VALUE YOUR LIFE, DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE.

Less than a month ago, I wrote about 5 Things You Need to Know while Driving.

This morning I read about a terrible outcome from texting while driving. Read the letter below and I know you believe me when I say Javen here is lucky to be alive.

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The Star Online > Focus

Tuesday November 10, 2009

VALUE YOUR LIFE, DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE

REFERRING to the article “Don’t text and drive” (Sunday Star, Nov 8), I strongly urge drivers, whether experienced or just beginners, not to use the mobile phone while driving, especially texting. I met with an accident not long ago because I was texting while driving.

I lost control of the car, and it went straight into a dead end and hit a concrete wall. I suffered a broken bone on my shoulder and a swelling in my brain which, luckily enough, was not serious. And the car? It is a complete wreck now.

It all happened in a split second, and for the sake of a 10-sen message, it almost cost me my life.

If you think you are a driver experienced enough to be able to avoid this, think again. Accidents don’t discriminate. I have been driving for more than 10 years but a 10-sen message has cost me dearly.

Do not multi-task while you are behind the wheel. Concentrate on your driving and value your life and that of others.

JAVEN,
Kuala Lumpur.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF RANKINGS...?

Was minding my own business, reading the paper when I chanced upon:

The Star Online > Focus

Sunday October 11, 2009

HARD WORK PAYS DIVIDEND FOR UM

UNIVERSITI Malaya (UM), once a top university in Asia and recognised as a premier educational institution in this part of the world, has successfully made it to the top 200 universities in the Times Higher Education magazine – QS World University Ranking 2009.

Moving from 230 last year to 180 means that hard work was the order of the day and all those who were associated with instituting those needful changes deserve commendation for their unwavering input in wanting to bring back UM’s glorious past when it was once ranked 89 in 2004.

While there is reason for celebration, I hope UM would continue to strive to be among the top 100 universities in the world. UM’s best 2004 achievement was no flash in the pan and should serve as a motivation to bring it to another level of excellence.

This calls for undivided attention, commitment and selfless devotion among its staff, administrators, academics, and the senate, among others, who must collectively ensure no stone is unturned to propel UM further in terms of excellence, eminence, and distinction in providing quality education at both graduate and post-graduate level.

I am glad UM has placed great importance in wanting quality research and development done in its premises and that more facilities are being built or provided for these purposes.

On another note, I call upon UM to set the pace, momentum, and velocity for education quality and excellence as its distinguished and illustrious past indicate it has the means and capacities to propel itself to greater heights.

Many of our past and present leaders are alumni of the university and UM can stand tall that it has contributed significantly by providing leaders to serve the nation unreservedly.

Malaysia is blessed with many natural resources, and technology and other sciences, which are cornerstones of future growth and prosperity that are highly emphasised by the Government. It would be a real failure to the country if UM, together with other universities, do not spearhead both research and development of new things.

Be reminded that educational excellence can only be achieved through hard work. This is paramount if we want our institutions of higher learning to be noted as excellent places of learning and for research and development.

Sadly, four of our premier public universities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Utara Malaysia did not fare well in the ranking.

In this respect, USM, which was awarded Apex university status, is a real disappointment and certainly did not live up to its status.

DR TAN ENG BEE,
Kajang, Selangor.

---
I agree with him on most accounts but I did not like the way he ended his letter. Apparently, a lecturer from USM also shared my lack of enthusiasm with his conclusion.

The Star Online > Focus

Monday October 12, 2009

OUR VARSITIES GOOD, NO MATTER WHAT OTHERS SAY

I READ with disbelief “Hard work pays dividend for UM” (The Star, Oct 11), where the writer says that “USM … is a real disappointment and certainly did not live up to its (Apex) status.”

I am a lecturer at USM’s School of Education and I guess the time has come for us to follow USM’s motto - “We Lead” - and start educating the Malaysian public about The Times Higher Education Ranking, or any other ranking for that matter, and help people to realise what an absurd ranking it is.

I quote Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at the International Exposition of Research and Invention of Institutions of Higher Learning 2009 awards ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre: “We should not relate Apex too much with the THE-QS rankings. Apex isn’t meant solely for ranking purposes and we expect it to show results after 2010.”

Mohamed Khaled added that although the ministry was pleased that Universiti Malaya (UM) had improved 50 spots from last year to finish at 180, it was too soon to have another Apex university.

A quote by Times: “We do not pretend to be able to capture all of the intangible nuances of what it is that makes a university so special, and we accept that there are some criticisms of our methodology.

“These rankings are meant to be the starting point for discussions about institutions’ places in the rapidly globalising world – and how that is measured and benchmarked – not the end point. We encourage that discussion.”

At the same time, we should perhaps start getting the public involved in the various objectives of the Higher Education Ministry’s targets for our institutions of higher education.

We, at USM, decided some time ago that it is irrelevant for us to be caught up in the mythology, that is, the THESR (or any other rankings for that matter), and to instead focus on how we might serve the people of Malaysia and the world in a way that will not just stimulate the intellectual and moral growth of our people, but to also serve the less fortunate and less able.

Whether we are number 1 or number 1,000 on the superfluous and biased rankings of the THESR, we do not care.

Google, “Meaning of the THESR” or “Pros and Cons of the THESR” and you will find that 95% of the world have similar comments about the THESR, and no defence by the top 50 universities.

One would assume that most people of the world will not believe or should laugh at a survey that has a response rate of about 1%, from the 190,000 survey forms and emails issued.

UM, and USM, and all the other Malaysian universities that did or did not “go down in rankings”, are great in their own right and do not need rankings to reinforce this.

Dr THEVANANTHAN NITHYANANTHAM,
Penang.

---

Well said. Two days later, this happened.

The Star Online > Focus

Wednesday October 14, 2009

RANKINGS PROCESS IS PART OF FEEDBACK

I REFER to “Our varsities good, no matter what others say” (The Star, Oct 12). The powers-that-be at local public universities should not get tetchy and be embroiled emotionally following the new release of THE -QS rankings. The public can air their comments based on the rankings.

