A snippet of my life

True Facts About Girls (A MUST WATCH)

2011-12-07T17:48:00.001+08:00

太极密码

2011-12-03T20:41:00.001+08:00

許冠傑光榮引退匯群星譚詠麟天才白痴夢

2011-11-20T13:12:00.001+08:00

My parents will like this.

The Animal Holocaust - Gary Yourofsky

2011-11-20T12:59:00.003+08:00

Be a vegan, stop animal holocaust. Peace.

Website: Adaptt

Rights when stopped by Police (Hak Apabila Ditahan Polis)

2011-11-17T13:46:00.006+08:00

Was stopped by 2 traffic policemen along Jalan Adda Utama at 11.30am today, they requested for my license which I displayed clearly to them, but did not hand it to them. One of them told me, " Kalau encik tidak bekerjasama, saya panggil orang gari kamu pergi balai!". Meaning, if I do not cooperate in the sense that I do not hand over my driving license, they will handcuff me and bring me to the police station. They even challenged me to call any "big shots" I knew in the police force to check.

Thanks for publicity by other Malaysians previously on the internet on our rights. I vividly knew my rights eventhough I could not remember every detail in the Redbook Pamphlet. I knew I have the right not to submit any ID to him. By displaying my license to the police officer, I have already obliged more than I have to.

Then I switched on voice memo on my phone to record my conversation with him, he suddenly softened and let me go.

Malaysians, know your rights!

Note down the police officer's name and police number on his uniform.*

He can ask for your identification, you can display to them so that they can take down the details, but you have the right NOT to hand it to them.

If you hand over your IDs to the police, they MUST return it to you.

You only need to provide 3 information to the police: Name, ID number and address. *

If he request for further information, ask politely if you are under arrest. If yes, what is the reason. If not, you may walk away/refuse to follow him back to the police station.*

If he insists you are under arrest with a reason, you have the right to call your friends/relatives/lawyer and Legal Aid Center and inform them the time, venue, reason of the arrest and the police station you are going to.*

*For more details, refer to the Redbook Pamphlet. Get a copy of the Redbook Pamphlet here. Pls read, it's only 2-page long.

As for me, I am going to print a copy and keep in the car, just in case. And I am blogging it here so that I can retrieve it any time, any place with my phone. Just in case.

Triumph Of The Nerds

2011-11-16T13:12:00.002+08:00

Good history lesson about computers...gee

World's Greatest Money Maker, Warren Buffett - BBC Documentary - 1 of 6

2011-11-16T12:01:00.001+08:00

Nasi Lemak Serai Kampung

2011-09-29T15:07:00.001+08:00

Located at Jalan Austin Height 3, Serai Kampung's nasi lemak is second best to the one at Taman Puteri Skudai. The fried chicken is a must try!

Man U Cabby

2011-09-19T13:18:00.000+08:00

When you get into a cab like this, it's better not to mention anything related to liver, pool or liverpool.

Second award during my candidature

2011-09-16T18:27:00.002+08:00

Think I can buy 2-month's food supply with these vouchers. As for the cert? Oh, that's good for ~~wiping ass~~ applying jobs in future.

Happy Malaysia Day.

对话华商领袖 - 郭鹤年

2011-09-16T13:38:00.001+08:00

(Bruno Mars) Just The Way You Are - Sungha Jung

2011-09-16T13:29:00.002+08:00

Somebody shared this in facebook and I marveled at his skills the entire morning:) What a pleasant way to start your Friday? Here is Jung Sungha playing Just the Way You Are, talented kid!

Penang Garden

2011-09-09T20:31:00.002+08:00

Located along Jalan Austin Heights 3/1 in JB, Penang Garden serves authentic Penang food like char koay teow, penang laksa, prawn mee...etc.

Personally, I think the taste is not as original as eating at the Pearl Isle, but you still get the fix when one craves for Penang food.

http://www.penanggarden.com.my/

老豆的Joke

2011-09-02T15:22:00.002+08:00

老师给小朋友解释：“乳”就是“小”的意思。

比如“乳猪”就是“小猪”，“乳鸽”就是“小鸽”。

老师：小明，请你用“乳”字造句。

小明：我家经济条件不太好，只能住40平米的乳房。

老师：（晕）。。。这个不行。换一个。

小明：我每天上学都要跳过我家门口的一条乳沟。

老师：（晕）。。。这个也不行。再换一个。

小明：。。。老师，我想破我的乳头也想不出来了。

Ancient Aliens

2011-09-02T14:59:00.000+08:00

Ancient Aliens...mind boggling.

From today onwards, you two will have to sleep outside

2011-08-12T17:13:00.002+08:00

We bought these plastic fences so that we can leave Thor & Tease out on the lawn long enough to get their daily fix of mutiara grass. And just in case we forget about them, they don't go wandering about and hide under our car and get squashed on our way out.

2011-08-10T11:12:00.003+08:00

Splendid getaway from the bustling Lion City and the recent market crash...Pulau Bintan. A place to relax with friendly attendants, free foosball, affordable laser quest and pool, cheap spa and heavenly massages.

Once again, we witness the greatness of good governance as compared to tourism at home. This isle is jointly developed by the Indonesia and Singapore government.

燕窝的八大药理功效

2011-07-24T21:27:00.005+08:00

「美容(美容食品)基因」－－表皮生长因子

能提高免疫功能的促有丝分裂原

对呼吸系统疾病的治疗作用

预防肿瘤、减少放化疗不良反应

强心、降压作用

抗氧化、防衰老

抗疲劳作用

孕产期保健之佳品

竟然不知道燕窝有那么多功效，之前还以为只是可以滋润养颜。原来还可以提高免疫能力和抗癌。老爸还跟我说我小时候得了呼吸系统有关的疾病，咳嗽了很久，看了医生吃了药都不会好。后来老爸忍痛买了燕窝让我试试，竟然根治了。

Fern in the Bathroom

2011-06-19T18:13:00.001+08:00

Dear Mom & Dad, What's my future?

2011-06-11T16:11:00.000+08:00

Proceeding of a Blossom

2011-06-11T14:43:00.001+08:00

Day 1
Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

And many more to come, I hope...^_^

My Lawn Mower and Fertilizer Supplier

2011-05-31T16:19:00.004+08:00

Indian Star Tortoise (Geochelone Elegans)

Project Green @ Adda

2011-05-29T22:18:00.006+08:00

Started going green 2 weeks ago...

CM has been watering the lawn daily and the SAJ bill hit double digit for the past two months. Pearl grass do require lots of attention and liquid. Due to her relentless effort, tender grass started to sprout from some bald or scorched patches.

Last weekend, we visited a plant nursery near our place after breakfast and spent some monies (other than our time) on some unknown plants, potential candidates to occupy our partition.

We brought this plant all the way from Kluang. It's called 滴水观音 or Dripping Guanyin...errr...my translation does not sound very decent:p [Anyway, the leaves collect moisture from the surrounding air. Condensed vapour forms droplet and drips when sufficient amount is collected at the tip of the leave.]

滴水观音

Erm, another UFO (Unknown Flora Ornament)

More to come...

Cute Little Girl on SQ878

2011-05-15T21:32:00.002+08:00

She turned to me and showed me a sticker with the airlines logo on it. Made a mistake entertaining her and i missed almost a quarter of the movie.

Cute and bubbly and definitely not camera-shy.
I asked her to look into the camera and smile. And this is her smile, "RrroaaaRR!"

Changi Airport's Toilet

2011-05-15T21:30:00.001+08:00

Clean, spacious, odour free...

A Tale of Two Cities: Broadband

2011-04-29T23:23:00.003+08:00

Life is hard in Bolehland, not just monetarily.

I moved in to my fabulous mansion last December, got married, settled down for a while and decided to apply for broadband internet access, a necessity for each and every household in this era of information technology.

So I dropped by a TMpoint outlet (since the cable broadband service is monopolized by TMNET) one sunny morning only to hear the receptionist say, "Sorry lah, your housing area still do not have the "port", so you cannot apply now. But you can register with us, once we accumulate about 10 applicants, then we will set up a "port", then you can come and apply again."

"So how long do I need to wait for the "port" to be set up?"

"Not sure, maybe 3 months later."

Biasalah. This is the way things are run in Bolehland, and all Bolehlanders are used to it. So I registered.

In mid March this year, we saw a TM booth at our park and residents lined up to apply for broadband internet access. It seemed the port was set up. So I quickly joined the queue and when it was my turn, the sales lady named Jana asked if I had registered with any TMpoint outlet earlier.

"Yes, I registered 3 months back."

Jana flipped through her list and found my name.

"Do you want to apply with another name?" she asked.

Puzzled, "Why? Anything wrong with my name?"

"Oh no. You registered before the "port" was set up in this area, so now if you insist to apply with your name, you will need to wait for another 3 months before we can proceed with the installation. But if you apply via another name, you will get your internet access within a week." Jana explained patiently.

"WTF, what happened to "first come first serve basis"?" I thought. "Ok, let's use my wife's name then."

Forms filled, contractor to come on immediate Saturday, which to my expectation and dismay, he didn't show up and when I called, he told me he was on leave. Unwilling to wait for another week, I asked the contractor to come on Monday.

"What time can you come?"

"Depends lar. Maybe 11am to 5pm."

There was nothing I can do but to succumb to him because the government-linked giant telco only outsource jobs to certain ethnic group which unfortunately happens to be indolent.

He arrived at 2pm on Monday, just to installed and activate my phone line.

"What about my internet access?" I asked.

"Oh, you have to wait 3 more days before you can activate your broadband. Another contractor is suppose to handle this. My job is just to activate the phone line. Please pay me RM50, thank you."

I had waited 3 months, don't mind waiting 3 days more.

Again, the other contractor (from the slothful clan) promised to come on Saturday and failed to turn up, as usual. Yes, sudah biasa.

"Are you coming today?"

"Oh, today cannot!"

"But you promised to come today, didn't you?"

"Cannot lar, I am in KL now. Today I am on leave. Why not I come to your house on Monday night, 8pm?"

"Monday night is good. Please fulfill your promise."

We returned early from work on Monday and the contractor turned up as promised. He inserted the the cable, turned on the modem and was silent for a while.

"The light is not on." he referrred to the LED for the ADSL signal. "The TM guys didn't jump the cable properly. Well, there is nothing I can do now, just need to come back another day."

Another day? Unbelievable!

************************************

Sorry to bore you guys with this longwinded tale.

It will be a different story in Lion City, where I just walk into any Starhub outlet, fill up the forms and the sales person will hand me the modem, "Just connect to the TV cable socket and you can access the internet after 24 hours."

Unbelievable!

Warm Home Treasure's Visit

2011-04-29T22:48:00.004+08:00

Reasons for this blunder? Let me guess...

All Malaysian Chinese are dead?

All Malaysian Chinese are like Indonesian Chinese where they now only know Malay and have long forsaken their mother tongue?

The pro-Malay government is so racist that they wouldn't even let the Chinese do the translation, instead out-source the job to some UMNO backed consultant company for a fee of about 50 million ringgit?

Buzzer! Wrong!

"the Malay sentence was translated using Google Translate instead of consulting an official language interpreter."

Malaysia Boleh!

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20110429-276272.html

Creature of Fortune

2011-03-07T12:19:00.005+08:00

This little creature dropped by my lawn last weekend and I am glad that I didn't step on it while watering the grass. Hope it will bring fortune to my home like the 3-legged toad :p

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

2011-03-04T12:09:00.002+08:00

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country.

Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Niamah!!!: Penang. A different planet?

2011-03-04T12:00:00.002+08:00

Good one from Teoh on Penang.

