TAKING A MASTER

It's been a while since my last blog entry and my fingers are itching to churn out words once again. Having no other familiar outlet to release this urge, I return to my abandoned blog to resume my writing and to further update my online diary that will be read most often by no one but the future me. It doesn't sound so bad despite how I put it.


So the first semester of my MPS studies have been completed and it turned out better than I had expected: the people I met, the things I've learned, the experiences experienced... it was well worth the months I was there. Results-wise I did a lot better than I had expected. At least I could write in the sms I sent to my dad that I topped the class. It was hardly a win but at least I did my best and I was lucky enough to be able to reap the rewards. 


Others were not so lucky.


I felt that while it was important to be active in class, it was more important - at least for me - to participate and be involved in with your classmates, your lecturers, the lessons and the assignments. Back when I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I only "performed" when it came to presentations. Speaking in public, presenting my thoughts was a skill acquired during my late secondary school years. They have brought me far, given me confidence that would make me do relatively well academically. I'd never thought that it would also help in securing good results for my Masters. 


You see, most of the time the lecturers for a Masters programme here in Malaysia don't really want to fail the students. They are not there to be tested; they are there to gain knowledge. And they can do that by doing assignments, group or individual, and by reading a lot and through discussions with course-mates. Exams are a formality, at least concept-wise. It is hardly a good measure of how 'good' a student is by for the lack of a better measuring system, the Malaysian government is content to be contented with what works now. 


I gave my all in my assignments, but it wasn't the 'assignments' that were the hard part... it was making the other group mates commit more to the assignment than what they can (or want to). 


Managing people is hard and it gets really hard when they are not the same age or wavelength as you. If they are older, you have to plea to them, carefully selecting the right words to convince them to do this or that, if they are younger, you will hear the words 'chill' a lot and on the night before the submission deadline, do not expect to get any sleep at all. Everyone works in their own mysterious way and sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't.


For two of my closest friends for this course, it didn't work out as well as they thought. I am glad that we are all going through to the next semester without having to retake any of the papers but having seen them work so hard for their assignments, I really wanted to be happy with their results, like I am. But that's just the naive me talking. Besides, they have probably forgotten about the results by now. 


And now on to the dissertation. I must read. And read. And read now...

WHY BERSIH 2.0 IS IMPORTANT FOR MALAYSIA

I am not affiliated with any political party. I am only loyal to my family, my husband, my daughter and my parents, not necessarily in that order. 

Today, in my country, Malaysia, people took to the street in peaceful demonstration to ask for a reform of the electoral process in Malaysia, a democratic country. 

The government did all it could to stop people from attending the rally: conducted road blocks, rejected permits for the rally - making it illegal, put up road closures on the night before the rally, shut down light rail transit stations, issued warnings via mainstream media, news stations, the mainstream dailies, on radio, via advertisements to ask that nobody attend the rally. 

And what happened? This.

 Click for source.

Visit bersih.org or the facebook page for Bersih 2.0 for more photos, but while you're here, here is what the rally was all about.

Click for source

This has gone far enough. The powerful bully the weak. They pull strings and 'mismanage funds' and while many Malaysians are still oblivious of how they are being cheated out of their honest earnings by the corrupted, I am lending my support to the Bersih cause because of my daughter. We are still a long way from being a corrupt-free country, but today I learn of a quote that I will remember for the rest of my life.

If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace - Thomas Paine.

Peace. [Yeah, that would be nice.]

HAPPY 53RD BIRTHDAY, MALAYSIA!

In exactly one hour from the beginning of this blog post, the country that I live in, Malaysia will be turning 53. And every year at the end of the month, we find ourselves reminded of what it really means to be patriotic. None of us really know.

I've never 'celebrated' Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) by sticking with a crowd of several tens of thousands to watch a ten minute display of air-polluting fireworks not because I'm a wet blankie but I am part of the generation which celebrates independence day our own way. We don't fly flags on the rooftops of our cars two weeks before the 31st comes because we fear that the flag will get drenched in the rain. Besides, have you ever really thought of what happens to the mini-flags post-merdeka day?

I grew up in a school which taught us that the Malaysian flag should never be allowed to touch the ground so as to not dirty it. It was a rule we held on to, even inside our hearts, and even to this day. We find our own way to remind ourselves and the people around us that independence day is really a day to be celebrated.