Of course, rankings won’t explain the true quality of any university. But at the end of the day, people around the globe, or employers especially, would look highly at candidates from Harvard, Cambridge, Yale, MIT, Oxford, Stanford, Chicago or Imperial College of London.

Quality is one thing but perception is another. It is about the yardstick and survey. No party in the world can claim that its survey is 100% accurate. But the yardstick or survey of anything gives some clues and direction.

It is similar to what the police are doing in their investigation, which is based on clues, evidence, signs, etc. They give them direction which, hopefully, lead them to prosecute.

If local universities feel they don’t need the rankings and the rankings are biased, then they should not respond to THE-QS survey. They should also ask for the Education Ministry to exclude them from the APEX rankings.

Rankings should not make us bitter and hurt. The rankings process is part of feedback. It is about self-examination.

Even now, government agencies undergo star rating process to rate which agencies have what it takes to be the best. Given the choice, one would prefer to put up at the five-star hotel to the lesser one.

Life is all about ratings and rankings. We cannot say we do not care about the rankings. We must care for the rankings and we must care for the quality of our service.

Even at university, you have lecturers of various rankings: lecturers, senior lecturers, associate professors, professors, vice-chancellors, etc.

So if you really care for the rankings in your career, why can’t be you care for the rankings of the university that you work for? We must take serious care of the quality of our degree courses. We must take care of the standard and quality of our research, even the quality of lecturers.

Nowadays, it is all about the best, top rated quality, second to none. If we don’t care about the quality and the mechanisms to measure quality, then our products and services are dead and have no market value.

Universities cannot claim to be great in their own right because they need to respond to the industries and customers, not to mention the academic world. Universities cannot work in solo.

Let’s face the world. If any university doesn’t care about rankings, I wonder how they select students to do degree courses at their university.

MAT,

Kuala Lumpur.

---
On the same day, this also came in.

The Star Online > Focus

Wednesday October 14, 2009

QUALITY OF GRADS MATTERS MORE

I HAVE been reading opinions related to the ranking of universities in The Times Higher Education Ranking. Comparisons were made by Dr Tan Eng Bee of Kajang and Dr Thevananthan of Penang between the ranked UM and the other non-ranking universities, particularly USM, an apex university which was mentioned in a not-so-good light by one of the writers.

In my humble opinion, universities are there as a higher learning institution where intellectuals meet, discuss and cooperate to develop new technologies and uncover new knowledge.Universities are not there to merely be ranked.

Besides, in any form of ranking, people are usually interested in the top 10, not the top 200.

And might I add that the ranking of 89 for UM in 2004 was made in error as Chinese and Indian students were mistaken as “foreign” students rather than local students.

The mistake was rectified in 2005 when the ranking for UM fell to 169 which, if I may so boldly point out, is still higher than the current placement of 180th.

So, rather than focus on how high or low our universities rank in the world, we should focus more on bettering our institutions of tertiary education for the good of all.

Let’s produce graduates who can communicate well in the working world; responsible graduates who are innovative, has initiative and with problem-solving skills. If they can throw in better people skill, it would be a bonus.

In short, let’s create graduates who can do their universities proud, no matter which university they came from.

BIG PICTURE,

Cheras.

---
With drama like this, who needs TV?

On a more serious note, read what another lecturer has to say. Plus, a little note from the Vice-Chancellor of USM, Dzulkifli Abdul Razak regarding this issue.

Now back to my coffee.

SERVICE, SERVICE! I WANT SERVICE! [updated]

It really gets to me when the workers at a restaurant, eating outlet or dining facility (they all mean the same thing – a place where you find food) provide lousy service and yet when they serve you the bill, there it is: Service Tax (5%), Terima kasih.

Recently two incidents happened to me that made me question the validity of this service tax they charge us.

During the month of Ramadan, certain food outlets will allocate seats for those who are due to break fast around 7 pm every evening. This I understand. Particularly when the ‘Reserved’ sign is placed on the table for all to see.

One day, close to the end of the Ramadan period, I went to one of these restaurants. It was one that I usually frequent and that day I thought that I was lucky to have found a table in the already 95% full shop, unreserved (no Reserve sign on the table). I sat down, placed all my shopping items and umbrella on the chair beside me, rubbed my sore knee and started to search through my phonebook for my husband’s mobile number.

A waiter approached me and said “Miss, this place is already reserved.”

For the love of god, there are two other tables beside my table, and another table in the interior of the shop that are unseated. There were no Reserved signs on the table I was on, and there are plenty of other non-fasting customers in the other tables next to mine. Apart from the apparent humiliation of being rejected from a shop that I patronise, I was in hunger, limping from a knee injury and now have to pack up all my stuff and exit the shop so that they can ‘wait’ for other more ‘worthy’ customers to come by.

I made it clear to him that I was not happy and sighed loudly for all to hear. As I grudgingly pack my stuff to leave, the waiter once again tested my patience.

“You can always come back later, Miss.”

Now wtf would I want to do that?

“No need, no need,” was all I could muster at that moment.

I met up with my husband seconds later outside the shop and as he helped me carry my shopping items (yes, I had quite a few bags with me) I told him what transpired and he himself was upset with the treatment I got. He wanted to go back to the shop and give the waiter a piece of his mind but I told him quite loudly that “if the shop does not want my business, I won’t give it to them”.

I am not unreasonable, and I am fast with my food. I am not one of those people who hogs the table for eternity after the food is all gone. After I’ve taken my fill, I’ll pay and leave for the next batch of customers to occupy the table. Besides, it’s not like there are no other tables left, or that I jumped queue in front of customers who want to break fast in that shop.

And for god’s sakes, I was ‘limping’.

We did not frequent that outlet for three weeks – until I stopped being upset with them.