Hope the Johorians will vote wisely in the coming General Election. We have given them 50 years, just like the Penangites had given Koh Tsu Koon (Gerakan @ BN) his time to shine, and just like Koh Tsu Koon, they have failed us again and again.

Niamah!!!

我只說三個故事，不談大道理/Apple CEO Steve Jobs (賈伯斯)

2011-03-02T18:07:00.000+08:00

今天，
很榮幸來到各位從世界上最好的學校之一畢業的畢業典禮上。
我從來沒從大學畢業過，說實話，這是我離大學畢業最近的一刻。
今天，我只說三個故事，不談大道理，三個故事就好。

第一個故事，是關於人生中的點點滴滴如何串連在一起。

我在里德學院（Reed College）待了六個月就辦休學了。
到我退學前，一共休學了十八個月。那麼，我為什麼休學？
（聽眾笑）這得從我出生前講起。

我的親生母親當時是個研究生，
年輕未婚媽媽，她決定讓別人收養我..

她強烈覺得應該讓有大學畢業的人收養我，
所以我出生時，她就準備讓我被一對律師夫婦收養。
但是這對夫妻到了最後一刻反悔了，他們想收養女孩。

所以在等待收養名單上的一對夫妻，我的養父母，
在一天半夜裡接到一通電話，問他們
「有一名意外出生的男孩，你們要認養他嗎？」
而他們的回答是「當然要」。

後來，我的生母發現，我現在的媽媽從來沒有大學畢業，
我現在的爸爸則連高中畢業也沒有。
她拒絕在認養文件上做最後簽字。直到幾個月後，
我的養父母保證將來一定會讓我上大學，她的態度才軟化。

十七年後，我上大學了。但是當時我無知地選了一所
學費幾乎跟史丹佛一樣貴的大學（聽眾笑），
我那工人階級的父母將所有積蓄都花在我的學費上。

六個月後，我看不出唸這個書的價值何在。那時候，
我不知道這輩子要幹什麼，也不知道唸大學能對我有什麼幫助，
只知道我為了唸這個書，花光了我父母這輩子的所有積蓄。
所以，我決定休學，相信船到橋頭自然直。

當時這個決定看來相當可怕，可是現在看來，
那是我這輩子做過最好的決定之一。（聽眾笑）

當我休學之後，我再也不用上我沒興趣的必修課，
把時間拿去聽那些我有興趣的課。這一點也不浪漫。

我沒有宿舍，所以我睡在友人家裡的地板上，
靠著回收可樂空罐的退費五分錢買吃的。
每個星期天晚上得走七哩的路，
繞過大半個鎮去印度教的 Hare Krishna 神廟吃頓好料，
我喜歡 Hare Krishna 神廟的好料。

就這樣追隨我的好奇與直覺，大部分我所投入過的事務，
後來看來都成了無比珍貴的經歷
（And much of what I stumbled into
by following my curiosity and intuition turned out
to be priceless later on ）。

舉個例來說。當時里德學院有著大概是全國最好的書寫教育。
校園內的每一張海報上，每個抽屜的標籤上，都是美麗的手寫字。

因為我休學了，可以不照正常選課程序來，
所以我跑去上書寫課。我學了 serif 與 sanserif 字體，
學到在不同字母組合間變更字間距，學到活字印刷偉大的地方。

書寫的美好、歷史感與藝術感是科學所無法掌握的，
我覺得這很迷人。

我沒預期過學這些東西能在我生活中起些什麼實際作用，
不過十年後，當我在設計第一台麥金塔時，
我想起了當時所學的東西，所以把這些東西
都設計進了麥金塔裡，這是第一台能印刷出漂亮東西的電腦。

如果我沒沉溺於那樣一門課裡，
麥金塔可能就不會有多重字體跟等比例間距字體了。

又因為 Windows抄襲了麥金塔的使用方式（聽眾鼓掌大笑）。
因此，如果當年我沒有休學，沒有去上那門書寫課，
大概所有的個人電腦都不會有這些東西，
印不出現在我們看到的漂亮的字來了。

當然，當我還在大學裡時，
不可能把這些點點滴滴預先串連在一起，
但在十年後的今天回顧，一切就顯得非常清楚。

我再說一次，
你無法預先把點點滴滴串連起來,
只有在未來回顧時，
你才會明白那些點點滴滴是如何串在一起的
（you can't connect the dots look-ing forward;
you can only connect them looking backwards ）。

所以你得相信，眼前你經歷的種種，將來多少會連結在一起。
你得信任某個東西，直覺也好，命運也好，生命也好，或者業力。

這種作法從來沒讓我失望，
我的人生因此變得完全不同。（ Jobs停下來喝水）

____________________________________________________

我的第二個故事，是有關愛與失去。

我很幸運－年輕時就發現自己愛做什麼事。我二十歲時，
跟 Steve Wozniak在我爸媽的車庫裡開始了蘋果電腦的事業。

我們拚命工作，
蘋果電腦在十年間從一間車庫裡的兩個小夥子擴展 !
成了一家員工超過四千人、市價二十億美金的公司。
在那事件之前一年推出了我們最棒的作品－
麥金塔電腦（ Macintosh），那時我才剛邁入三十歲；
然後，我被解僱了。

我怎麼會被自己創辦的公司給解僱了？（聽眾笑）

嗯，當蘋果電腦成長後，
我請了一個我以為在經營公司上很有才幹的傢伙來，
他在頭幾年也確實幹得不錯。
可是我們對未來的願景不同，最後只好分道揚鑣，
董事會站在他那邊，就這樣在我 30歲的時候，公開把我給解僱了。

我失去了整個生活的重心，我的人生就這樣被摧毀。

有幾個月，我不知道要做些什麼。
我覺得我令企業界的前輩們失望－
我把他們交給我的接力棒弄丟了。

我見了創辦 HP的 David Packard跟創辦Intel的 Bob Noyce，
跟他們說很抱歉我把事情給搞砸了。
我成了公眾眼中失敗的示範，我甚至想要離開矽谷。

但是漸漸的，我發現，我還是喜愛那些我做過的事情，
在蘋果電腦中經歷那些事絲毫沒有改變我愛做的事。

雖然我被否定了，可是我還是愛做那些事情，
所以我決定從頭來過。當時我沒發現，
但現在看來，被蘋果電腦開除，是我所經歷過最好的事情。

成功的沉重被從頭來過的輕鬆所取代，
每件事情都不那麼確定，讓我自由進入這輩子最有創意的年代。

接下來五年，我開了一家叫做 NeXT 的公司，
又開一家叫做 Pixar 的公司，
也跟後來的老婆（Laurene）談起了戀愛。

Pixar接著製作了世界上第一部全電腦動畫電影，
玩具總動員（Toy Story），
現在是世界上最成功的動畫製作公司（聽眾鼓掌大笑）。

然後，蘋果電腦買下了 NeXT，我回到了蘋果，
我們在 NeXT發展的技術成了蘋果電腦後來復興的核心部份。
我也有了個美妙的家庭。
我很確定，如果當年蘋果電腦沒開除我，就不會發生這些事情。

這帖藥很苦口，可是我想蘋果電腦這個病人需要這帖藥。
有時候，人生會用磚頭打你的頭。不要喪失信心。

我確信我愛我所做的事情，
這就是這些年來支持我繼續走下去的唯一理由
（I'm convinced that the only thing
that kept me going was thatI loved what I did）。

你得找出你的最愛，
工作上是如此，人生伴侶也是如此。

你的工作將佔掉你人生的一大部分，
唯一真正獲得滿足的方法就是做你相信是偉大的工作，
而唯一做偉大工作的方法是愛你所做的事
（ And the only way to do great work is
to love what you do ）。

如果你還沒找到這些事，繼續找，別停頓。盡你全心全力，
你知道你一定會找到。而且，如同任何偉大的事業，
事情只會隨著時間愈來愈好。所以，
在你找到之前，繼續找，別停頓。（聽眾鼓掌， Jobs喝水）

____________________________________________________

我的第三個故事，是關於死亡。

當我十七歲時，我讀到一則格言，
好像是
「把每一天都當成生命中的最後一天，你就會輕鬆自在。
（ If you live each day as if it was your last,
someday you'll most certainly be right ）」（聽眾笑）

這對我影響深遠，在過去 33 年裡，我每天早上都會照鏡子，
自問：「如果今天是此生最後一日，我今天要做些什麼？」

每當我連續太多天都得到一個「沒事做」的答案時，
我就知道我必須有所改變了。提醒自己快死了，
是我在人生中面臨重大決定時，所用過最重要的方法。

因為幾乎每件事－所有外界期望、所有的名聲、
所有對困窘或失敗的恐懼－在面對死亡時，都消失了，
只有最真實重要的東西才會留下
（ Remember-ing that I'll be dead soon
is the most important tool I've ever encountered
to help me make the big choices in life.
Because almost everything - all external expectations,
all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure -
these things just fall away in the face of death,
leaving only what is truly important ）。

提醒自己快死了，
是我所知避免掉入畏懼失去的陷阱裡最好的方法。
人生不帶來、死不帶去，沒理由不能順心而為。

一年前，我被診斷出癌症。我在早上七點半作斷層掃瞄，
在胰臟清楚出現一個腫瘤，我連胰臟是什麼都不知道。
醫生告訴我，那幾乎可以確定是一種不治之症，
預計我大概活不到三到六個月了。

醫生建議我回家，好好跟親人們聚一聚，
這是醫生對臨終病人的標準建議。
那代表你得試著在幾個月內把你將來十年想跟小孩講的話講完。
那代表你得把每件事情搞定，家人才會儘量輕鬆。
那代表你得跟人說再見了。

我整天想著那個診斷結果，那天晚上做了一次切片，
從喉嚨伸入一個內視鏡，穿過胃進到腸子，將探針伸進胰臟，
取了一些腫瘤細胞出來。

我打了鎮靜劑，不醒人事，但是我老婆在場。她後來跟我說，
當醫生們用顯微鏡看過那些細胞後，他們都哭了，
因為那是非常少見的一種胰臟癌，可以用手術治好。
所以我接受了手術，康復了。（聽眾鼓掌）

這是我最接近死亡的時候，我希望那會繼續是未來幾十年內
最接近的一次。

經歷此事後，我可以比先前死亡只是純粹想像時，
要能更肯定地告訴你們下面這些：
沒有人想死。即使那些想上天堂的人，也想活著上天堂。
（聽眾笑）

但是死亡是我們共同的終點，沒有人逃得過。
這是註定的，因為死亡很可能就是生命中最棒的發明，
是生命交替的媒介，送走老人們，給新生代開出道路。

現在你們是新生代，但是不久的將來，你們也會逐漸變老，
被送出人生的舞台。抱歉講得這麼戲劇化，但是這是真的。

你們的時間有限，所以不要浪費時間活在別人的生活裡。

不要被教條所侷限-- 盲從教條就是活在別人思考結果裡。

不要讓別人的意見淹沒了你內在的心聲。
最重要的，擁有追隨自己內心與直覺的勇氣，
你的內心與直覺多少已經知道你真正想要成為什麼樣的人
（have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know
what you truly want to become），
任何其他事物都是次要的。（聽眾鼓掌）

在我年輕時，有本神奇的雜誌叫做《Whole Earth Catalog》，
當年這可是我們的經典讀物。
那是位住在離這不遠的 Menlo Park 的 Stewart Brand發行的，
他把雜誌辦得很有詩意。

那是 1960年代末期，個人電腦跟桌上出版還沒出現，
所有內容都是打字機、剪刀跟拍立得相機做出來的。
雜誌內容有點像印在紙上的平面 Google，
在Google 出現之前35年就有了：
這本雜誌很理想主義，充滿新奇工具與偉大的見解。

Stewart 跟他的團隊出版了好幾期的《Whole Earth Catalog》，
然後很自然的，最後出了停刊號。當時是 1970 年代中期，
我正是你們現在這個年齡的時候。在停刊號的封底，
有張清晨鄉間小路的照片，
那種你四處搭便車冒險旅行時會經過的鄉間小路。
在照片下印了行小字：

求知若飢，虛心若愚
（Stay Hungry , Stay Foolish）。

那是他們親筆寫下的告別訊息，我總是以此自許。
當你們畢業，展開新生活，我也以此祝福你們。

KNNMCCB Maybank!