For starters, we pay our taxes and summonses as required because 1. we owe it to the government to do our duty and 2. It was our fault anyways and it beats submitting to paying a less hefty fine to get out of trouble aka bribery.

We also don't litter or vandalise government property.

We don't eat our lunches in front of our muslim friends during the fasting month.

We don't tell people to go back to their home country just because we are so powerful we don't get in trouble when we say it out loud OR we're drunk in a parliament session.

We don't make insulting rap songs just to prove a point. That's Namewee's job.

We don't call our friends immigrants, even though we all are. Only Orang Asli's are the real owners of the land that are theirs no longer, politically at least.

Note: I use 'we' throughout the whole post because I'd like to believe that I am not alone. Which I am not.

Call me optimistic. We don't care. We get to pray to our Gods in a country where everyone understands that other people have their own Gods to pray to. We don't crucify others for being different. We don't force others to conform to our religions and practices either. 

That would have been what our forefathers would have wanted for us to do. To cherish the aftermath of a fight for freedom in a time when we had more reason to hate each other and fight each other, but instead, we stuck with each other through thick and thin, followed 1party to freedom and formed a whole new nation on Dataran Merdeka on this very day 53 years ago. 

I wish that we have not forgotten like many other things that we have lost memory of that Tunku Abdul Rahman called Merdeka seven times, not three. And that's the truth because there were thousands of witnesses who heard him and saw him raise his hand to the sky to declare that we are free of colonial rule, that we are free to walk the streets with our heads held high, that we can be called 'citizens' for the very first time after milleniums of being the trophy of conquests, to die by the hundreds of thousands in senseless war brought on by reckless greed and the need to bully and control the weak and defenseless.

I wish that we do not forget our friends in Sabah and Sarawak who joined us on the 16th of September and truly forming Malaysia as we know it now, who celebrate merdeka with the people on Tanah Melayu because they fought their own wars against war-bringers with their own agendas. 

And I wish that we do not forget the many who have died to set us free. We may not know their names or even pronounce them correctly. They may be of Malaysian blood; they may be of foreign blood but there are those who did their part in securing our homeland for us, consciously or not. We remember them by naming streets, landmarks, monuments, schools, universities, megastructures after them... lest we forget.

And there are many who forget. Because forgetting is easy, appreciating is too damn hard.

CUT THE CRAP

It's the sixth day of the Chinese New Year and the 50th day of the year 2010.

I have three dead bodies behind me who somehow are still breathing (very loudly - kinda like a snore, oops... I've said too much). I'm freezing from the cold blaring air from the old and surprisingly still workin AC above me. Apart from the hiii-huuu sounds the background, it's all quiet.

Yes, CNY this year is very quiet. At home, it's because I've just lost an uncle exactly a month ago today, and we are not allowed to loudly celebrate or welcome the new year. But outside of the house, the fireworks are not as crazy, there is no music and even the atmosphere is not CNY-like. It just feels like any other holiday, which is really sad.

After the authorities banned fireworks and mercun or firecrackers, made it impossible to play CNY music unless it is really old or it is sung in karaoke version (so that we won't infringe any copyright and will die of boredom) and made the political situation in Malaysia dominate most of the newspapers out there... we have but the PETRONAS, tmnet and Digi ads left to remind us that it is already the lunar new year. And since we've lost Yasmin last year, frankly, I wasn't looking forward to much.

So if the cny celebrations goes kaputz in a decade or so, I am blaming the authorities, yes, the government for making it so hard for us to celebrate who we are. And no, 1Malaysia does not cut it. It is a propaganda, not a culture. It is a ploy, not tradition. And for those who think it better to merge all the different riches and cultures that make up the people of Malaysia, I say to you, cut the crap.

Look at yourself. You are who you are. Not what the news, a party or a man says who you are. Call me old fashioned if you will, but I am one kacang who will not lupa my kulit.

2009: A YEARLY REVIEW

Every end of the year, bloggers would reflect on the passing year and highlight their favourite moments of the year. I can't fly and I don't have super powers, hence, like other bloggers, I jump on this egoistic wagon too, for what good is a blog if you can't write whatever you want without caring what other people think, once in a while?

I cried a lot this year.

I cried when Susan Boyle first sang on stage and wowed everyone including Simon Cowell.

I cried when I watched the four-minute montage of Carl and Ellie (from Pixar's animated movie UP) getting married and growing old together.