---

At another place, after my order has been taken by the waitress, I had to wait forever for my food, only to find that the kitchen had not noticed my order. Had I not asked for it, I’d have to wait until the shop closes to be served my order.

Two nights ago, my husband and I went there, and the same thing happened, this time, to my husband. While I was chewing down my food, I’d hear a lot of loud laughter from the counter, fellow workers joking around and giggling amongst each other.

On the table next to mine, I hear the waitress telling the customer that they don’t have the ‘lau shu fen’ tonight, nor do they have the chicken wings, or the 'char sau', or…. (the list goes on). If you don’t have it… why don’t you have it? If it’s on the menu, you should have it, right?

And since they took forever to notice us waving our hands like lunatics to get their attention to get the bill, my husband went to the cashier himself to settle our bill.

Yes, I was also charged 5% there for the service.
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12 October 2009

Well, lookie h'ere:

The Star Online > Focus

Sunday October 11, 2009

WE SHOULD QUESTION SERVICE CHARGE IMPOSITION

P. GUNASEGARAN’S commentary, “The truth about service charges” (The Star, Oct 9), should be an eye-opener for all.

Malaysians should voice their concerns over service charge imposed on customers by restaurants, hotels and other retail establishments and most of them do it with no justification whatsoever.

Imposing a service charge is a sinister way of contributing towards the escalation in the price of goods and services. This charge is imposed irrespective of whether a customer can afford it or not. And what is most loathsome is that some retailers have the audacity to impose this “tax” even when the quality of service provided is far from satisfactory.

As accurately pointed out by the writer, most people have the misconception that this is a tax sanctioned by the Government. Can someone let me know under what legislation or by-law is the tax imposed? If there is none, then the onus is on the Government to at once put a stop to this practice.

Even more saddening is the quote by the Secretary of the Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Cooperative Ministry on service charge that “It is not regulated by any Government agency, and as to whether it is legal or not requires a study”.

The imposition of service charge inevitably impacts upon every strata of society. When the prices of goods and services are already high do we need to burden the consumers more? What surprises even more is that consumer associations are oblivious to or are ignoring this crucial issue affecting Malaysians.

JAMES GONZALES,
Kuala Lumpur.

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MR Gonzales, me no ignore this. Me furious with this. Me smash, me crash... wait a minute, that didn't come out right... ahem.. as this post surely does in every sense of every aspect, I agree with Mr Gonzales.

If you Bribe me, It's your Fault.

The Star Online > Focus

Friday September 25, 2009

GIVERS OF BRIBES TO BLAME FOR CORRUPTION

WHENEVER it comes to corruption and its ills, we conveniently pin the blame on parties on the take. We lose sight of those who give.

Sure, the takers have to be blamed. But if we truly believe that corruption is evil and must be eliminated, we must walk the talk ourselves. We must stop offering money to suit our selfish ends or to get ourselves out of a wrong that we have committed.

To me, the giver in any corrupt action or transaction is more guilty than the taker, as not many people can let an opportunity to earn easy money pass. The irony is that the givers are those most vocal about the deteriorating state of corruption of this country.

The next time you are caught breaking a rule, like a traffic offence, think twice before offering any incentive to get yourself a shortcut or selfish way out.

If you do make the offer, please do not blame others for being corrupt. It is you who started it.

CONCERNED CITIZEN,

Subang Jaya.

Did the contents really make you think twice about giving bribes? It didn’t do me much help.

Like many other people, I don’t like people wasting my time. And whilst I am not one who earns a lot, at least money can be earned back; my time, once wasted, can never be replaced. And I am not getting any younger either.

So given the choice of using money to buy back time which I find valuable, I think that it is a fair trade. To be clear, I do not condone bribery as I see it as a form of moral decay, which is not good for the soul.

But by saying that it is not the person’s fault to accept bribery because “not many people can let an opportunity to earn easy money pass [sic]” is like saying it’s not wrong for men to rape women because they dress in revealing outfits.

Truth be told, the service sector hasn’t been speeding up despite the advancement in technology and the use of computers and internal networks to aid them in their work. Gifts and greens are better motivations. This is reality. People needed to survive. Morale takes a back seat to a full stomach.

But in fact, both sides are wrong morally. You shouldn’t give bribes if you are at fault or have committed an offence, and you shouldn’t accept bribes to help someone get away after committing an offence.

In conclusion, just as it takes two to carry out bribery, it also takes two to not.

East Malaysia: the forgotten lands.

Read this this morning.

TheStar Online > Wednesday September 23, 2009

SOME FUZZY OVER SEPT 16 AND NATIONAL DAY

KOTA KINABALU: The difference in perspectives between Malaysians in the peninsula and those in Sabah and Sarawak over the country’s formation is making them think that there are 2Malaysias, says a human rights commissioner.

Former state secretary Tan Sri Simon Sipaun said Sabahans and Sarawakians in general regarded Sept 16, 1963 as the day the nation was formed. The date was when the two states teamed up with Malaya.

“However, in a recent discussion involving academics, lecturers and students in the peninsula, it was obvious that there was a different view of Sabah and Sarawak’s position,” said Sipaun, currently Suhakam vice-chairman.

“Some even said Sabahans should be grateful to Malaya for giving them their independence,” he said.

Sipaun said Aug 31, 1957 was the day Malaya attained its independence.

“But that date has no significance to the people in Sabah and Sarawak as it was only Malaya that became independent then.”

He said if such perceptions were allowed to prevail, there would be “a misinterpretation among some that there is a 2Malaysia.”

In this regard, he said efforts to boost the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia concept should go beyond mere slogans.

“We will only feel a sense of unity in the heart when the Government is not perceived as marginalising or discriminating against anyone, and is instead seen to be fair to all, regardless of their race, religion or culture,” said Sipaun.

He said Sept 16 should thus be given due recognition and celebrated on a national scale.