2011-03-01T11:16:00.004+08:00

Nearly a year after I abandoned the internet banking service of Maybank, today I wanted to log in to pay my utility bill (SAJ) and property tax as I couldn't pay via Public Bank (I strictly believe this is not due to protectionisme.). And in broad day light, the system is once again, down. Hail Maybank! Hail Maybank2u!

It's about time to reminisce the excellent track record of this Government Linked finance institution:

and finally my ultimatum:

http://gnustiy.blogspot.com/2010/04/ultimatum-as-promised.html

Was wondering if all GLCs are offering 5 stars services like Maybank, if so, Hail Malaysia!

Despite the stellar performances by Maybank, can I still pay my bills (Government or public) via the lousy Public Bank eBanking service, Please?

1st English Breakfast @ HoMe

2011-02-28T17:30:00.002+08:00

Weeks after we settled down, finally we had the time and luxury of enjoying our homemade english breakfast at home. Yummy!

Hail Homecooked Food!

A lack of competent leadership is a real problem for Malaysia

2010-12-13T23:20:00.001+08:00

It's true what, what needs to be explained?

Do you want Singapore to further elaborate on your incompetency?

Protest against Najib's 100-storey Mega Tower: A different perspective

2010-10-23T19:55:00.007+08:00

Every now and then when I cross over the Causeway, my light-hearted mood would eventually subside due to the traffic congestion along Jalan Skudai, Jalan Tebrau and the Pasir Gudang Highway.

If roads are the blood stream of the country, I think, Malaysia will be hit by stroke every single day. I can't help but wonder how our economy is going to improve with the road clogging with traffic. To travel from east to west in Johor Bahru will take up at least 45 minutes. With the jam, it may take an extra half an hour.

In Singapore or Hong Kong, one can attend several meetings in the morning, and another few in the afternoon (Note: Not via MRT). On average based on my experience, 5 to 6 meetings from 9am to 5pm. That's how fast people can travel in these cities. Johor Bahru? You are lucky to have one in the morning and another one in the afternoon. If one is able to clinch a deal in one session, our neighbour is able to make more than two-fold as compared to us. That is why they are in the First World league, and we are abang adik with Indonesia.

Pasir Gudang Highway (PGH) is a phenomenon, for more than 10 years. With only 2 lanes per way, it never fails to slow down the traffic, every single day. I would be very happy being a delivery boy as I would only make 2 trips per day, provided I only travel via PGH. Easy job. Just need to load the stuff in the truck, hit PGH and listen to my favorite radio station all day long.

No wonder I noticed more and more vehicles have car TV these days.

For more than 10 years, the situation persist and deteriorated. Is the government aware of this? Surely! But why nothing is being done to remedy the issue or at least alleviate the problem? For one or two years, it's still tolerable. For five years, the government is considered slow to react. For more than 10 years? This is a retarded regime and I think it's time for replacement. Haven't we given them ample time to perform?

And now, our Barisan Nasional led government wants to construct another 100 storeys skyscraper. According to my friend, the gazetted area for the mega project is located near his alma mater. Unless the government is going to replan and redevelop the traffic system at the area comprehensively, traffic congestion will be inevitable once the 100-storey commercial building is completed.

But, as we all already know, the current regime is weak in planning and execution. So for the folks living near (and not working at) the future Warisan Merdeka, it's time to head down to the nearest car accessories workshop to install a car TV.

Good luck.

House Renovation Tips: Before you start

2010-10-06T21:58:00.005+08:00

Before you start any renovation work:

Protect your floor tiles and parquet flooring. If you do not intend to rework or change the tiles, make sure that the flooring is protected with a blanket of cardboards before any renovation work. This way, the polished tile surface or the parquet's protective coating (lacquer, varnish, shellac or polyurethane) will not be compromised by falling rubbles or dropped hammer.

小赌 - 可以白手起家

2010-10-04T14:20:00.002+08:00

是真的。

赌输了，就白手啰。
赌赢了，就起家。

House Renovation Tips: Tiling

2010-10-02T23:05:00.008+08:00

Negotiate for replacement. When you buy tiles and mosaic, remember to negotiate with the seller/manufacturer so that any defective products (colour, warpage, chipping, crack, different dimensions from tile to tile within the same batch of tiles) can be returned and replaced. This way, the contractor will be able to select the good pieces for tiling.

Plastic spacers come in different sizes.

Insist to use plastic spacers for tiling. This is to ensure that the gap between the tiles will be uniformed and at the same time pare down the unevenness from tile to tile due to warpage. Contractors will not pro-actively use the spacers as they claim that it will slow down their work progress. Ridiculously, they will use some non-standard guides such as toothpicks, cardboard and et cetera. Yes, they can finish their job within a day using their way, but you will then have to bear with the eyesore (irregular gaps) on your floor or wall everyday.Why compromise on the finishing quality when you're paying?

Check on workmanship. If possible, knock on each and every tile (floor or wall) to ensure that there is no void (air gap) beneath the tile. This is done simply by knocking using a coin and listen if there is any hollowness at the four corners and the centre of the tile. This defect is disastrous. Firstly, with the air gap trapped beneath the tiles, the adherence of the tile is questionable. You do not know when it will fall off and what it will hit when it falls. Second, the trapped air will expand and contract with respect to the change of temperature in a day. The rhythmical expansion and contraction quickens the wear and tear, causing the tile to crack other than fall off and worse still in some cases, cause the tile to explode.

Never pay until you're satisfied. Perform checks with the contractor apart from monitoring closely (if you have the time) before making full payment. Ensure that all work is done according to your requirements and the finishing quality is satisfactory before surrendering your cheque.

堵懒

2010-09-14T21:34:00.004+08:00

“请问有没有那本萧XX的书？”

“你要中国版的，还是台湾版的？”

“有什么分别？”

“一个是简体的，一个是繁体的咯。”

“好，那我要中国版的。”

“哦，中国版的没有了。”

“那就要台湾版的吧。”

“哦，台湾版的也卖完了。”

“... ... ... ... ... ...”

“你到柜台那边跟小姐预订咯。”

走到柜台前，

“小姐，我要订萧XX的书。”

“你要中国版的，还是台湾版的？”

“嗯，我要中国版的。”

“中国版的要等很久。”

“那就订台湾版的吧。”

“哦，台湾版的也要等很久。”

心里，“F*ck#$%#$&%*^&$%~#Sh*t”。

Facing the Giants

2010-08-27T13:04:00.002+08:00

Keep it coming!

There you go!

You give me your best!

Keep going!

Don't stop!

You've got more in you than that!

Keep moving! Just keep moving!

Don't quit till you've got nothing left!

Keep driving!

Give me your very best! Your very best!

Don't quit on me!

Negotiate with your mind to find more strength!

You're doing good!

It's not too hard!

Give me more! Give me more!

You can! You can!

God's given you the ability of leadership, don't waste it!

Chapter 1:

2010-08-21T22:15:00.001+08:00

The trip to the CBD this morning is fortunately not a wasted trip, despite the disintegration between ICA and MOM and partially my carelessness to assume and conclude.

Good information obtained and we saved more than hundred bucks.

Most importantly, we survived to fight another day:)

Money don't work like that

2010-08-16T17:38:00.000+08:00

Aussie Hot Mom: Karen's Fashion Sense

2010-07-28T09:24:00.006+08:00

Just added Karen Cheng's blog to my "Blogs I Read" list.

Back in 2008, Karen was in Singapore organising "Doing the Karen Cheng" thingy and if I recalled correctly, Kenny Sia wrote an entry about this beautiful lady with her famous pose with a camera in her left hand snapping herself while she fashioned in different fabulous clothings. Back then, I thought she was just another young lass trying to sell fashion on the internet. I browsed through the entry not visiting her blog and that's that.

Then, I chanced upon her blog again this year via a link shared by recently conferred Dr Grace Ho and the first thing that caught my attention is the blog title: Snippets of Life. Wow, great minds think alike:p It's actually "Karen Cheng's Snippets of Life", but Karen uses her own portrait to replace her name instead. Then, I found out that she is a mother of three. Oedipus complex? Maybe.

Anyway, I went through her biography and eventually developed an affection for her. Yes, I admire her! Not because of her looks or hot bod, but because of her zest in life and the positivity that she projects in her blog. It's like an aura radiated from her inner self.

Ok la, I am not really that good in words and marketing, so I'll let her work speaks fro itself. Karen's blog has bagged numerous awards and was ranked 13th in the Top 100 Australian Blogs in 2008 and 1st in the Top 50 Australian Women's Blog and she is the Top 20 Female Bloggers in the world and one of the 50 Most Influential Female Bloggers. Feel free to drop by someday and I am sure you will be able to discern the shimmer of her halo.

This is a blog I would recommend for Carrie Bradshaw and the likes, husbands and wives, mothers, parents and kids.

Chicken Soup of the Soul

2010-07-16T22:00:00.001+08:00

在外食翅嘆鲍鱼，不如在家粗茶淡饭饮鸡汤。

得空，返家食饭啦。

Applebee's @ TripleOne Somerset

2010-07-15T17:01:00.004+08:00

Beef quesadilla with lotsa cheese!

Shrimp skewers served fresh and succulent.

Steak!

And the signature dish - Pork ribs!

Had a hearty meal with TK and CY celebrating CM's birthday at Applebee's. We have done it for 3 years straight, it's going to be tradition now, I think.

The American restaurant is located in the TripleOne Somerset premise and according to CY, it's similar to Chilli's. Nice place (parking is a killer though), nice ambience, good service, delicious food and great company.

The Cendol Factory

2010-07-08T01:43:00.004+08:00

Chanced upon this humble cendol shop while we went to JB near Mount Austin. It's located on the 1st floor of the shoplot and we were attracted by the signboard, a blackboard with "The Cendol Factory" written in chalk.

Simple setting without exaggerating deco, reminds me of the tea house where I used to hang out with friends during secondary school in Kluang. The boss is camera shy and it's stated that he is a finance manager on the namecard. Maybe this banker had earned enough to start a business he is passionate about. The cendol? Nice! Super nice on a stifling day :)

Feel free to drop by The Cendol Factory when you are around the area.

Location: No. 41-01 (Upper Floor), Jln Austin Heights 3, Tmn Mount Austin, Johor Bahru.

Enough is as good as a feast

2010-07-05T20:22:00.002+08:00

There were times while I was desperately pursuing and pushing for something higher, I intermitted, and thought of the low hanging fruits that I'd bagged along the way. This is when I would feel blessed, blissful and contented.

There is this sudden state of tranquillity, and I would hold on to it long enough before the next pebble drops in and rippled the placid water in my mind.

Am grateful for everyone, everything that comes into my life.

My name Khan, and I'm not a Terrorist.

2010-06-24T16:26:00.004+08:00

Pls watch this as I believe that Shahrukh Khan is portraying the real muslim.