I balled my eyes out when I was watching 99 balloons, the heart-breaking video made by a couple showing their short 99 days with their baby (I'm already tearing up now) who succumbed to Trisomy 18.

I cried when Yasmin Ahmad died of a stroke in July and in the car when I heard this lovely song Pergi on the radio; the song was showcased in one of Yasmin's last works Talentime.

There are also a lot of other occasions where tears were the only consolation to the soul but who can dwell only on sadness all year long? There had to moments were this little ol' blogger was excited, happy and so darn proud of someone or something, right?

Of course, there are. One of which was the 15Malaysia project which features Pete Teo's efforts in showcasing the works of talented Malaysian film makers and taking them onto the world stage. Stories like Meter featuring Khairy Jamaluddin and the always humorous (and bloody talented) Baki Zainal, Halal featuring Adibah Noor and Man in Chicken Suit, and Potong Saga featuring Namewee who also just recently caused a media frenzy when he posted a video online showing him giving TNB Muar a piece of his mind in the middle of a blackout back in his hometown. He should visit Tawau sometimes, I'm sure the citizens there would welcome him on a red carpet. with flowers. and a live band.

News from home: there was my uncle Soo Wei who participated and came in runner up in the Astro's Classic Golden Melodies Singing competition 2009. When he reached the semifinals, my daughter Eva C, came along. And just in time for me to be reunited with a long lost Aunt of mine who is all the way in Canada now through the powers of the Internet.

Speaking of which, there were plenty going on in Malaysian news as well, things like the change in teaching medium from English back to Malay. Being an opinionated loud-mouth, you can be sure I said something about it. They went ahead and switch it anyways, if you didn't already know. Apart from that, there is the MCA issue ending in a half-hearted unity plan and no end in sight. Plus, the MACC vs Teoh Beng Hock saga, the billion-dollar Port Klang Free Zone issue which ended(?) in the arrest of several project directors. Sigh.. I wonder how many other corruption stories are left to be unearthed.

Speaking of money, one of biggest consequences from the 2009 budget was the credit card tax of RM50 to be charged for every card and for every year used. It wasn't just me who said something about it, sharing some of the same sentiments as HHTan's. LTM, Karl Heinz, KFSee, Cheng Poh among others like ME P.Gunasegaram also shared their opinions on the credit card issue. A noisy lot yes, but at least we said something about it and as we reach the end of the year, at least some good came of it.

Internationally, the year has also been filled with much tragedy and loss. There were many high- and low-profile deaths like those of Michael Jackson (foulplay?), David Carradine (bedroom-antics went wrong), Natasha Richardson (ski accident), Stephan Gately of Boyzone (natural death), Jane Goody, Patrick Swayze and Farah Fawcett (cancers), Brittany Murphy (stroke?), and Kim Peek (heart attack).

2009 was also the year of Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, Madoff, Chris Brown vs Rihanna, the pandemic of H1N1, a record number of police reports lodged by Malaysian politicians not to mention so many by-elections that will keep you busy until 2012.

Let's hope for a 2010 to be better but no less as interesting as 2009. Or else, what would we blog about?

Book Review: Ripples and other stories

Apart form Robert Raymer, Ripples and other stories by Shih-Li Kow is probably the only Malaysian book, that is published in Malaysia, that I read.

Get your own copy from www.silverfishbooks.com

It's a refreshing read from the usual novels I read. Can't say I love it, can't say I hate it too. Refreshing is the word.

Yup. Refreshing.

The content is so Malaysian. I mean, there are things in there that only a Malaysian would know and understand. There are also things in there that shows the reader how Malaysia really is from the inside. Superstitions, lottery-buying, foreign help in households and competition in the food business are some of the topics discussed in the book.

Another thing I like about it is Shih-Li's (the stories give a sense of familiarity, so much that I subconsciously call her by her given name now even when I tell other people about the book) choice (or maybe her editor's) to let the characters intertwine in most of her stories.

A secondary character plays a main character in the following story and a secondary character from that story goes on to play a main character in the next story. This gives a surreal feeling to the stories told in the book. It's as if the characters are real and she is writing about their lives.

That's the power she has in her stories.

She is also a master in delivering so much with so little. You can say, she defines compact writing.

In fact she is such a fine storyteller that this current book was shortlisted (I kid you not) for the 2009 Frank O'Connor Short Story Award which boasts some one of the most lucrative prizes in the book publishing world: the winner gets 35,000 euros.