----

Strange that no one gives a damn about Sabah until five peninsular states were lost to the opposition. Tawau still experiences blackouts, the traffic is horrible for a town the size of one or two West M shopping malls, the international airport is quiet for most of the day and illegal immigrants outnumber Malaysians, at any time of the year. You want to talk about 1Malaysia? Do something Malaysian for Sabah first.

WTF

The Star Online, Thursday July 16, 2009

Promote Mandarin, not dialects

I AM responding to the letter “Speaking up to keep Chinese dialects alive” from CBH of Subang Jaya (The Star, July 14).

While it is good to know more dialects, I feel that it is not really necessary. Mandarin as a universal medium of communication is good enough. Take my case as an example. I recently got married and visited my parents-in-law last Chinese New Year, staying with them for 10 days.

My parents-in-law only speak Hock Chiew. It was traumatic because I could not understand Hock Chiew even though I can converse very well in Mandarin and Hokkien. I was overwhelmed by this “strange” dialect and I was like a dumb person.

I had this feeling of being left out, rejected and misunderstood. No one understood me even though my husband was willing to translate. I came away sick of not being able to interact with people in his hometown.

I believe Mandarin should be promoted so that there will be peace and understanding. Some of the dialects like Hock Chiew and Hainanese are very difficult to learn.

TYH,
Kota Damansara.

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Is there a bigger frog under a coconut shell out there? There seems to be a lot of ignorant souls out there who would try to change nature or a system to suit their own needs or wants. Refer PPSMI. Back to the issue at hand, rather than take the opportunity to learn Hock Chiew (I thought it was supposed to be hokchew?), she wants the whole town to relearn Mandarin, merely so she can understand them? I wonder what she would think if her husband asks that her parents learn Mandarin and discard Hokkien so he can understand them. God forbid that a person of this thinking would come to rule a nation or make important decisions that would affect the lives of many other people whose paths they would never cross.

Seeing this in a bigger picture form, speaking the dialects are not the only thing that makes a Hokkien hokkien or a Hokchew hokchew. I know that some people believe that in order to learn a culture you have to speak the language. But sometimes it could be the other way around: once you know a culture by heart, the language would be very easy to pick up.

The Chinese are a very 'tuan jie' type of people. They like to group together during festivals as much as they do during emergencies. They have unwritten codes of ethics, when to 'give face', when to not 'rat out on your friends or brothers', when to show your power over your husband (or when not to), and what to do to ensure that you do not bring shame to your parents or elders. But most importantly, they like to stick together. The only way you can split them apart would be through different dialects. However, deep down inside, a Hokkien will always be a Hokkien, a Hokchew will always be a Hokchew, regardless of who can speak Mandarin, or not.

PepeSmee.

A few days ago I wrote to a local paper regarding the Teaching Sci and Maths in English medium issue, also known as PPSMI (the full term is in Bahasa Malaysia). All the hype is being toned down by all main papers, probably because the Education Ministry is sticking to their latest change in policy and will not be swayed by the opinions of the 'minority' voting public.

Democracy sucks when it comes to this.

The contents of my letter mirrors parts of this article below. A rough translation accompanies each paragraph for those less fluent in my national language, BM.

Berita Harian, 18 Julai 2009

Sabah&Sarawak: Mansuh PPSMI dapat tingkat pencapaian pelajar pedalaman

PENSIANGAN (Sabah): Ibu bapa dan murid di kawasan pedalaman di sini yakin pemansuhan Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) pada 2012 bakal meningkatkan murid cemerlang kedua-dua subjek itu dalam peperiksaan utama.

Parents and teachers in the rural areas here are confident that the 'cancelation' of PPSMI in 2012 will increase the number of students who will achieve good results in the two subjects in public examinations.

Ini kerana PPSMI menyebabkan kebanyakan pelajar sama ada di sekolah rendah atau menengah di pedalaman gagal mencapai kejayaan cemerlang dalam peperiksaan utama berikutan tidak memahami bahasa Inggeris.

This is because most students in primary or secondary schools in rural areas fail to achieve good results in public exams due to their inability to understand English.

Dengan mengikuti pengajaran dan pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Malaysia, mereka yakin lebih mudah memahaminya, sekali gus mencapai kejayaan dalam Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) dan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

By following the teaching of Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia (national language), we are confident [sic] that they will be able to understand the subjects better, and thus achieve good results in UPSR, PMR and SPM (main examinations in primary and secondary schools in Malaysia).

Ketua Kampung Sumabi, Mantoi Paling, 59, berkata murid di kampung itu sukar memahami Sains dan Matematik yang diajar dalam bahasa Inggeris kerana tidak menguasai bahasa berkenaan.

Sumabi Village Chief, Mantoi Paling, 59, says that students in the village find it hard to understand Science and Mathematics that are taught in English because they are not fluent in the language.

"Kami gembira kerana anak kami lebih memahami Sains dan Matematik yang diajar dalam bahasa Malaysia. Dalam peperiksaan UPSR, PMR dan SPM sejak beberapa tahun lalu, tidak ramai murid di kampung ini mendapat keputusan cemerlang kerana tidak memahami bahasa Inggeris," katanya kepada Berita Harian, di sini semalam.

"We are happy because our kid [sic] can better understand Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia. In UPSR, PMR and SPM in the past few years, not many students in the village can achieve good results because they do not understand English," he said to Berita Harian, here yesterday.

Seorang penduduk, John Edward Limposon, 58, berkata PPSMI hanya akan berkesan jika sekolah di pedalaman dilengkapi kemudahan asas, terutama bekalan tenaga elektrik, jalan raya dan makmal komputer.

A villager, John Edward Limposon, 58, says that PPSMI is only effective if rural schools are equipped with basic necessities, especially electrical supply, roads and computer labs.

Katanya, PPSMI tidak berkesan kerana komputer yang dibekalkan di sekolah pedalaman tidak mampu digunakan sepenuhnya kerana ketiadaan bekalan tenaga elektrik.

He says, PPSMI is not effective because the computers provided to the rural schools are not used fully due to the lack of electrical supply.