在美国看洋媳妇教子

2010-06-23T14:55:00.002+08:00

儿子去美国留学，毕业后定居美国。还给我找了个洋媳妇苏珊。如今，小孙子托比已经3岁了。今年夏天，儿子为我申请了探亲签证。在美国待了三个月，洋媳妇苏珊教育孩子的方法，令我这个中国婆婆大开眼界。

不吃饭就饿着

每天早上，托比醒来后，苏珊把早餐往餐桌上一放，就自顾自地忙去了。托比会自己爬上凳子，喝牛奶，吃面包片。吃饱后，他回自己的房间，在衣柜里找衣服、鞋子，再自己穿上。毕竟托比只有3岁，还搞不清楚子的正反面，分不清鞋子的左右脚。有一次托比又把裤子穿反了，我赶紧上前想帮他换，却被苏珊制止了。她说，如果他觉得不舒服，会自己脱下来，重新穿好；如果他没觉得有什么不舒服，那就随他的便。那一整天，托比反穿着裤子跑来跑去，苏姗像没看见一样。

又一次，托比出去和邻居家的小朋友玩，没多大会就气喘吁吁地跑回家，对苏珊说：“妈妈，露西说我的裤子穿反了，真的吗？”露西是邻居家的小姑娘，今年5岁。苏姗笑着说：“是的，你要不要换回来？”托比点点头，自己脱下裤子，仔细看了看，重新穿上了。从那以后，托比再也没穿反过裤子。

我不禁想起，我的外孙女五六岁时不会用筷子，上小学时不会系鞋带。如今在上寄宿制初中的她，每个周末都要带回家一大堆脏衣服呢。

一天中午，托比闹情绪，不肯吃饭。苏珊说了他几句，愤怒地小托比一把将盘子推到了地上，盘子里的食物洒了一地。苏姗看着托比，认真地说：“看来你确实不想吃饭！记住，从现在到明天早上，你什么都不能吃。”托比点点头，坚定地回答：“Yes!”我在心里暗笑，这母子俩，还都挺倔！

下午，苏珊和我商量，晚上由我做中国菜。我心领神会，托比告别爱吃中国菜，一定是苏珊觉得托比中午没好好吃饭，想让他晚上多吃点儿。

那天晚上我施展厨艺，做了托比最爱吃的糖醋里脊、油闷大虾，还用意大利面做了中国式的凉面。托比最喜欢吃那种凉面，小小的人可以吃满满一大盘。

开始吃晚饭了，托比欢天喜地地爬上凳子。苏珊却走过来，拿走了他的盘子和刀叉，说：“我们已经约好了，今天你不能吃饭，你自己也答应了的。”托比看着面容严肃的妈妈，“哇”地一声在哭起来，边哭边说：“妈妈，我饿，我要吃饭。”“不行，说过的话要算数。”苏珊毫不心软。

我心疼了，想替托比求情，说点好话，却见儿子对我使眼色。想起我刚到美国时，儿子就跟我说，在美国，父母教育孩子时，别人千万不要插手，即使是长辈也不例外。无奈，我只好保持沉默。

那顿饭，从始至终，可怜的小托比一直坐在玩具车里，眼巴巴地看着我们三个大人狼吞虎咽。我这才明白苏珊让我做中餐的真正用意。我相信，下一次，托比想发脾气扔饭碗时，一定会想起自己饿着肚子看爸爸妈妈和奶奶享用美食的经历。饿着肚子的滋味不好受，况且还是面对自己最喜爱的食物。

临睡前，我和苏珊一起去向托比道晚安。托比小心翼翼地问：“妈妈，我很饿，现在我能吃中国面吗？”苏珊微笑着摇摇头，坚决地说：“不！”托比叹了口气，又问：“那等我睡完觉睁开眼睛时，可以吃吗？”“当然可以。”苏珊温柔地回答。托比甜甜地笑了。

大部分情况下，托比吃饭都很积极，他不想因为“罢吃”而错过食物，再受饿肚子的苦。每当看到托比埋头大口大口地吃饭，嘴上脸上粘的都是食物时，我就想起外孙女。她像托比这么大时，为了哄她吃饭，几个大人端着饭碗跟在她屁股后面跑，她还不买账，还要谈条件：吃完这碗买一个玩具，再吃一碗买一个玩具……

以其人之道，还治其人这身

有一天，我们带托比去公园玩。很快，托比就和两个女孩儿玩起了厨房游戏。塑料小锅、小铲子、小盘子、小碗摆了一地。忽然，淘气的托比拿起小锅，使劲在一个女孩儿头上敲了一下，女孩儿愣了一下，放声大哭。另一个女孩儿年纪更小一些，见些情形，也被吓得大哭起来。大概托比没想到会有这么严重的后果，站在一旁，愣住了。

苏珊走上前，开清了事情的来龙去脉后，她一声不吭，拿起小锅，使劲敲到托比的头上，托比没防备，一下子跌坐在草地上，哇哇大哭起来。苏珊问托比：“疼吗？下次还这样吗？”托比一边哭，一边拼命摇头。我相信他以后再也不会这么做了。

托比的舅舅送了他一辆浅蓝色的小自行车，托比非常喜欢，当成宝贝，不许别人碰。邻居小姑娘露西是托比的好朋友，央求托比好几次，要骑他的小车，托比都没答应。

一次，几个孩子一起玩时，露西趁托比不注意，偷偷骑上小车，扬长而去。托比发现后，气愤地跑来向苏珊告状。苏珊正和几个孩子的母亲一起聊天喝咖啡，便微笑着说：“你们的事情自己解决，妈妈可管不了。”托比无奈地走了。

过了一小会儿，露西骑着小车回来了。托比看到露西，一把将她推倒在地，抢过了小车。露西坐在地上大哭起来。苏珊抱起露西，安抚了她一会儿。很快，露西就和别的小朋友兴高采烈地玩了起来。

托比自己骑了会车，觉得有些无聊，看到那几个孩子玩得那么高兴，他想加入，又觉得有些不好意思。他蹭到苏珊身边，嘟囔道：“妈妈，我想跟露西他们一起玩。”苏珊不动声色地说：“那你自己去找他们啦！”“妈妈，你陪我一起去。”托比恳求道。“那可不行，刚才是你把露西弄哭的，现在你又想和大家玩，就得自己去解决问题。”

托比骑着小车慢慢靠近露西，快到她身边时，又掉头回来。来回好几次，不知道从什么时候开始，托比和露西又笑逐颜开，闹成了一团。

管教孩子是父母的事

苏珊的父母住在加利福尼亚州，听说我来了，两人开车来探望我们。家里来了客人，托比很兴奋，跑上跑下地乱窜。他把玩沙子用的小桶装满了水，提着小桶在屋里四处转悠。苏珊警告了她好几次，不要把水洒到地板上，托比置若罔闻。最后，托比还是把水桶弄倒了，水洒了一地。兴奋的小托比不觉得自己做错了事，还得意地光着脚丫踩水玩，把裤子全弄湿了。我连忙找出拖把准备拖地。苏珊从我手中抢过拖把交给托比，对他说：“把地拖干，把湿衣服脱下来，自己洗干净。”托比不愿意，又哭又闹。苏珊二话不说，直接把他拉到贮藏室，关了禁闭。听到托比在里面发出惊天动地的哭喊，我心疼坏了，想进去把他抱出来。托比的外婆却拦住我，说：“这是苏珊的事。”

过了一会儿，托比不哭了，他在贮藏室里大声喊：“妈妈，我错了。”苏珊站在门外，问：“那你知道该怎么做了吗？”“我知道。”苏珊打开门，托比从贮藏室走出来，脸上还挂着两行泪珠。他拿起有他两个高的拖把吃力地把地上的水拖干净。然后，他脱下裤子，拎在手上，光着屁股走进洗手间，稀里哗啦地洗起衣服来。

托比的外公外婆看着表情惊异的我，意味深长地笑了。这件事让我感触颇深。在很多中国家庭，父母管教孩子时，常常会引起“世界大战”，往往是外婆外公护，爷爷奶奶拦，夫妻吵架，鸡飞狗跳。

后来，我和托比的外公外婆聊天时，提到这件事，托比的外公说了一段话，让我印象深刻。他说，孩子是父母的孩子，首先要尊重父母对孩子的教育方式。孩子虽然小，却是天生的外交家，当他看到家庭成员之间出现分歧时，他会很聪明地钻空子。这不仅对改善他的行为毫无益处，反而会导致问题越来越严重，甚至带来更多别的问题。而且，家庭成员之间发生冲突，不和谐的家庭氛围会带给孩子更多的不安全感，对孩子的心理发展产生不利影响。所以，无论是父辈与祖辈在教育孩子的问题上发生分歧，还是夫妻两人的教育观念有差异，都不能在孩子面前发生冲突。

托比的外公外婆在家里住了一周，准备回加利福尼亚了。临走前两天，托比的外公郑重地问女儿：“托比想要一辆玩具挖掘机，我可以买给他吗？”苏珊想了想，说：“你们这次来，已经送给他一双旱冰鞋作为礼物了，到圣诞节时，再买玩具挖掘机当礼物送给他吧！”

我不知道托比的外公是怎么告诉小家伙的，后来我带托比去超市，他指着玩具挖掘机说：“外公说，圣诞节时，给我买这个当礼物。”语气里满是欣喜和期待。

虽然苏珊对托比如此严格，托比去却对妈妈爱得不得了。他在外面玩时，会采集一些好看的小花或者他认为漂亮的叶子，郑重其事地送给妈妈；别人送给他礼物，他会叫妈妈和他一起拆开；有什么好吃的，也总要留一半给妈妈。

想到很多中国孩子对父母的漠视与冷淡，我不得不佩服我的洋媳妇。在我看来，在教育孩子的问题上，美国妈妈有很多值得中国妈妈学习的地方

Malaysia - Singapore KTM land swap - 2nd Link Toll Down

2010-06-23T14:09:00.005+08:00

Follow up from my earlier entry, Second Link users will pay 30% less toll come Aug 1.

Currently at passenger cars would need to pay RM10.80 at Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza (Malaysia) and another S$4.60 at Tuas Checkpoint (Singapore). A 30% discount would amounted to RM7.60 and S$3.30. This is still a far cry from the RM2.90 and S$1.20 for those using the Causeway.

If one uses the Second Link starting Aug 1, the monthly cost will be RM176.8 + S$75.9 as compared to RM248.4 + S$105.8 previously, and RM66.7 + S$27.6 via the Causeway.

Well, a 30% discount is better than nothing, but I think we could go lower, couldn't we?

Happy Papa Day!

2010-06-20T17:45:00.001+08:00

Australia - Land of Dream

2010-06-18T16:14:00.020+08:00

20100528: Touch Down

We reached Melbourne at a quarter before twelve midnight. My mind was still not at peace as I wasn't sure if our visa will actually get us through. Applied the visa online back in April and it only took me 5 minutes and 40 Australian dollars to complete the application for both of us. This was way too easy. The flutter in my stomach only ceased when the immigration officer finally stamped our passports and let us through.

Too bad, they confiscated our "bak gua", gifts for our friends in Aussie. Luckily the shrimp roll and broiled cuttlefish were undetected.

We felt the chilliness of the early winter even before we stepped out of the airport. We wrapped ourselves up with layers of winter outfits, mittens, scarves and hats and pushed our carts like two walking rice dumpling and headed to Thrifty to collect our transport. They upgraded us from a Toyota Corolla Ascent Hatchback to a Hyundai i30. Cool, though I don't know the difference:p Anyway, the i30 is really a good ride.