For those of you who can't count, that translates to roughly RM175,600. Imagine the number of nasi lemak, tose and and yao char kwai you can buy with that.

Strangely enough, however, that was not how I came to know about her. I was browsing fiction books at the Borders bookstore in MidValley and just picked up the book. My daughter's constant whining prevented me from sampling the book but perhaps it was the cover or the fact that I saw that it was shortlisted for an international award, I went back and bought a copy on the next visit to the store.

The book could use a little bit more publicity.

Anyways, I have three favourite stories in there: Dividing Walls for fine storytelling, A Gift of Flowers for the storyline and Waiting for Gurjit, for such an interesting and powerful concept. Some stories did not rub me the right way, or I just didn't get the story, yet could still be favourites of other readers. To each its own, right?

Halfway through the book, however, my enthusiasm to finish the book in one go fizzled out. Not so much because of the writing (which was addictive), but more so because of how the stories were laid out; the structure of the whole book, so to speak.

The stories also lacked sentiment. The writings thrived on observations of the idiosyncrasies of Malaysians, regardless of race, beliefs or religious upbringing but they evoke none of the feelings that should come with (something Yasmin Ahmad can do so effortlessly). If it did, it might have won her the award. I'm just saying.

I've never written a book in my life but then again, not everyone has, but everyone has read a book, even if it just the single one. And everyone passes judgement, even if it is never said out loud.

But I would recommend the book for light reading, not because the writer is Malaysian, but because she is really good.

ANOTHER CASE OF PLAGIARISM

I was reading Shih-Li Kow’s Ripples when I came across this on the main website for Silverfish books.

An apology was written by Adeline Lee who published her first book, Lethal Lessons, with Silverfish books at the tender age of 18. I found more about the issue at Sharon Bakar’s Bibliobibuli, a blog about book-dependency (I like how she calls it like she sees it).

In short, the writer plagiarized a story from the well-known Chicken soup for the soul series and masked it to be published as one her own writings.

Although she has apologized, the apology in my humble opinion is half-hearted and does not reflect her comprehension of the seriousness of her actions.

However, I do not blame her as many Malaysians do not see the severity of publishing something plagiarised.

However again, it can do much damage on the long run.

For one thing, nothing else that Adeline writes in future will not have its originality scrutinized by readers.

Two, Silverfish books could have easily be forced to close shop if the publisher or author of the plagiarized story decided to sue.

C, she did not copy from a fellow Malaysian writer, which begs the question, are Malaysian writers not copy-worthy?

GETTING MARRIED AND GOING TO JAIL

The Star Online, Wednesday December 2, 2009

NEWLYWED WHO GAVE BIRTH FACES LEGAL ACTION

A WOMAN who gave birth to a baby girl barely 24 hours after her akad nikah is now in trouble with the Malacca Religious Department (JAIM) for having the child out of wedlock, reported Harian Metro.

The 21-year-old girl married her 28-year-old partner at her family home in Malacca, knowing she was pregnant.

The daily said a group of enforcement officers led by JAIM chief enforcement officer Rahimin Bani went to the Malacca Hospital to take statements from the couple.

“The woman understood when she was told that she had committed the offence of having a child out of wedlock and the couple also admitted to having prohibited sex,” Rahimin was quoted a saying.

He said the woman’s family was aware of her pregnancy and still allowed the solemnisation of her marriage.

He said the woman would be charged under Section 54 of the Malacca Syariah Offences Enact-ment for being pregnant out of wedlock while her husband would be charged under Section 55 for being an accomplice in prohibited sex.

The two can be sentenced to a fine of RM30,000 or jail for 24 months or both if convicted.

---

There are so many ways to react to this article yet the first thing that popped into my mind was: I guess they'd preferred it if the woman got rid of the baby.

What was the couple to do? Abandon the baby and deprive it of a normal life? Why should the child be penalised for something that the parents did wrong?

Yet when the parents decide to take responsibility for their actions, officers come crashing into their family life to tell them the obvious "you had this baby out of wedlock". Well, duh.. Mr Occifer... "and your family knew about this and did not report you, and allowed you to get married anyway." And your point being?

Pre-wedding activities aside, I think that since they took responsibility for their actions, a tinge of leniency and mercy should be given to the couple. 2 years of jailtime for doing the right thing... the idea simply screws up justice in the justice system.

