’m wrong, but now most of us are arguing based on complaints in the job market where our university grads speak poor English during interviews or at work. Question, were these bunches part of the program? A KPI must be established at the tertiary level to gauge the success of the said program. Of course those who are left behind due to their bad results in school will not be scoped en. Let the market assess them, while we focus on those who start with the program from the beginning and assess them through our national examinations ie SPM, PMR and UPSR (although the third one may not provide the adequate testing grounds.)

In my early days, I always tell my friends or juniors or anyone who wanna know that language is what one uses to communicate and it develops along with the frequency of using it in one’s daily life. Consider Tarzan’s ability to speak the language of the monkeys. Although Tarzan is only a fiction, the lesson we could learn from his life is that when we use a language everyday, our brain will dictate the words of the language to flow through our mouth as quick a speed as the brain controlling our endocrine system in producing saliva in our mouth. Doctors here, please correct my fact. Try leave a Malay baby with a Chinese family, and the baby will speak fluent Chinese subject to the family’s dialect and usage of the Chinese language.

In all, I contend that we may continue the program with the notion at the back of our mind that teaching Science and Maths in English does not solely contribute to our nation’s economic growth, nor will it deprive our national language of any efforts to promote its usage and protect it position at its rightful pedestal. I’m not expert in this area. My tots over here are of my personal views, and they have no association whatsoever with my organizations and those professionally connected with me. And.. owh.. Forgive me for breaking my promise to compress my views. The subject matter is just too important to ignore.

Old is gold

David Beckham's on loan transfer to AC Milan has been received with mixed reactions.

My humble opinion is not intended to favor Beckham, but throughout the years all of us have known Mr. Golden Right Foot, sometimes it's not wrong to appreciate such a rare talent like him. He may not be the same we had expected and got of him in his heydays; nevertheless, he is still in his own league in certain aspects of football and is definitely from a different planet when we talk about cross-pitch deliveries.

Remember baby-face predator Solkjaer only needed to run towards the goal and Mr. Becks calculated the distance so perfectly his long ball fell right in front of running Solkjaer. And the rest is another goal from the man you think is only needed to sell shirts. I bet he got As for all his Calculus exam papers. And who else but the great Zidane acknowledged Beckham's delivery is perfect where in many instances spectators' jaws dropped seeing the ball flying to Zidane's chest out of nowhere.

From Becks' boot, that is. He arrived at Real Madrid with mixed perceptions - goals or shirts. He managed both successfully, helping Real Madrid out of 4 barren years to lift their domestic trophy as well as pulling the club out of the red to rake in millions of profits. Kewl... Albeit a year plus older, he is not useless. And Milan's manager may have the last laugh.

And to England - they need to find a new Beckham, and a new Scholes too...

Tanda-tanda kemalasan menulis, so salin dari laman saya yang lain - yang pernah bacanya (Wira etc) jangan maraa arr...

On my way back from Santiago back in October 2007, I was blessed with meeting nice people who helped me out of near-miseries although it’s their first time seeing this ordinary bloke. What and how they helped me may feature later in my future postings. But now, I just wanna zero in on people’s niceness and kindness to others in general, no matter how they look and what language they originally speak, and the lasting power these 2 mahmudahs possess.

Don’t think about ageing sign yet. These days, people complain about a growing concern of individualism in the society. When I flash back 15 years back during the final lapse of my secondary education, images of nice people would evoke in my mind. They are either my relatives, teachers, dorm-mates, friends or even passers-by merely smiling at me at bus-stops or in restrooms. Perhaps, as life then was less dictated by the breackneck pace, people would tend to accomodate more time for others.

Coming back to 2007, my recent experience is supposed to negate any notion that mankind is dealing with a growing number of individualists. Well, whilst still many beg to differ, I think I hafta be comfy with a preconceived notion that wherever I go, there will always be kind-hearted people who won’t hesitate to lend a helping hand in unavoidable circumstances where I need help.

Come to think of it - I mean that we should still be able to roam the planet conscious that we may not be left alone in the dark - one should also wonder how the society’s tolerance level against individualism is gonna take shape 20 years from now. Okey, this time lapse may be a bit too far ahead for you guys, but hey, if you can still visualise your life 20 years back, that means life is so short and probably, in a blink of an eye, blink blink blink, you are 20 years older, you see. So then, will there be nice people in 2027? I bet there will, do you?

Hehe, is looking to far ahead a sign of ageing process in me?

Bye