It was time to put our newly purchase Garmin to the test. We missed quite a number of junctions being fairly new to the device, fortunately it proved its valour despite kept directing us to the toll way (which after, we learnt from EC that we could set the device to avoid it). We finally arrived at the hotel at the wee hours in the morning. After a relaxing spa bath, we tucked ourselves beneath the cosy quilt.

20100529: Rise and shine to Philip Island

Woke up at 8.30am, scheduled to meet EC for breakfast at 9am. Met EC on the way out to grab a tube of toothpaste from 7 Eleven. EC brought me two kathmadu fleeces and lent us one of his cellphone. After a brief breakfast with our dear friend, CM and I hopped into the car and head off Philip Island. We stopped along the way whenever we came across any nice sceneries, starting only two blocks away from where we stayed. Pls pardon us because to "suaku" like us, any scene is breathtaking and worth cam-whoring:p

Churchill Island Heritage farm is a nice place to hang out and to get hands on the several farm activities like milking the cow, sheep shearing...etc.

Penguin Parade - It's fascinating to watch the penguins emerge from the sea after dark, preen themselves on the beach and taking counts before parading off to their nests. Too bad, I am not allow to take any pictures.

20100530: Melbourne City Walk

After a pleasant breakfast beside the manor operated by a Korean couple, we drove to the city, which was not a sound idea as it was pretty challenging to drive with so many traffics in a foreign land with weird rules like the hook turn, and scarce parking spaces. We finally landed a parking lot after wrestling with the seasoned city dwellers and risked almost being run down by the tram. ~wipe sweat off forehead.

There are many magnificent buildings and structures which caught my attention like St. Paul's Cathedral and Flinders Station. Even went to the Old Melbourne Gaol to check out the Ned Kelly legend, he is probably the guy who invented the first kevlar vest.

Went to Mulgrave to meet EC for dinner. It is a nice suburb he is staying, but he is moving to a better place:) EC brought us to Kingsway which is saturated with Asian food and we had a bud-tantalizing bowl of pho (Vietnamese beef noodle)! After dinner, we dropped by at the Philips in Boxhill, another suburb known to be occupied by many Malaysians. The Philips are staying in a rented heritage house, the exterior looks old yet cosy and the interior is spacious and homey. Love the kitchen, living room, and the veranda!

20100531: Great Ocean Road

We woke up pretty early for this as the GOR stretches more than 200 km. Along the way, we stopped anywhere we wanted to as EC's saying goes, "This is the beauty of free and easy tour."

We stopped at Bells Beach for some photo and had brunch at a little town in Anglesea. Right at the roundabout before the town, a grey kangaroo hopped like nobody's business beside us, overtook us and bounced across the roundabout and vanished into the bush across the road. After the meal, CM bought her shades and we moved on to Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet.

Pam, the tour guide at the lighthouse is a jovial petite lady and made us felt at home immediately with her cheerful laughter. We toured the lighthouse with 3 Indian dudes and 3 local ranchers from Queensland.

We made another stop at Separation Creek near Wye River as I was attracted by the wooden bridge at the river mouth.

Stopped at Apollo Bay tourist centre at about 3pm, the staff told us that we will be able to reach the Twelve Apostles by 5.30pm to catch the last glimpse of light. And this is the part where I started to drive like a rally driver, with my co-driver dozing off:p The GOR does not stick along the coast all the way, it leads towards inland somewhere after Marengo as it slices across Otway National Park.

We reached the Twelve Apostle at 5.15pm, still sufficient light for me to shoot some nice pictures. We think that the greatness of nature can only be felt there and then, no postcard-like picture is able to convey the message across entirely. Discontented with the time we spent with the rocks, we decided to stay overnight at the nearby Port Campbell, which was not in our plan.

We had a sumptuous dinner at Waves before we went searching for a place to put up for the night. We checked out a few places before settling at Port Campbell Hostel for AUD25/night, which is the all time favorite for backpackers. Pretty decent stay for such a cheap price, clean bathrooms and toilets.

Woke up at 6.30am and headed for the apostles again where we practically own the entire lookout deck all to ourselves. More cam-whoring before we dropped by Loch Ard Gorge and marvelled at the work of nature, how the wind, waves and rain craft the natural sculpture skillfully with time. And the best part is, it ain't finish till the end of the world.

20100601: Ballarat

We checked out from the hostel and had our breakfast. The owner has a collection of artwork, mainly paintings on the rocks and the port, it is ther work of the owner's mom. Refilled our fuel tank, and off we go to Ballarat in search of gold!

We visited Sovereign Hill, a mocked up gold mining town recreating the gold rush yesteryear in the 1850s. I was awestricken at the mining technology these people invented back then, how strong is the will of man to achieve something they strongly desire. And also we observed the dire condition our fellow Chinese ancestors were put through back in those days when they were lured to this barren land to seek fortune. At least now their younger generations live in a place where they can freely call home. Sovereign Hill is highly recommended for family with kids because you can shop, dine, and have fun all day long.

Next, we moved over to the Gold Museum which is opposite Sovereign Hill. Our eyes glittered at the generous showcase of gold nuggets and gold dust. The good news is that you're still able to stumble upon this precious element if you look for it hard enough in Australia. Who knows, you might find a nugget while you're gardening in your own backyard.

We returned to Mel city in the evening to meet up with CM's secondary school classmates, JY and HL. Initially, JY intended to treat us to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant but once we reached the place we turned him down as it's too posh for us:p So we detoured to a Greek restaurant for kebab.

20100602: Dandenongs

Yay, it's zoo and wine day! Healesville Sanctuary is located 61km to the east of Melbourne. It was a relaxing day since we do not need to travel very far. And so in the morning, we reached the sanctuary at about 9.30am and stayed there till noon. Saw the emu, roos, koala, tasmanian devil, wombat, platipus and dingo, which are the only one we were interested. And then we moved on to Yarra Valley to visit the vineyard.

Was back in the hotel at 6.30pm, waited for EC to pick us up and go to Little Italy. Sort of like a farewell dinner before we depart for Sydney. And again, it's not about the food or wine that night that matters, it's the moment together that counts. How unpredictable life can be when 2 years back, we hung out in Penang in search for local delicacies and 2 years later, we were dining in Aussie. God knows where we will meet again years later.

Big tight slap on the face, Dr Mahathir!

2010-06-17T10:13:00.006+08:00

A day after Dr Mahathir uttered nonsensical remarks regarding the Malay Singaporeans kowtowing to others during the Gertak function, this is what we hear from our friend in Singapore:

*******************************************

In Singapore, we don't kowtow

I READ with concern Tuesday's report, 'Malaysian Malays might kowtow to others if...', in which former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad claims that even though Malay Singaporeans enjoy the benefits of a more developed country, they have to 'terbongkok-bongkok' (kowtow) to others.

Tun Dr Mahathir could have been more sensitive towards the feelings of Singapore Malays.

As a Malay Singaporean living and working peacefully with fellow Singaporeans of all races, I cannot agree with what he said.

Singapore's leaders worked hard for many years to achieve racial harmony, tolerance and understanding among Singaporeans. Today, we live and work together as one family; and we have reaped the rewards of being one of the safest and most developed nations in the world.

While Dr Mahathir's opinion on Malay Singaporeans enjoying the benefits of a developed country is spot-on, we have never kowtowed to others. Singaporeans of all races, including Malays, engage in healthy debate and discussions with our Government. The decisions made by the Government, after hearing feedback from its people, are respected as we trust it is in the best interests of all Singaporeans.

Through community support and hard work, Malay students in Singapore have bettered their results in various national examinations. Such achievements are celebrated by all Singaporeans.

With better education, Malay Singaporeans have achieved a better lifestyle for their families compared with a large percentage of Malays in Malaysia. We worked hard to be where we are today and in no way kowtow to anyone to gain success. Meritocracy remains the benchmark of our society. While this works in Singapore, it may not work in Malaysia.

Having many relatives, friends and business associates of all races in Malaysia requires me to travel frequently across the Causeway. Over the years, I have seen and learnt that for the minority to succeed in Malaysia, they need to kowtow to others.

The irony is that many ordinary Malaysian Malays who have no connections, or fail to share their potential success with the 'right' people, will never have it easy to succeed. Perhaps, favouritism, cronyism and bribery are problems Dr Mahathir may want to address in his country.

As for me, a Malay Singaporean, I would like to say thank you to my Singapore leaders. You have made Singapore the best place to live peacefully in for me and my family.

Mustaffa Othman

*******************************************

Once again, in the clash of the Titans, Lee Kuan Yew wins hands down. Nenenepupu.

Remarks from other Malay Singaporeans:

"Like others, Malay Singaporeans work hard for the benefits in a meritocratic system." Mr Ahmad Abu Bakar

"The Malays in Singapore stand shoulder to shoulder with other Singaporeans." Mr Niaz Mohamed

Jam Jam Jam

2010-05-27T23:25:00.003+08:00

Barisan Nasional, tell me how to vote for you?

Bleak day at Guangzhou Airport

2010-05-27T21:47:00.000+08:00

Power of 308

2010-05-25T11:49:00.004+08:00

The 308 political tsunami (and the recent Sibu by-election result) must have hammered Barisan Nasional so hard, that the shattering tremor traveled up via the spine chord and electrified the brain. They are starting to think now.

Two laudable news which are pleasing to my ears are the immediate cut of Second Link toll fees and the rapid transit link between JB and Singapore in 2018. How significant or satisfying will the toll cut be is still not known at the moment, within a month according to The Straits Times. And if the rapid transit link between Singapore and Tanjung Puteri (Pasir Gudang) by 2018 is materialised, this will be a major motivation for me to invest in this piece of land.

Good move. But, let's not be over-optimistic for now.

Singapore Sling

2010-05-25T11:19:00.002+08:00

~ perfumed, decent

Najib: You help me, I help you

2010-05-23T13:15:00.001+08:00

There's a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.

~William Wallace, Braveheart

BN, UMNO and Najib have so, so much to learn.

Boat Quay -> Esplanade -> Marina Bay Sands

2010-05-04T00:04:00.005+08:00

WHAT else do Chinese Malaysians want?

2010-04-30T22:46:00.003+08:00

Another marvellous piece by Zaini Hassan, Utusan, April 28. Enjoy.

WHAT else do Chinese Malaysians want?
Let us put aside the reasons why they do not support the current government in Kuala Lumpur. Let us study first what else they want.

For that, we have to go back to history. The Chinese came to Malaya to seek opportunities. They had lived a hard life in mainland China for hundreds of years. Like the whites who migrated to the American continent because it was the land of opportunity, the Chinese migrated to Malaya to make their fortunes in this bountiful land.

The strategy of their forebears has borne fruit. The Chinese have attained what they wanted. They now live in the lap of luxury in this land of opportunity called Malaysia.

In fact, it is not only in Malaysia that they have attained what they wanted. They have even gained full control of Singapore.

Singapore is not their original country. The Singapore Chinese and the Malaysian Chinese were originally boat people. The difference is that those who landed in Singapore managed to gain full control of Singapore, but those who landed in Malaysia did not manage to control Malaysia.

In Malaysia, the Chinese live in peace with the Malays, the indigenous people and the Indians. In comparison, in Singapore, the Chinese control politics and the Government. In Malaysia, the Malays still control politics and the government.
The systems of both governments are the same, but it is vice versa: The Malays dominate in Malaysia while the Chinese dominate across the Causeway.

In contrast, the Malays in Singapore and the Chinese in Malaysia are very different. The Malays in Singapore lead ordinary lives while the Chinese in Malaysia lead lives that are 'more than ordinary'.