Crud. This just ruins my day.

WHAT GRADUATES DO WRONG IN THEIR FIRST RESUMES

I was asked by my husband’s cousin to help fix his resume so that he can send them to apply for practical training opportunities.

His resume was horrendous, copied from a one-size-fits-all, untruthful and rigid resume that has no personal feel to it. I asked him to let me have a go at his resume. He politely declined at first, only to agree to it after my husband (his cousin) took a look at the resume and insisted taht he let me have a look.

A resume is important in the sense that it gets you to the interview table. It’s not the credentials, it’s not the referee, it’s not the staggeringly low expected salary (hmm.. sometimes it is, but anyways…) that gets the HR personnel reaching for the phone and dialing your number. It is how your resume stands out.

If your resume stands out, you stand out and you reap the reward of going into the first battle: the first interview.

First things first…

Below are the things graduates do wrong (that I have noticed from the resumes I've helped edited in the past 4 years) when preparing for their first resume. Try to avoid doing them and you might just get through to the long list.

1. Being too cocky for your own good.
Some people call it embellishment, I call it being too cocky. A resume is the first glimpse an employer has of you. Hence, it is best to be as truthful as possible in your resume to avoid giving people the wrong impression.

If people expect too much from you and you cannot deliver or prove yourself during the interview, you chances of negotiating better terms for yourself are as good as gone.

Remember: with good first impressions, comes great expectations.

A cover letter is always a good thing to attach to your resume. However, be sure to make the cover letter personal. I mean, don’t submit the same cover letter you used to apply for the position of a dancer when you’re trying to apply for the position of a chef. *Hey I know people who can dance and can cook*.

In your cover letter, use a tone that is humble and appealing. Do not make it out as if the person owes it to you to give you a job or an internship in their company. Use proper salutations, be polite, be engaging and be sensitive – for example, it is safer to us Ms instead of Miss or Mrs if you are not sure about the marital status of the Human Resource personnel you are writing.

For me to hire you, I have to first like you.

2. Labelling yourself as a faceless drone in a sea of wanna-‘bees’.

The usual suspects: eager to learn, independent yet a team player, responsible, punctual, highly motivated, cheerful, etc. What exactly were you aiming for when you put those adjectives under your personal strengths?

If I am the person reading your resume, I would like to see characteristics in your personal strengths that tell me that ‘you are the one I am looking for’. Being punctual is useless for a writer, being able to complete a project within the deadline is more of a bulls-eye. Both are related to time management (which is another common suspect) but both deliver different relevance to different things.

Learn to differentiate between the characteristics that will get you in and those that will leave you out.

3. Overlooking and undermining the importance of good spelling and grammar.
There are people who use bombastic words to show you that they are well learned. Then, they show their sloppiness by failing to discern between ‘two’ and ‘to’, ‘form’ and ‘from’, and ‘an’ with ‘and’. You may not think highly of prepositions and conjunctions but if detail-oriented was listed under your personal strengths, this may rub the HR people the wrong way.

No.2, never mix languages. AJK’s are committee members and PNGK is CGPA for you university wizards.

Be precise. Be accurate. Be flawless. Or get yourself a good editor.

4. Putting too much information
No one cares if you were a cub scout back in 1982 or you got 10 A’s in your primary level public examination. I also need not know if you attended swimming lessons or ballet classes. Go straight to the point and don’t waste people’s time. They have a lot of resumes to go through so stop giving their information that serves no function apart from allowing them to write a biography about you.

You’re putting your yourself, your credibility, your achievements, all in one page. Get to the point fast.

5. No structure
A resume is not like cooking. You cannot just throw a dash of salt here and a pinch of pepper there then serve. Plus, when it comes to information, it is a whole lot better to have it laid out in a structured presentable form, than to prepare it like a draft for ‘Where’s Wally?’.

There are many other candidates competing for that one job that you like. You have to be able to stand out, even at the resume level. Having a good-looking resume that is also neat, clean and complete will give the reader a good impression of you.

Learn to categorize. It will show your future employer that you have structure in your life or at least in the things you do.

6. Forgetting your place.
Imagine writing in your resume that you are there to ‘propel the organization into stardom’ and ‘take the company to greater heights’, and having that resume read by someone who has been in the said organisation for 10 years and has yet to achieve either of the career goals you stated. Either he would look like a fool or you would. Most of the time, the candidate would be at the losing end. Look here, look here, that means you.