"Untuk mendapatkan sumber tenaga, sekolah terpaksa bergantung kepada generator. Inilah masalah dihadapi pelajar di pedalaman seperti kampung ini," katanya.

"To get an energy source, the school has depend on generators. This is the problem faced by rural students in areas such like this village," he says.

Pensiangan adalah satu daripada kawasan luar bandar di Sabah. Dengan jarak kira-kira 80 kilometer dari Keningau, daerah ini jauh ketinggalan dari aspek kemudahan asas seperti jalan raya, tenaga dan air.

Pensiangan is one of the rural areas in Sabah. Located nearly 80 kilometres from Keningau, this province is far behind in many aspects such as basic facilities like roads, energy and water.

Murid Tahun 5 Sekolah Kebangsaan Pensiangan, Willie Mantoi, berkata beliau dan murid lain sukar memahami PPSMI kerana tidak menguasai bahasa berkenaan.

Primary 5 student of Pensiangan National School, Willie Mantoi, says that he and other students find it hard to understand PPSMI because they are not fluent in the language.

"Memang bagus dapat belajar Sains dan Matematik dengan menggunakan komputer tetapi kami tidak faham kerana ia diajar dalam bahasa Inggeris," katanya.

"It is good to learn Science and Mathematics with computers but we do not understand because the subjects were taught in English," he says.

Seorang guru di SK Sibangali yang enggan dikenali, berkata PPSMI tidak berkesan kerana komputer dalam makmal komputer sering rosak akibat terpaksa bergantung kepada generator.

A teacher in Sibangali National school who refused to be identified, says that PPSMI is not effective because computers in the computer lab break down a lot due to its dependence on generators.

"Kemudahan komputer untuk PPSMI di pedalaman tidak dapat digunakan seperti di bandar kerana sumber tenaga bergantung kepada generator," katanya.

"Computer facilities for PPSMI in rural areas cannot be used as they are used in urban areas because their power source depends on generators," it says.

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1. I find the news article redundant and repetitive (i'm being redundant here as a point) at so many levels. They need better editors.

2. Notice that the quoted villagers have English names: John Edward, Willie... IF the majority of the people there cannot speak English, why do they have English names?

3. Energy sources = generators. Can somebody send people over to Sabah to check out the situation, rather than just sit in their offices reading graphs and statistics off a sheet of paper, information written by people who also have not left their offices and flown over to check out the real reason behind this lack of competition by rural area students vs urban area students?

4. You can't expect kids to know a subject taught in a language they are not fluent in. True? True.
You can't expect kids to know a language without teaching them first. Correct? Correct.
You can't expect teachers to teach a language if they are not fluent in that language. Understand? Understood.
So.. rather than send teachers who can teach the language and the subjects, they revert everything back to BM, because it is easier for everyone. Betul? Lazy, irresponsible, selfish, ridiculous... but ya, Betul.

5. Beliau in the article should only be used for people of importance, not for a Year 5 student. Again, they need better editors.

6. I grew up in Sabah. Tawau. They want to turn it into a city in the next decade but when I was growing up there, it can be considered a rural area. Okay I exaggerate, yes, we have electricity and indoor plumbing.

But we were still quite dependent on generators because our TNB had lousy dynamos / electricity generators. Even now, citizens of Tawau experience blackouts occasionally. We are used to it. If it were to happen in Peninsular Malaysia, it would be headline news.

But anyways, my sisters and I grew up in Tawau, Sabah. We can speak Mandarin, English and BM and people can understand us in all three languages. We can also speak Hokkien. I am learning Hakka and Cantonese. My sister, married to a hokchiew, is learning that dialect. My other sister is learning Kadazandusun in university and can speak fluent Korean and even write it because of her love of Korean boy bands and Korean music overall. The last one knows sms shorthand and Internet language. I can barely understand her sometimes. But that is not the point.

Despite the many other forms of communication we can use or languages we can speak, we are all agreeable to having Science and Mathematics taught in English. Not because we can understand the language, or that we can score in the subject during public examination, but because we know and acknowledge the importance of learning the two subjects in a language that will prepare students for future advancement during higher education.

You can't always live in the moment. You have to be prepared for tomorrow today. And even if you do not want to or were unable to reap the benefits of this policy, you should at least give your kids that opportunity.

Otherwise, you're being selfish, or a politician fishing for votes while denying it.

Sigh.. here we go again.

All it takes is for someone to pose a question and the media and the public are went into a frenzy. Latest topic to graze the news arena in Education is:

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The Star Online > Tuesday June 9, 2009

DPM: English not a ‘must pass’ for SPM?

By KAREN CHAPMAN

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is surprised to learn that English is not a “must pass” subject for SPM and wants public feedback on the matter.

The Education Minister said it was a revelation to him as he had always thought that it was a prerequisite since students had to learn English in school.He was also shocked to learn that national schools no longer taught English grammar.

“I don’t know how you can learn English without knowing grammar,” he told newsmen after launching the Kirkby College alumni association.

Muhyiddin said students were now merely learning communicative English.“This means they are picking up the language for communication purposes only,” he said, adding that almost 70% of students who take English pass the subject.

The minister said he would seek public view on the matter.“We may deliberate on it at the ministry level but as Education Minister, I want to give the public a chance to share their views,” he said. (A pass in English has never been compulsory for SPM. Since 2000, a pass in Bahasa Malaysia was sufficient to get the SPM certificate. Previously, a credit was a must.)

Muhyiddin said he wondered if rural students would be at the losing end if a pass in English was required in SPM.He also said he did not know if not having to pass English meant the standard of the language had gone down

A retired lecturer and teacher trainer said the teaching of grammar was integrated into four main language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing in English lessons for students.

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And so the debate on whether or not to make English a must pass subject in SPM commences.