In fact, former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad once stated that if all the Chinese-owned buildings in Kuala Lumpur were lifted from the map, only the buildings in Kampung Baru, a Malay area, would remain in the city.

All the other buildings are owned by Chinese Malaysians. The well- known shopping centres in Malaysia are owned by the Chinese.

The Chinese Malaysians are fantastic. They control all the cities and major towns in peninsular Malaysia, as well as Sabah and Sarawak.

They produce the largest number of, and the most successful, professionals. The school system of the Chinese Malaysians is the best among similar school systems in the world.

The Chinese account for most of the students studying in the best private colleges in Malaysia. The Malays can gain admission into only government-owned colleges of ordinary reputation.

With regard to corporate and private organisations, it is the Chinese who dominate. The Malays number just a few; most of them are low-level employees.

In fact, knowing Mandarin is a pre-requisite for applying for jobs in these organisations.

Finally, an annual survey by the Malaysian Business magazine has found that eight of the 10 richest people in Malaysia are Chinese. The following is the list of the 10 richest people in Malaysia:

Mr Robert Kuok Hock Nien
Mr Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan
Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng
Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow
Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay
Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan
Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary
Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua
Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King
Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun

This is the reality in Malaysia, my beloved country. Is the current government, which has been in power for 52 years, cruel and totalitarian?

What else do the Chinese Malaysians want?

马来西亚华人，你们还要什么？

这是个很有意思的话题。马来西亚华人究竟还要什么？先不谈他们不支持现有政府的原因，让我们先探讨他们到底还要什么。

　　这就得追溯历史了。华人是前来马来西亚寻找机会。他们几百年来在中国大陆过着贫困的生活。就像移居到机遇之地的美洲大陆的白人一样，华人前来马来西亚这个富足的地方，是为了追求财富。

　　他们的祖先的作法取得了成果。华人获得了他们所要的。他们现在在马来西亚这个机遇之地过着奢华的生活。

　　事实上，他们不止在马来西亚达到他们的目的，他们还完全控制了新加坡。新加坡不是他们原来的家园。新加坡和马来西亚的华人是远渡而来的船民。不同的是，那些在新加坡上岸的，成功地完全控制了新加坡，来到马来西亚的却没有办法控制马来西亚。

　　马来西亚的华人同马来人、原住民及印度人和平共处。新加坡的华人控制了政治和政府。相比之下，在马来西亚，政治和政府依然在马来人的掌控中。

　　两国的政府体制是一样的。相反的是，马来西亚是由马来人统治，新加坡却是由华人支配。
　　新加坡的马来人和马来西亚的华人有很大的差别。前者过着普通的生活，后者却是过着“绝不普通的生活”。

　　事实上，马哈迪医生曾说，如果把吉隆坡由华人拥有的建筑物全部从地图上除去，剩下的就只有甘榜巴鲁（Kampung Baru）的建筑了。也就是说，其他所有建筑物都是属于马来西亚华人的。

马来西亚华人真是了不起。他们控制了马来半岛、沙巴和砂劳越的所有城市和主要市镇。他们也培养了数目最多和最成功的专业人士。马来西亚华人的教育制度是全球类似系统中最好的。

　　马来西亚最好的私人学院的学生，大部分是华人。马来人只能进入声誉一般的政府学院。马来西亚知名的购物中心也是华人拥有的。

　　华人也垄断了企业和私人机构。马来人的数目很少，多为低层的员工。事实上。懂得华语是申请加入这些机构的先决条件。

　　最后，马来西亚一份商业杂志的年度调查显示，马来西亚的10大富豪中有8个是华人。以下是马来西亚10大富豪的排行榜。

郭鹤年
阿南达克里斯南（Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan）
李深静
郑鸿标
林国泰
郭令灿
赛莫达（Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary）
李金花
张晓卿
陈志远

　　这就是我深爱的国家马来西亚的现实。已经执政52年的政党，是否是个残忍和极权的政府？

　　马来西亚的华人还要什么？我想我知道，我想你也知道。

原载《马来西亚前锋报》

Foreign Direct Investment

2010-04-25T21:08:00.006+08:00

Was debating with some guy on FB and he questioned why FDI (foreign direct investment) in Penang plunged from RM12b to RM2b within 2 years (after Lim Guan Eng took over).

Never mind the numbers.

Because if more than 20 years ago, we are crying out loud for foreign investment, and today, we are still dependent on foreign investment, this country has a serious problem.

Mahathir coincided with my view as follows:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/23/nation/6113292&sec=nation

Barisan Nasional = Dimwit

2010-04-22T20:35:00.003+08:00

'Govt hired Apco for protection'

Yes, the regime is at its wit's end to protect itself. That's the bad news.

The good news?

Don't worry! Because by spending some moola, Barisan Nasional can count on APCO to stage powerful comeback in the next general elections. As the parlance goes, "Any problem which can be solved with money is not a problem at all!" The only thing is that, the problem is solved at the expense of our money, the people's money. RM77million.

Nazri mentioned that APCO is the reason Najib is able to meet Obama. And now, Kota Belud MP Rahman Dahlan told Parliament today that BN “was forced to appoint” APCO to bridle and contain opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat.

"I want to say that RM77 million is the risk, the amount needed to rectify the damage triggered by Pakatan," he said.

The UMNO-dominated has totally got the wrong point as to why they suffered huge losses in the Mar'08 general election and barking up the wrong tree.

If RM77million can get Najib to meet Obama, surely Malaysians can cough up the same amount for Anwar to meet Obama.

So, do we really need the BN dimwits to lead our government now?

An Anonymous Letter

2010-04-21T10:00:00.000+08:00

The most important asset of a country is not its natural resources, but rather human resources. This is especially true in a knowledge based economy, which of course will be the trend in future if not already the trend in most of the western countries.

My daughter, who is in her final year medicine in Auckland , told me that a team of Singapore recruitment officers have just visited Auckland and talked to the Malaysian students there, offering job and training prospect for the final year students once they graduate. My daughter also told me that over the last few years, quite a lot of her Malaysian seniors, after graduating from medical courses in NZ, have gone to Singapore to work as house-officers and subsequently stayed back in Singapore for their postgraduate training. Similar teams are sent to Australia and UK for recruiting Malaysians there to work in Singapore .

About a year ago, in one of the articles in Reuters, this was reported: Malaysia is counting on bright, ambitious people like Tan Chye Ling for its future, to lead it away from manufacturing and into the knowledge age. But the 32-year-old scientist, a post-graduate in molecular biology, is not counting on Malaysia to look after her future.

'I felt very suppressed in Malaysia ,' said Tan, who moved to neighbouring Singapore, the region's pace-setter for biotech investment, after a decade of study and research in Malaysia .

'I have benefited from the better research environment and salary scheme here. Things are much smoother,' she said by phone from the National University of Singapore where she is studying dust mites and allergies. Tan estimates that 60 percent of the research teams she works with in Singapore are from Malaysia , despite her country's efforts over several years to develop a biotech industry.

The Malaysian government unveiled plans last March to spend $553.3 million over five years to boost research, attract foreign investment and build new facilities. But its efforts are wasted unless it can retain more talented people like Tan.

'By the time we have the research environment in place, every other country would have taken a slice of the biotech investment pie,' said Iskandar Mizal, head of the state-run Malaysian Biotech Corporation which oversees the government's strategy.

There is a serious problem facing Malaysia and that is the problem of Brain Drain. Why are Malaysians overseas not coming back to work?

Well, pay may be part of the reasons but is not the main reason. Singapore recruitment team offered Malaysian students there a salary which is a few times they would expect to get in Malaysia : S$40,000 a yr for houseman after tax (equivalent to RM86000) which is about 5 times the pay of a houseman in Malaysia . But, as I say, pay is not the main problem. The living expenses Overseas is high. And for a person working overseas, the loneliness and the stress level is also high. So not everyone opts to work overseas because of pay. Many would not mind to work for lesser pay if they can stay near to their loved ones.

Why do people choose to work overseas, away from their loved ones?

Malaysia has many state-of-the-art hospitals and research centres, which may even be the envy of many countries. But hardware alone would not attract these experts to come home. In the medical fields, I have so many friends /classmates working overseas, many in world renowned centres.

Why do they do that?

Some of my classmates and friends did come back as specialists. After working a few years (many lasted a few months), most get disillusioned and went off. There is really not much prospect of career advancement. How many can hope to become a professor, even when they are an acknowledged expert in their field? On the other hand, lesser beings are being promoted to professorship for doing much less.

How many of them can have any say about how things are to be run? How many of them can blend into the local team where the work attitude is vastly different from that overseas? There is an unwritten rule that even if the person is very good, the head of the team has to be someone from a certain ethnic group who may not even be half as good as him.

In everyday life, some become disillusioned with the corruption, the red tape and tidak apa attitude of the officialdom. For an overseas doctor applying to work home, the application can take up to 6 months to get approved, whereas, Singapore sends teams overseas to recruit them on the spot, giving them forms to fill and offering them jobs immediately as long as they pass their final examination. See the difference?

It is the sense of being wanted and being appreciated that make these people stay overseas. Back here, they are often made to feel that they are of a lower class; they do not feel wanted and they do not feel appreciated. That is the main reason.

For those with children, the education system puts them off. Even school children can feel being discriminated; one glaring example is the 2 systems in Pre-University education.

All these make them pack their bags and off they go again, leaving behind their parents perhaps, siblings, friends they grew up together, favouite food that is often not available overseas. No one likes to be like this; circumstances and a sense of being recognised for their worth make them go away. It is really sad.

Parents spend huge amount of money educating them, but the ones who benefit are the Singaporeans, the Americans, the Australian, the British and so on. As long as race politics is not done away with, this problem of brain drain will continue and Malaysia will always lack behind the advanced countries, no matter how many twin towers and Putrajayas we build.

A Lame Joke

2010-04-20T17:16:00.002+08:00

周杰伦（周董）爱车大家众所周知，尤其是跑车。但是又有没有人知道周杰伦是不步行过马路的的呢？我有幸针对此事访问了周天王：

我：为什么你不在马路上走路的？

周杰伦：不行啊！每次在马路上行走，交警就会开罚单给我。

我：咦？为什么哩？

周杰伦：不知道啊！他们都说我“Jay walking”！

For Dummies

2010-04-19T22:57:00.008+08:00

My dear friend, Akunamatata, one of the author of the For Dummies series recently finished his write-up on "Name of Large Numbers and what they really mean For Dummies". Thinking that there's a potential large market in Malaysia where most people can't differentiate between million and billion, he sent me a copy of his book and sought for my opinion.

"My ol' friend, not all Malaysians have this problem. But if you were to market this book to the government sector, I think they will surely pay you handsomely for solving one of their major problems. And maybe once they understood the numbers, they would probably spend the rakyat's money with care." I told Akunamatata via the telephone.

"What about the price? How much should I tag this book?" Akunamatata asked.

"Any price, just add more zeroes. As you know, they still can't tell whether 6,500,000 is 6.5 million or 6.5 billion. If you are lucky, they may think that 6,500,000,000 is only 6.5 million. All the best and good luck, mate!" and I hung up.

Echo

2010-04-18T22:18:00.000+08:00

APCO: Course of Event

2010-04-18T22:12:00.002+08:00

March 17, 2010 - Anwar claimed that the Barisan Nasional Government had engaged the services of international management consultancy firm Apco to create the 1Malaysia concept and aspirations. He said Apco was engaged by then Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak to create the One Israel concept in 1999.

March 18, 2010 - Apco issued a statement the next day to deny the allegation by Anwar, that they did not create the 1Malaysia concept and did not work with the Israeli government. Puzzlingly, Najib’s response in Parliament did not deny Apco’s comprehensive involvement, and not specifically to the 1Malaysia concept only.