You have to understand that you are coming out from the pinnacle of the academic world into the grassroots of the working world. You basically score a zero in the Experience section and being in that position in a society that thrives on experience, telling people that you are capable of turning their organization around is a flat-out lie or a delusional view of what the working world is really like. Both do not help you to fair well with first impressions. So don’t do it.

It’s your first job. If you are there to learn, act like it.

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.

---

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.

---

Leave (Pergi) by Aizat

This is the song Pergi (I Go) that can be found off the soundtrack of Talentime (2009) by Yasmin Ahmad. It is performed by Aizat and composed and written by Pete Teo, the powerhouse behind the 15Malaysia project.



Below is the song lyric to the song and a translation that I hope will do justice to the hauntingly beautiful melody of Pergi.

Pergi
Sayu terpisah
hikayat indah kini hanya tinggal sejarah
berhembus angin rindu
begitu nyamannya terhidu wangian kasihmu

hujan lebat mencurah kini

bagaikan tiada henti

kaulah laguku
kau irama terindah
tak lagi kudengari

kau pergi.. pergi..

sepi tanpa kata
terdiam dan kaku tak daya kau kulupa
apa pun kata mereka
biarkan kenangan berbunga di ranting usia

--

Leave
sad and separated
a beautiful story is now history
exhaling the wind of longingness
so fresh the scent of your love

heavy rains now pour

as though it knows no end

you are my song
that sweet melody i know
that i no longer hear

you leave.. left..

in silence, without words,
quiet and stiff, i cannot forget you
no matter what they say
let the memories grow on the branches of age
--

Note: I think that it is better translated as Leave instead of Go and since it is my blog and my translation I think it is okay to leave it as that.

Astro C.G.M. Finale Lee Soo Wei and New fans from Brunei (pictures!)

Well, lookie what we've got here.

These were taken on the night of the Astro Classic Golden Melody Singing Competition 2009 finale when Julie 周蕊丽 took the 1st prize for the competition. The audience consisted of Malaysians from all over the country including those from Penang (you guys rock!) Sabah and even Sarawak!

In the audience there were also a group of ladies from Brunei. They initially went as fans of the hosts: Yan Yan and sister (I'm sorry I am not good with Chinese so I can't remember the name, a thousand apologies) and left as new fans of Soo Wei (I heard from someone who was there lar).

Since they came from another country, they got to get on stage to take photos with the contestants! Picture pile coming up! They even brought their own banner!

In this shot you see from left and in bling bling attire: 斯伟 (Soo Wei in red),
the 2nd runner up: 李惠芳 in gold and 1st prize winner 周蕊丽 in blue, as well as fans from Brunei.

斯伟 (Soo Wei) and Bruneian fans.

Ladies, if you are reading this and seeing your lovely faces on the pictures here and you want copies of the photos, I can get email it to you. Just drop me your email in the comments section (it won't come out if you do not want it out, approval is required from the writer before the comments can be published).

It's the least I could do for your flocking around 李斯伟 and giving him special treatment (as if he took the gold home lol). I guess that's what he meant when he said that he has no regrets so long as he has the support of his fans.

If 陈佛 was in the shot, it would have been perfect.
I've said too much. And I don't care.

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW WHILE DRIVING

I hate driving behind people with the P (probation) sign stuck the rear window of their cars. I am also afraid of them. They swerve, turn, brake and accelerate without reason and at the worst possible time they can. Although it is said that practice makes perfect, the longer these people stay on the road, more people will get hurt, or at the very least, agitated.

Hence, the idea for this list of five things drivers need to know while driving:

1 Lights are guides, not commandments.

I’ve had several friends who almost got into accidents because “the lights on the car in front of mine was not working.”

What?

“If I don’t get to see the brake lights on, how will I know that they are braking?”

Er, one, the car gets bigger and bigger and a scary rate because you are still moving and they are slowing down. Two, you should keep a safe distance from the car in front of you, not kiss the rear end whenever you can (or like). Three, telling the insurance agent that you banged the car in front of you because his lights are out may not be a good idea.

The same goes for traffic lights. Do not take them for granted and think that they are working all the time. “Ooh, it’s green, I’ll accelerate”, say the driver on the north road and on the east road as they have green lights on their lanes.