And whilst even Dr M is on the side who is pro on the move, on June 10th, this report came around:

The Star Online > Wednesday June 10, 2009

Many object to making English a ‘must pass’ SPM subject

By KAREN CHAPMAN

PETALING JAYA: Most of the 500 views received by the Education Ministry as at the end of office hours yesterday are against any move to make English compulsory in order to obtain the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate.

A ministry official said those who contacted the ministry wanted the status quo to remain.

“We started receiving telephone calls from 10am until 5.30pm yesterday,” she said.

From today, she said people could telephone the ministry’s hunting line at 03-7723-7070 with their views from 8am to 5.30pm. “There are 27 lines and we have enough people manning them,” she said.People can also e-mail their views to kpkpm@moe.gov.my or send a fax to 03-7710-8880.

On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said he was surprised to learn that English was not a “must pass” subject for SPM and wanted public feedback on the matter.

The Education Minister said it was a revelation to him as he had always thought that it was a prerequisite since students had to learn English in school.

A pass in English has never been compulsory for SPM. Since 2000, a pass in Bahasa Malaysia was sufficient to get the SPM certificate. Previously, a credit was a must.

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When I read the report, immediately my 'siren' went off. One, the title is very misleading. 500 (callers) is not exactly a significant amount. We have hundreds of thousands of students taking SPM every year, all of them have parents. Yet, only 500 called the Education Ministry, most to object to the idea. Now, if you sit back and think about it... would you even call the Ministry if you want to support the idea? Well, I supported it and I didn't think to call the Ministry to say that I do. The conversation would be so weird...

...Do you support the notion?

..Yes.

...Then why are you calling?

O_o

Anyways, amongst all the reports in the news, I found the stupidest opinion presented in the following form.

“If a student obtained As in all subjects except English, this means he failed his SPM. He would become a victim of the English Language colonisation,” he said.

Makes sense, and patriotic but ... how often does a student with all As in all subjects fail English? SPM English isn't exactly tough. I know a person who got a 3B in SPM English but the person can't even write a proper email to a client. Now, that's Sad. By the way, Person said has 8 As to its name and yes, her English sucks but it's still a 3B (a strong credit) by current standards. So this statement seemingly makes sense but it actually doesn't,

So what is the problem? I think it boils down to whether we want to do it or not. As heard from a TV show I watched the other day, it is like going to the moon, we have to want to do it. Otherwise, let's just close all discussion and condemn the future generations to certain doom... I mean, forget about it.

Domestic abuse and what was not done

Domestic abuse occurs everywhere in the world so long that there is someone to beat up and someone to do the beating. Even in the Chinese language, there is a proverb that goes something like "One is willing to take the beating, and the other is willing to do the beating." The proverb is loosely used to shrug off the general public's responsibility of breaking up an unhealthy relationship.

For example, you see the wife asking the husband for money to go the market with and he gives her a scolding on how fast she went through the money he gave her last time. Of course, the husband never goes to the market and has no inkling of how much chicken costs per kg now but ... ah, he's the breadwinner, and therefore he has the say. So if the woman is to endure the constant scolding, or perhaps the occasional beating, then who are you, their neighbour to break up such a 'lovely' relationship?

The first step towards getting out of a relationship that has domestic abuse fixed in its daily schedule is to ask for help. That, to many offering this advice, is the hardest part towards recovery. The second step is for the proper authorities to acknowledge that help. The third step is for the proper authorities to extend help to the victim so they can ensure he becomes a survivor.

Well, as the following news report may or may not prove, all three steps may be equally hard to achieve.

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The Star Online > Opinion > Wednesday May 20, 2009

Mother of four on the run from abusive hubby

A MOTHER of four has moved homes more than 20 times in Kuala Lumpur to evade her abusive husband, Harian Metro reported.

The 50-something woman, known only as Saadiah, alleged that her husband ignored all the police reports filed by her following his abusive ways.

Saadiah said she had been living in fear of her husband who had chased her around the house with a knife after beating her up and accusing her of infidelity.

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The following is a letter written by a reader in response to the news report above.

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The Star Online > Opinion > May 21 2009

Do more to protect women

WE have had several reports in the papers about domestic violence and an equal number of government initiatives to rectify this most appalling of crimes. And yet we continue to have shocking headlines such as this "Mother of four on the run from abusive hubby"(The Star, May 20). (...be thankful that it reached the headlines)

I would assume that Saadiah’s predicament has been happening over a number of months, if not years. She also claims that her violent husband had ignored all the police reports that she had filed about his abusive ways.

I fail to understand why the abuse was allowed to continue because she states that she has had to move house more than 20 times. What is the role of the police in this and what of our social services? (apparent breakdown of step two) Surely one is not to run to an NGO when the Welfare and Social Services Department is presumably the first port of call when one is in trouble? (can't reach step three if you skip step two)

The violent husband has behaved in a threatening way to Saadiah, brandishing a knife while chasing her and also beating her up. Her life had been placed in danger. She was at risk of injury and a crime was taking place.

Why was he not arrested and charged? Or would Saadiah have to come to harm first before something firm, concrete and final is done about him? (common in Malaysia, unless there is a murder, an attempted murder isn't good enough for them to get serious) Why was such paralysis shown by the law enforcement officers? What has the wife to do to enable the police to arrest him? At the cost of serious injury to her perhaps? Or her life, possibly?

Why was she not given advice that she could seek the court’s help and apply for a non-molestation order to protect her against future violence? Or is there no provision for this under our Family Law Act?

Surely, the laws must be there in place to protect vulnerable women like Saadiah. However, if there is insufficient provisions in the law, something must be done about this – and fast. I am aware of how the wheels of law grind ever slowly in our system. (ouch!)

But could the problem also be that of enforcement? I suspect that she has not been informed of her rights, of what she can or cannot do to protect herself and her children who are equally vulnerable. (which is why awareness campaigns and exercises are important)

In my experience, it is the government departments which do not disseminate information that could help the victim. Sometimes, the person on the ground is so ignorant of the help that is available. At other times, it is the attitude of the staff dispensing this information.