March 31, 2010 - Apco issued a statement to Bernama yesterday, reiterating that it had neither worked with the Israeli government nor helped to create the 1Malaysia concept.

April 1, 2010 - The CEO and top officials of Mindteams were also the same people who had signed agreements on behalf of Apco with the Malaysian Government to help burnish the country’s image overseas, Anwar claimed, holding up papers which he alleged were evidence which showed Malaysia’s links with Apco. The same day, Khairy claimed that Datuk Seri Najib Razak coined “1Malaysia” 11 months before the Government signed a contract with Apco Worldwide.

April 7 ,2010 - Earlier in the Dewan, Anwar claimed Israeli’s military intelligence agents were working in Bukit Aman through a company, a matter which first came to light in 2008. He alleged that the police had carried out a project known as Apco P25 (a Police Reporting System) costing RM980mil which was contracted to the company.

April 14, 2010 - BY July, the Government would have paid Apco Worldwide Sdn Bhd’s subsidiary Mind Teams RM76.8mil for work done from last June. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, the payment was for services in public affairs, government affairs services and strategic communications, public relations and press outreach.

2010-04-18T01:58:00.006+08:00

If you really want to know if Malaysia has progressed for the better since March 2008, don't solely rely on the headlines in mass media.

I am not being cynical, just a little reserved judging at the way Barisan Nasional has led us so far. They came up with the correct slogan, announced imminent favorable reforms and stressed on purging the venom which has deeply poisoned the nation for many decades. And, with all the deliberate publicity in praise of the current cabinet, especially the premier, who is in the limelight for photoshots with the US President and the Vice, the peasants are starting to believe that the rhetoric regime is beginning to change. Yes, the euphoria of reform fills the air.

Like I said, I still have my reservations.

I think that if one really wants to gauge the determination of the government to walk the talk and the level of propaganda translated into firm and resolute actions, the best way is to talk to people who are dealing with the government bodies and government servants. And, indeed, I happened to talk to a few.

"During Hari Raya, they wanted to take extra days off and we (non-Malays) would take up extra shifts to relieve them. But when it's Chinese New Year, they wouldn't allow us to apply for leaves because they too wanted to take extra days off! This is too much! Is this what you'd called 1Malaysia?" from government servant A.

"We had to do most of the work, because we are the only ones who are able to handle the task, to extract the numbers, interpret them and analyse. And we had to summarize the story for the big shots in the meeting. I applied for a transfer, but they wouldn't let me go because I am the only one who knows how to do it." from government servant B. B and his wife are in the public sector. Subsequently when their applications for transfer have been approved after multiple submissions, they had to reject the offer. The offer will transfer B and his wife to 2 separate towns which is 200km apart.

"Don't hope that your own kind will help you. They are busy smarming up to them (Malays) so that they can be promoted. Mind you, they are the ones that are exploiting you instead!" government servant C on his Chinese superior. Sounds like MCA and Gerakan to me.

"Last time, the medicine given out was tiptop. But now since the government is really out of money, we are buying drugs from secondary suppliers for a cheaper price. Everytime, when I prescribe drugs for patient, I felt that I am cheating because the effect of the medicine is as good as not taking any." a doctor in a general hospital expressed his worries.

"Do you think that the SMEs are really getting any financial aids? Don't be naive. You see my stall here? It's been a year since I started my business, I haven't receive the f*cking 3000 ringgit I applied for." from a business owner.

Oi Cinapek, please reduce shark fin consumption!

2010-04-15T10:54:00.000+08:00

A Threat To Our Future

View more presentations from Shark Rescue.

魚翅湯 - 一碗一碗威脅我們的未來 (Shark Fin - A Threat To Our Future) by Shark Rescue

View more presentations from Shark Rescue.

The Ultimatum as Promised

2010-04-14T19:11:00.004+08:00

For those who has been following my blog all along, you'd know that it has been a rocky boat ride for me to use Maybank's online trading system.

Every now and then, I would have trouble logging into the system or loading the page due to site maintenance (during active trading hours) or server problems, again and again. I had tried numerous ways to feedback and hope that the issue will cease once and for all, emails, call ins... To my dismay, no one heed my call.

And so, before my blood pressure shoots up beyond the uncontrollable threshold. I think, I better pull the plug. Today, I transferred all my equities to Public Bank.

Bye bye, Maybank! Without me, you still have the "67%" to support you. So, please keep on with the lackadaisical attitude. They're lovin it!

ps: Oh, did I mentioned that when I wanted to transfer my money today, it took me more than an hour when I am the only one doing telegraphic transfer at the Maybank's Taman Universiti branch? And I had to fill up 4 forms, because I cannot transfer more than X grand in one form. Good job, Maybank!

Mini-CIQ for pedestrians to be built next year (2011)

2010-04-11T23:55:00.003+08:00

Good news for Malaysians working in Singapore.

Nonetheless, let us not be overjoyed just yet. If Barisan Nasional wants to fish their votes, they better put words into deeds.

Let me keep this in my checklist and see if BN actually cash the cheque by 2011.

Mini-CIQ for pedestrians to be built next year

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI

April 11, 2010

JOHOR BARU: Construction of a mini Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex dedicated to pedestrians is expected to start early next year, says Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad.

He said discussions between Home Ministry officials, state non-governmental organisations, the police, state assemblymen in Johor Baru as well as city councillors show positive signs in implementing the project.

Shahrir said closed-door discussions, which had been held three times, were chaired by Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam. Others who attended were himself and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

“In the latest meeting, the IGP had concluded that the mini-CIQ would not pose any security threat to the state or the country.

“We are optimistic that the project will get under way after we iron out some technical issues,” Shahrir told newsmen yesterday.

He said that among the technical matters were the issue of land near the Causeway, which is owned by the state government, the size and design of the complex, cost as well as whether the complex could cater to both in-bound and out-bound traffic.

He added that the proposed mini-CIQ for pedestrians was first brought up in 2008 after the public complained about traffic congestion and the lack of facilities for pedestrians.

“Most Johore folk and businesses want this facility. It can also revive businesses in the Johor Baru city centre which took a drastic hit when the new CIQ opened,” he said. Presently, traffic via the new CIQ flows to the Stulang area.

Shahrir said the mini-CIQ would afford convenience for pedestrians travelling to and from Singapore via the Causeway.

Currently, public transport commuters leave the CIQ through Johor Baru Central and City Square, requiring a long walk to the nearest bus stop.

In January last year, Shahrir, who was the then Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, had proposed utilising the old CIQ for pedestrian traffic, which could be the solution for the long walk public transport users had to endure at the new CIQ.

Shark Tale

2010-04-11T00:19:00.007+08:00

After UN meeting rejected proposal to regulate shark fin trade.

Millions of hammerhead and whitetip are extracted from seas each year, mainly to satisfy a burgeoning appetite for sharkfin soup, a prestige food in Chinese communities around the world. The demand for fins has slashed populations by 90 percent in several regions.

The fish are often tossed back into the water after their precious fins have been sliced away.

Flipper

2010-04-10T16:06:00.004+08:00

Recently watched The Cove's trailer on Facebook and I was deeply saddened by the fate of this lovely creature exposed in the documentary.

"The Cove exposes the slaughter of more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises off the coast of Japan every year, and how their meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is being sold as food in Japan and other parts of Asia, often labeled as whale meat."

Of course, I am aware that dolphin butchering also happens elsewhere in Europe. But like what Ric O'Barry said in the documentary, if we can't stop it in this little body of water, then there is no hope to stop the slaughter in any place on earth.

If you want to see dolphins, watch them in their natural habitats.

Every divers' dream

Please watch the documentary and take part to save the dolphins here.

Photo of the Week

2010-04-10T15:51:00.002+08:00

Who let the dogs out?

2010-04-07T11:01:00.011+08:00

"Bumiputeras should own 67 per cent of the country's wealth, in accordance with the population ratio." ~Ibrahim Ali, President of PERKASA.

33% of population sustaining and creating more than 80% of the nation's wealth, only to be shared by the other 67% of people?

As far as I am concern, the non-bumiputeras have never ever attempt to control the nation's economy. The non-bumiputeras, especially the Chinese, slogged tirelessly day and night to earn a living. First, they eke out a meagre living. Penny by penny, they accumulated and they strived unflaggingly to protect and to grow their wealth. Because, they believe that Heaven is fair and will award those who work hard to earn an honest living and that diligence is the key from rags to riches. With that said, surely, the non-bumiputeras wouldn't hinder other ethnic groups from sharing the economic pie as long as everyone works for it.

Furthermore, when there is a bumiputera-dominated government (Malay-dominated to be exact) and a Pro-Malay policy for more than 5 decades, and only a handful have benefitted from the New Economy Policy (NEP), who is to blame?

Open your eyes, my dear friends. You do not need to beg because you are not as weak as the government wants you to think.

And think again, 33% of population sustaining and creating more than 80% of the nation's wealth, only to be shared by the other 67% of unproductive people just doesn't make any sense. And to distribute the country's wealth by population ratio? Imbecilic.

菩萨

2010-04-07T10:28:00.000+08:00

昨晚，在两个roti prata和两杯teh tarik之后，CM终于领悟了朋友和法侣的分别。在公车上回家的15分钟车程里，我上了一堂佛法课。

发现

2010-04-06T19:39:00.003+08:00

昨天，CM发现她喜欢华文的原因。

I am sorry...

2010-04-05T17:17:00.005+08:00

To those speculators and investors lurking out there, waiting for me to take up the shares that you all eagerly wanted to sell...

I am sorry.

To those people out there waiting to buy the blue chips from my portfolio...

I am sorry.

Because, once again, Maybank has done it again. I'd been stucked at this stupid page multiple times today. No matter what I tried, the trading page just wouldn't load.

Who am I to blame but my stupidity to stay with this horrible system?

Wait for my ultimatum, you SOB. 1Malaysia Boleh!

马华328特大重选成绩

2010-03-31T13:05:00.005+08:00

今天的马华，四不象。

NEM or NEP?

2010-03-30T23:47:00.003+08:00

Najib unveiled the New Economy ~~Policy~~ Model this morning yet the impact towards Malaysia's financial market is minimal, up only 0.01% to 1319.35. With all the hooha prior to the announcement, I can't help but wonder why is the market not taking it more positively? I spent 15 minutes to go through the PM's keynote.

Very ambitious goal, I would say. Or maybe it's just a wishlist, to double the dollars per capita annual income to USD15,000 within 10 years, albeit it is not entirely impossible as Singapore had achieved this in the 90s. The question is HOW are we going to make this a reality? Just by privatising a few GLCs and gazetting a few parcel of lands for development? Come on!

However, one thing is sure to stay. There will still be two groups under the 1Malaysia umbrella, the Bumiputera and non Bumiputera, as mentioned repetitively in the keynotes.

"For instance, one important consideration will be developing a competitive and transparent tender process, with set and clear rules for the whole Bumiputera community, made of both Malay and other indigenous groups. This is set out as a common-sense enhancement of our policies for a new economic reality and where Inclusiveness is a key component in our new economic model. In practice, this approach will mean greater support for the Bumiputera, a greater support based on needs, not race. The Bumiputera segment still forms the majority in the vulnerable groups by any measure, and while our new approach will help those on low-incomes from any group, it will still largely benefit the Bumiputera community and at same time provide for the disadvantaged of other communities."

"The NEAC report sets out its view that the previous mechanism that concentrated on target setting should now focus on structured and dedicated capacity building investment that allows the Bumiputera to take advantage of new opportunities in the economy. In addition, fair access and opportunities to retraining, upgrading of skills and ability to gain employment will also be emphasized for all Malaysians."