Use your eyes on the roads at ALL times.

2 The blind spot

“The car appeared out of nowhere.”

Yes, a 2-tonne car magically appeared out of nowhere behind you and so it is not your fault if you rammed into it.

Perhaps it is a good time to introduce to you the blind spot. cue music *jeng jeng jenggggg…*

Some people don’t believe in it. “Where got such a thing? I think it’s a lousy excuse for bad driving.”

Partly true, and the other part would be the bad adjustments of the rear view mirror and the side mirrors of your car.

We depend on reflections on our rear view mirrors and side mirrors on our cars to see the areas behind us. So it is crucial that we (can) see all. Badly adjusted mirrors will produce a blind spot, an area that is not within the scope of our vision.

If you only check your mirrors once, then make your move quickly and sharply, an accident may occur.

It is always better to check your mirrors once, wait a second or two, check again, then slowly move into that lane. That way if there is a car there and you did not see it before you made your move, you still have time to slow down your lane change or move back into your lane to get out of the way.

3 Turning corners

Please people. Please.

Check to see if there are cars coming from the right when you want to turn left in that intersection. If you’re not from Malaysia, you’ll be surprised to know that many people here just turn into the lane without stopping at intersections.

We have road signs that say STOP at intersections but apparently these people can’t read. Nor do they understand that it takes longer for a car going straight to brake than a car that is taking a turn.

Slow down to see if there are cars going in the direction of your lane, then only make your turn. You should do it more if it is a quiet intersection. Don’t take this for granted. If you can’t do this, please don’t drive.

Note: there is a town here where everyone drives like that. I can’t remember where it is so I’m not naming names. Don’t wanna name the wrong town.

4 Keep your hands and focus on the wheel

Mini list: 5 don’ts while driving.

Do not text.
You are down one hand and two eyes and half of your concentration on the road.

Do not talk on the phone.
I don’t think many people get it. When you drive, you should stay focus. Talking on the phone while holding it, with a hands-free kit or even on Bluetooth keeps you off focus. You may not react to a situation on the roads in time if you’re trying to remember where you keep your bank statements because your wife prefer to call and ask you than ask you before bed last night.

Do not eat a whole meal.
Besides the loss of concentration, you will dirty the car with crumbs and sauce.

Do not apply makeup.
Women are not built for driving 2-tonne things. Women are not built for driving even. Well, some do a really good job at it but generally, no, women are not built for driving. Ever seen one try to parallel park? And women are NOT built for driving while applying their makeup on. Period.

Do not rummage around for small items.
Prepare the small change for your tolls before you set off for work. Place your prepaid cards at an easily reachable place. In fact, place everything you may need at a reachable place so you need not go under the dashboard at 70 miles per hour.

5 Indicate

No, do not indicate two seconds before you arrive at your turn. Too late.

No, do not indicate two or three turns before your turn. Too soon.

Remember to switch of your indicator after you’ve made your turn.

Give way when someone indicate. This way you will encourage more people to use their indicators.

Lastly, always check to see that your indicator lights are working.
---

You can choose to read this list then ignore it, or you can choose to practise it to make for safer roads. Don’t worry. These instructions will not self destruct in n seconds should you choose to not accept it.

Just be safe on the road. That’s all I’m asking.

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.

PENANG, HOME SWEET HOME, MALAYSIA

Penang is one of the tourist spots in Malaysia. Known to some as the Pearl of the Orient, she is famous for culinary delights, architecture from a previous past era, low cost of living and for her people.

Penangites - they are very warm people. A total stranger will strike up conversation with you and if you know the common tongue here, Hokkien, you’re practically family. Don’t be surprised if the Indian newspaper vendor speaks to you in fluent Hokkien; yes it is that widespread. Most of those in their 40’s and above are fluent in perfect English as well, hinting at the past-colonial effects the British had on the island one time long ago.

Apart from being really good at making you feel at home, the people of Penang are also very generous with what little they have.

I was born in Penang but I grew up in Sabah as my dad was posted there. We go back to Penang regularly to visit my grandparents. I still remember an incident that happened in one of those trips. I was 11, 12 at most.

My dad and I were at a hawker centre. We were taking breakfast when I accidentally knocked my glass of orange juice all over the table and all over the floor next to me. Dad was mumbling about how clumsy I was and asking one of the workers there to pass a rag over so he can mop up the table. He was also profusely apologizing to the workers there since now they have more to do. And who needs more work?