A person who is in desperate need of help should not be subject to further abuse from a civil servant. Maybe rigorous staff retraining is in order and can be one item to be put on Datuk Shahrizat’s urgent checklist of “to dos”.

The other common problem faced is that information such as critical phone numbers of relevant NGOs or even government agencies which have been detailed to help victims of domestic violence are not displayed prominently in police stations, community boards in the meeting halls, lobbies of mosques, temples and churches, and libraries.

In the same manner, leaflets displaying more detailed information such as services offered or helplines can be collated in leaflets and again prominently displayed for handing out to those who need it. As an additional measure, the information should be in the four major languages. (and perhaps, we need to ensure they can read it first. Must not take that for granted. Our education system doesn't exactly transcend all boundaries, ensuring everyone gets their 3Rs right.)

Let me reiterate. Please do not allow the system to further let vulnerable women like Saadiah down. If there are flaws in the system, please correct them. (aye, aye!) Musawah, Senada, Rumah Nur and the other countless conferences or initiatives mean nothing if they are not put into good practice to produce effective results.

MARIAM MOKHTAR,

Ipoh.

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One, I can't begin to imagine the level of fear Saadiah (probably not her real name) has to go through every day. Her strength to continue surviving, moving 20 times, is a testament of the strength of women who won't take it sitting down, with or without outside help. This I tabik.

Two, it is so much easier to write a letter of complaint, expressing one's disappointment and amazement at how ineffective our authorities are, than to extend a helping hand to one who is actually experiencing domestic violence. Frankly, that letter is not going to help save Saadiah's life. You and I both know that.

Three, protocol is a knife that cuts both ways, ensuring that things can be done in a way that is really easy, or really really difficult. For the police to do something, victims of a crime must first lodge a report. No report lodge, then there is no crime. That is how the system works, whether we like it or not.

Four, if they catch the bastard, I hope that they will subject him to half the amount of fear he has put his wife through just to see how strong he is when he is not brandishing knives at the woman he swore to protect on the steps of matrimony.

Consensual Sex vs Rape

Okay, time for a topic that is of a serious note.

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The Star Online > Thursday May 7, 2009

YOUTH OVERSLEEPS AFTER SEX WITH TEENAGER

KUANTAN: A teenaged couple, who had spent the night together having sex in the girl’s house, was caught after the boyfriend apparently dozed off.

The girl’s stepmother was shocked to find the naked man in bed with the sleeping girl when she came to wake her up for school on Tuesday morning.

State CID chief Asst Comm T. Narenasagaran said the stepmother, aged 46, went to the girl’s room on the second floor of the house at about 7.10am.

When she opened the door, she spotted the 18-year-old youth, who then got up to dress.

“The woman questioned the youth, who later admitted having sex with the girl as they were lovers.

“A police report was lodged and we have detained the youth,” he said, adding that initial investigations revealed that the youth had sneaked into the girl’s room the night before.

The case has been classified as rape.

In a separate case, a 13-year-old girl was raped by a man on the pavement in front of SK Mat Kilau here on Tuesday night.

ACP Narenasagaran said the victim had followed the man for a joyride around town after a quarrel with her mother.

He said the 21-year-old man then took the victim to the secluded spot at about 9pm, where he suddenly forced himself on her.

“The victim broke down upon reaching home and told her mother of the incident before lodging a report.

“We have identified the suspect and will pick him up for questioning soon,” he said.

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For those who have no idea, sex with a minor of under 16 years of age carries the charge of statutory rape here in Malaysia. This means that regardless of your girlfriend or boyfriend consenting to the act of sex with you, if they are under the age of 16 then you will be charged with raping them.

The idea itself in my opinion is ridiculous. Why? Rape occurs when the woman does not oblige or consent to being involved in a sexual act with another person, usually a man. If she consents to it, then it is not considered rape. This is why it is particularly hard for a woman to be charged of raping a man. If he does not 'consent' physically, she won't have been able to rape him, would she?

Anyways, take the news article above as an example. The two lovebirds consented to the act of consensual rape, but now only the boy, who unfortunately is 18 years old, will be charged with this. And with a serious charge that will probably stick for life, raping a person, be it statutory or not. The girl is as guilty as the boy but she will get away with this scot free because apparently she can have sex but she isn't mature enough to 'understand' the consequences of sex at such an early age.

We should all probably grow up and smell the Kopi O. But I digress.

Imagine how complicated this will be if the boy were also below 16 years of age. Do the police charge them both of statutory rape?

Which leads us to the second part of the news article about the 13 year old being raped at the pavement outside a school, at night, by someone who offered her a joyride, that she took because she fought with her mom. I might be paranoid but most of us know better than to follow a man she cannot trust out into the night all by herself. Aren't there enough reported gang rape cases to scare some common sense into teenage girls and young women nowadays?

Sigh...

Hmm.. this doesn't make sense.

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The Star Online> Friday April 24, 2009 MYT 5:26:00 PM

POOR PREGNANT MUM JAILED A DAY AND FINED RM1000

By MEERA VIJAYAN AND AUSTIN CAMOENS

JOHOR BARU: A pregnant woman was sentenced to one day in jail and fined RM1,000 after she told a Magistrates court she stole baby clothes worth over RM150 because she was too poor to pay for it.

Housewife Chai Suk Yee, 26, from Taman Daya, was charged with committing the offence at Level 2 of Jusco Tebrau City at around 3.30pm on April 23.

She was accused of stealing a list of 10 items of baby clothes and accessories worth RM158.70.

Chai, who pleaded guilty, told Magistrate Hafizah Johor Ariff Johor that she took the clothes for her unborn child because she could not afford to buy the clothes.

She also said that she was unemployed and her husband did not have a stable job.

Hafizah then sentenced her to one day jail and an RM1,000 fine or one month jail if the fine was not paid. Chai paid the fine.