Two minutes later, the worker came back with another glass of orange juice, on the house. Strangely, Dad was not surprised but he was smuggishly pleased. Me, I am just flabbergasted.

You see, in Penang hawker stalls, the ‘waiters’ pay for the drinks first, then bring the drinks to you and you pay them. That way, if they were to make a mistake in the orders and if the customer refuses the ‘wrong’ drink, the waiter basically can’t get his money back, the drinks centre also does not make any losses from the waiters’ mistakes. For this reason, my father always takes the drink even if it wasn’t the one he ordered. And he does this outside of Penang too.

But I digressed.

Back to me being flabbergasted, the second orange juice came out of the worker’s pocket (ok, so maybe on the house wasn’t quite right). The kind man didn’t ask for payment from my dad. I felt relieved, guilty and quite touched by this generosity by a total stranger. He didn’t stay for me to thank him either as he has other orders to take.

That happened close to 15 years ago.

A few years later I was posted back there to attend university. I remember a day when I was waiting at a traffic light. I was on the furthest right lane and there was a car to my left, and a motorcycle to the left of the car. We were all waiting for the lights to turn green.

It was a slow intersection.

The Indian guy on the motorcycle had a bunch of rambutans. He was peeling and eating them. Right before my eyes, he turned and offered some to the Malay guy in the car next to him and threw a bunch into his passenger seat as the car window was opened.

The guy in that car in turn, turned towards my car and signalled me, offering me some rambutans. I am not a fan of this hairy red fruit and politely declined, smiling and appreciating in the warmth of their generosity. He smiled back and did that ‘oh well, more for me’ shrug.

Both men were seen gorging down the sweet-tasting flesh of this local fruit. The lights turned green and we went off in our own directions to our own separate destinations.
This happened close to 7 years ago.

This is how it was, and is in Penang. We share the roads like the way we share our foods. Our smiles and generosity are contagious and after all is said and done, we go about our separate ways and do our thang.

If there is any place in Malaysia that any tourist can visit to get a flavour of what 1Malaysia is, it would be the island of Penang.

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.

The right attitude on the roads: Try your best to avoid accidents!

Every day when I leave for work, I switch on to one of three of my regular radio station dials and listen to the traffic report. Apart from the usual areas that are hot spots for traffic congestion, there are occasionally a few needless traffic jams that were caused by onlookers and more directly by people who caused accidents on the roads.

Most of these accidents in fact can be avoided and should have been avoided, if only people adopt the right attitude on the roads.

In Malaysia, there is this 'my way / your way' syndrome that is taught by drivers and driving instructors to newbie drivers. Way here is a direct translation of the word in Chinese (all dialects) and BM, as no such word exists in the English dictionary. The closest would be "right of way", which still doesn't ride the idea home.

In essence, if you are on a particular lane, and someone cuts in, that person should not have done so as that is 'your way'. And usually, a driver would show their authority over their 'way' by not giving way. Be a bit lackadaisical in your driving and boom, another accident has occurred in an otherwise 4-lane highway, free of any jams until that bloody moment.

So why don't you stop caring about whose 'way' it was supposed to be and just try to mutually avoid banging into each other? Giving way to a car or two on your daily drive home will only set you back 5 to 10 minutes but at least, you would avoid being a casualty or a statistic in the accident numbers of the day. Plus, giving way would let the traffic flow more smoothly and slow-moving traffic is still better than stagnant traffic.

What? Familiarity breeds contempt? If you let one car pass, all the other cars will follow suit and you will be forever stuck in that junction? I doubt you believe that that will happen in reality. If everyone gave way, once you give way, someone is bound to give way to you to proceed into the lane. Someone just has to start the cycle. I try to start it every day. Personally, I feel that it is working, but that could just be the drugs talking.

I kid.

And as for those who cut queues, why endanger yourself and your passengers by getting in their way? They may be in a hurry due to an emergency, and if they are not, they'd have to face up to summonses by the officers in white or deal with the consequences when they get themselves into an accident while cutting queue.

And if you don't already know, if you get into an accident, you would be fined for reckless driving, regardless if your head is bandaged or not.

---

Crud.. I just remembered that the holidays start tomorrow for Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Selamat hari raya, Malaysians!) and today's traffic would be.. horrendous.

Typical traffic jam scene in Malaysia - from theStar