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There has to be more to this than meets the eye. First, how can 10 baby items and accessories be worth only Rm158.70? A cute dress would cost about RM40 in a normal supermarket. Okay, I'm kidding. There are items or baby clothes that cost around RM10 per piece, but if I'm shoplifting, I might as well take expensive ones right?

Next, I get all my baby stuff from friends, sister in law and colleagues: hand-me-downs save you a lot. Seriously. Why buy? or steal? Just tell people you're pregnant. It's like a green light for people to dump used stuff on you.

Up next, let me get this straight: she is unemployed, the husband doesn't have a steady job and so she goes shoplifting... but she is able to pay the RM1000 fine?

And one last thing, the lady shoplifted less than RM200 worth of items and she is jailed and fined RM1000. For a person who distributes lewd photos, they will only be charged in court and fined a measly RM100. Now that is really the most mind-boggling part of this whole affair. Someone in the law-making department should take a look at this. But then again, it would take forever to get anyone to do anything since no one has died from anything related to this.

It's about time that this be taken seriously.

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The Star Online> Friday April 24, 2009

KARPAL FALLS OUT OF WHEELCHAIR IN COURT COMPLEX

KUANTAN: Karpal Singh fell from his wheelchair when he was about to attend a High Court hearing involving Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob and logging company Seruan Gemilang Makmur Sdn Bhd here Friday.

The Bukit Gelugor member of Parliament who was also an attorney for Seruan Gemilang, was initially carried by several aides up the stairs at the court complex with him remaining in the wheelchair.

But they lost balance and Karpal was tipped onto the five-foot way.

"It's time for us to have a good system with facilities for the disabled.

“Fortunately nothing happened to me. If something had, there'd be another by-election," he told reporters after the court proceedings.

He said this was the first time that he had fallen from the wheelchair.

He said his back hurt and he found difficulty in moving his hands, initially, after the incident, he said. Karpal, 69, became wheelchair-bound after a road accident on the way home from the Bayan Lepas International Airport in Penang on Jan 29, 2005.

Friday's court proceedings wa to hear the mentri besar's application for a stay of execution of a RM63 million judgement in favour of Seruan Gemilang following a suit for a breach of agreement allegedly committed by the Pahang government.

In court, Karpal and co-counsel Rajoo D. Moothy asked Justice Datuk V.T. Singham for more time to reply to an affidavit filed by Adnan who was represented by lawyer Datuk Shafie Abdullah and State Legal Adviser Datuk Mat Zara'Ai Alias on Wednesday.

Following this, the court postponed the hearing to next Thursday. - Bernama

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You can bullshit all you want about Malaysia being a country with first world infrastructure, her own National Car, having one of the toughest education systems in the world (STPM) or being able to send a man into space, but we are still far behind many countries in care-giving and having disabled-friendly transportation systems as well as friendlier access to commercial and government buildings.

For those who don't know him, Karpal Singh is a prominent lawyer who handles high-profile cases, is a member of Parliament and the Opposition party, very outspoken and wheelchair-bound. Plus, as seen on the newsclip on tv just now, after he settled all his matter at the court complex, they had to carry him down the same flights of steps.

It was during my pregnancy that I was made to realize how difficult it is to go up and down flights of staircases, especially when you are in your third trimester. I live on the third floor of an apartment/flat complex. There are no lifts in the building. You can imagine how out of breath I am when I reach the top or the bottom, how many stops I took in between each staircase... and I don't even want to think how I'm going to make it back to the house after I deliver next Tuesday. Sigh...

Phone ransoms

Criminals are either getting smarter or the Internet is doing more damage than it good for the rest of us.

A while back, I received an email about a scam that is occurring in the Phillipines where a mother receives a phone call demanding a ransom of a disclosed amount of money for the safe return of her son that is being held for ransom.

She tries calling the son but she couldn't get him and so she paid the money, only to find out that her son had been safe, in school, the whole time.

Prior to the call she received, the son had been receiving several crank calls that made him switch off his mobile so he could concentrate in class. Hence, the reason why the mother could not get through to her son to make sure he was okay.

Apparently, this thing is making its way to Malaysia, or perhaps, have been around for sometime now. And, it is evolving.

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NST Online> Local News

BIGGER MENACE OF PHONE RANSOMS

KUALA LUMPUR: The phone ransom menace has spread from the Klang Valley as the syndicate behind it has expanded operations nationwide.

It is now operating in Sabah, Penang and Johor, where several cases have been detected.

It is believed the syndicate had moved its operations due to the "heat" from police in the Klang Valley.

The syndicate is also said to be using local phone numbers instead of relying on those issued by international telecommunication companies.

Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Da- tuk Seri Bakri Zinin said the modus operandi was to gather background information on the victim and family through random phone calls.
Once it had obtained the details, it would make a telephone call saying that a particular member of the family had been kidnapped and demand that the phone not be disconnected until the ransom had been transferred into a bank account or paid by Western Union transfers.

Bakri said in some cases, syndicate members would use the sound of children crying in the background to "authenticate" their claim.

"Although it is a scary experience, I ask the public to stay calm and think rationally about the demand.

"Please try to find ways to check on the location of your loved ones before believing what the syndicate members are claiming."

Bakri said there were cases where the syndicate was exposed when the families found the "victims" were safe.

"Some families just shrug off the experience and do not bother to lodge a police report."

Bakri said that the police were compiling data on such cases to help in investigations


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Scary, isn't it?

The worst part about this is that if the scammers were to be caught in the act, they will only be trialed on the basis of scamming people; not kidnapping, not endangering the lives of civillians, not even for extortion because they practically lied about having kidnapped a particular victim.

We aren't big on punishing scammers, heck, we aren't even big on punishing people who distribute questionable contents as in the case of Eli Wong's private photos... which reminds me, haven't they found that jerk boyfriend of hers yet? I mean, he isn't a terrorist or an international smuggler. How hard is it to find an average Joe like that? You know what, as a passing thought, maybe we should get help from that MACC fella who closed the case against Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's lembu case.

What? He works fast what.