"...transparent process will be implemented to ensure that potential private sector bidders meet a minimum set of criteria, including financial standing, track record in business expansion and management excellence, and that their proposals help grow the Bumiputera and 1Malaysia causes."

NEM replacing NEP. Same script, different title.

Gary Vaynerchuk: Do what you love (no excuses!)

2010-03-30T14:42:00.000+08:00

Check Out What Uncle Bill Is Up To

2010-03-30T13:30:00.001+08:00

http://www.thegatesnotes.com/

Why I think Iskandar Malaysia Tak Boleh

2010-03-25T23:41:00.007+08:00

Here, you will listen to how the (3rd) CEO of Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Ismail Ibrahim is grilled on The Breakfast Grille (BFM 89.9). ~lol~

Iskandar Malaysia has obtained RM56bil investment since 2006 to date, which has exceeded the targeted RM46bil. The way I hear it, there are 10 reasons that the Iskandar project will end up like our mega projects in KL like Cyberjaya.

Lack of focus and the IRDA is branding on nothing. It has no plan.
We are merely copying what Singapore has been doing with all those creative industries mentioned (IT, entertainment, filming, animation) and we have no edge against Singapore. Medical tourism? How can you succeed when your MPs, Ministers and Sultans go to Singapore for medical treatment? My point is with Singapore in the vicinity, it's checkmate for Iskandar Malaysia.
Infrastructure wise, we are not ready. Broadband bandwidth of only 1Mbps, how to support those creative industries?
Manpower wise, we are only starting to develop now? And for my friends who had proudly graduated from the local universities and colleges (including me), you know how much we weight. You've been there, you know what kind of graduates our higher education institutions are capable of producing.
Cybercity in Kulai? Look at Cyberjaya, no Mc Donalds? Pffft. History in the making.
Create higher income society? Just crossover the Causeway lar.
Khazanah-linked FDIs - Come, I am paying you guys to f*ck me!
Downstream manufacturing -> upstream manufacturing -> manufacturing intensive to service sector intensive. Our neighbour used 30-50 years to make the shift, what makes you think we can do it within 10 years? Some more with so many competent competitors in the region.
Friendster coming in, yey! But, do you still use friendster these days?
Our dear Ismail Ibrahim himself has so much doubts that he uses "perhaps" and "hope" so many times in his response. It's like saying, "Insya Allah, maybe one day perhaps hopefully Iskandar Malaysia will make it." And if you listen carefully, he keeps beating around the bush without convincing facts and figures.

More merry-go-rounds here:

Down and Out of Luck

2010-03-25T22:24:00.005+08:00

I believe most people have played Loose Deuces or Chinese Poker before, in mandarin we called it "锄大地" or "大老二". It's a strategy card game which requires utmost wits, patience and sometimes, deception. And of course, you will need some luck as well - because whether you are able to win the game largely also depends on the card combination you get each round. As the adage goes, "No morning sun lasts a whole day", one will not get royal flush, full house or three of a kind all the time. What happens when you get a handful of lousy cards?

Continue to play lusterlessly? Or simply throw in the cards and pass the round?

I remembered Andy Lau said in one of his gambling movies, "One should never give up no matter how bad your tiles variation (mahjong) is." One can continue to play whole-heartedly (with perseverance) and still enjoy the game. In the end, if you happen to win the round, congrats! If you lose the round, laugh off with a big heart. There is always the next round.

It is the same in life, it will not be a smooth sailing journey. You may be down and out of luck during certain stages of life. You may be at odds with your best friends, you may not get to enroll into the ivy leagues that you preferred, you don't get along with your bosses, you are retrenched during the recent financial crisis, you may be on the brink of bankruptcy and worst, because your first child is coming along...Life seems meaningless and could progress no more.

Hang on!

This is as if you have a lousy hand right now. Maybe something good will come along the way, maybe you will get the tiles you need to win later on. Who knows? And even if you can't win this round, try your best not to be cleaned out as the saying goes, "where there is life, there is hope". And when the worst happens, there is still the next round!

So when shit happens, like in your work or relationships, you can blame heaven and earth, and relinquish to fate. Doth lurk and plain. Or you can take this opportunity, lick your wounds, prepare yourself for the next opportunity to come.

My mentor once told me that we should maximize our experience in whatever we do.

Even if your supervisor is a dork and does not appreciate your talent now, don't revolt (if your boss can't take it when you feedback in a tactful manner) or harp on a discordant tune or be de-motivated. It's like passing the winter in a torpid state. You don't fight winter heads on. Instead, maximize your learning, lie low and wait to grab the next opportunity on the way.

My mentor actually practices what he preaches and is happy like a bird these days:p

Then again, if (you anticipate) all effort is futile, you may want to shuffle the deck (tiles) and start all over again (elsewhere).

大学学费没必要上涨

2010-03-24T09:41:00.002+08:00

摘自联合早报：

据新闻报道，三所公立大学，新加坡国立大学、南洋理工大学和新加坡管理大学一起宣布调高今年入学新生的学费。

　　新加坡国立大学今年入学的学生学费将调涨4%至10%。据国大网站说明，去年入学学生延迟一年的学费调涨措施将在今年开始推行。这意味着对许多学生而言，真正的调涨不止是4%至10%，而是8%至21%。

　　去年法律和药剂系外的学费是6360元，法律和药剂系则是7340元。调涨过后，法律和药剂系外的学费将是6890元，而法律和药剂系将会是8890元。

　　尽管涨幅和实际上涨数额都并非很巨大，但这次上涨是否有必要值得质疑。根据国大年度报告（截至2009年3月），国大的赤字为5.89亿元，累积的盈余(accumulated surplus)则是16亿元。在2008年里，国大盈余多达1.83亿元，但投资竟然亏损6.77亿元。我们由此推论，这表示，国大庞大的赤字是因巨大的投资亏损导致。

　　自2009年3月以来，全球股市（以MSCI世界指数为指标）都涨多跌少，至今已回升将近75%。既然如此，累积了16亿元盈余的国大，在投资亏损方面的账面亏损也已大为缩减，真的有必要调高（8%-21%）新生的学费吗？

　　我国刚刚从严重的经济衰退中复苏，还有6万余名失业的国人。再者，实质工资也在2009年下降了3.2％。难道不应该谨慎考虑在短期内提高学费吗？最近我们不也调高了服务和管理费（service and conservancy charges）、理工学院及工艺教育学院的学费吗？

　　国大拥有15.6亿元的“捐赠基金”（Endowment Fund)，大学只用这个基金来投资，而上述的投资盈余是不用来投资的。难道国大竟在一年内损失了大约43%（6.77亿元亏损除于15.6亿元）？但即使如此，就如上述，这些账面亏损可能已缩减至约四分之一。据我们调查，2008年里，国大的投资亏损也仅为640万元。

　　我们也用上述数据和南大的基金做个比较，根据南大2009年同期的年度报告，南大赤字为1.3亿元，累积盈余有15亿元，投资亏损有2.76亿元。同理，也不见得有调高学费的必要。

纳吉的新经济模式和李光耀的政绩

2010-03-23T22:40:00.003+08:00

在他的回忆录《李光耀回忆录》（1965-2000）一书中，新加坡内阁资政,前总理李光耀写道：“正当世界经历非常大的政治和经济变化的时候，我们的人均国内生产总值已从1959年（我就任总理时）的400美元，增加到1991年（我卸任时）超过1万2200美元。1999年则是2万2000美元。”

　　以购买力平价（Purchasing Power Parity）来衡量，新加坡在2009年的国内生产总值是3万7597美元（世界银行数据）。相比之下，马来西亚根据同样来源的人均GDP在同年是7221美元。

　　马来西亚有许多自以为可以媲美萨缪尔森（Paul A Samuelson）或傅利曼（Milton Friedman）的经济学家、像马哈迪和巴达威等以为自己比美国前国务卿基辛格有过之而无不及的政治人物、和被巫统-国阵形容为特别能干的财政部长。然而，马来西亚按购买力平价计算的人均GDP增长，还是像乌龟爬行的速度一样慢。

　　马来西亚的经济表现，不仅同全球平均9054美元的人均GDP相形失色，而且几乎只是新加坡在20年前，即1990所取得的水平的不到一半。

　　马哈迪在出任首相和作为马来西亚的经济奇才10年后，于1990年大谈“这个和那个经济模式”。

　　的确，马哈迪时代目睹了巫统-国阵领导的政府在建造具代表性基建的狂热。如果可以的话，马来西亚要拥有“最高”、“最大”，“最长”和其他“最……”的基础建设。

　　在这段期间，新加坡也在积极进行标志性的基建项目。但马来西亚大事兴建基础设施的作法和理念同邻国有相似的地方吗？贫穷依然存在：新加坡建设基础设施的目的是促进经济发展。她的领导人没有要建立“最高”、“最大”、“最长”和其他“最...”的基建来让世界注目的野心。新加坡一向强调的是争取全球最好的表现、经济增长、GDP、生活水平和人均国民收入。

　　新加坡可能有兴建一些用来炫耀的建筑物，比如亨德申波浪桥（可能是世上最高的行人天桥）和新加坡人称为“榴连”的滨海艺术中心，但这是因为政府已经让人民的收入有了稳固的基础。

　　逻辑很简单：如果社会上大多数人的生活依然贫困，拥有世界上最高的建筑物、第三长的桥和其他所有的“最...”的基建又有什么意义呢？

　　这也就是说，巫统—国阵政府在经济上轻重不分。这正是我们同新加坡不同的地方。
　　回顾新加坡所取得的成功，李光耀说：“从物质方面来看，我们已远离第三世界所面对的贫困问题。然而我们还需要多一代人的时间，艺术、文化与社会行为水平才能同我们所发展的世界级基础设施相称。”

　　同人民行动党领导人比较，巫统-国阵领导人明显的是背道而驰。巫统-国阵领导人强调形式，新加坡领导人注重的却是实质。新加坡领导人先建立坚固的基础和外墙，巫统—国阵领导人却迫不及待先兴建顶盖（体育场和学校的屋顶倒塌也就不足为奇了）。

　　作为新首相，更重要的是作为新财政部长，纳吉可能突然领悟，即使他的政府兴建了高达火星的摩天楼，只要人民的收入增长非常缓慢，政府也不能得到人民的支持（尤其是在当前的政治情况下）。

　　政治奇迹：作为第13届全国大选的策略，纳吉推出了将同“第10个大马计划”合并及即将实行的新经济模式。然而，计划却突然难产，原因据说是因为需要进一步修订。

　　据纳吉说：“新经济模式可以让我们不是渐进而是大幅度地取得更高水平的生产力。一旦达到目标，我们就可以支付工人较高的薪金。”

　　我不知道新经济模式是否同愿景2020、现代回教和其他同时期提出的概念类似，但根据以往的经验，看来应该是如此。新经济模式的目标之一，是废除马来人的津贴和扶持他们的政策。这让一个自称马来咨询委员会的新组织找到了抗议的理由。委员会认为马来人必须得到协助（似乎其他种族都是富裕的）。

　　纳吉若延迟推行新经济模式，就意味着他仍然受到巫统马来人政治的困扰。那么，新经济政策只是让人们看清楚巫统-国阵急着要恢复马来人和其他种族信心的政治花招。

　　纳吉的用心可能是好的，但他有没有足够的智慧、能力和领袖魅力，来创造政治奇迹和在一夜之间提升人们的收入？新加坡可是用了半个世纪的时间才达到这个目标的。（从纳吉当国防部长时的表现我们就可以略知一二了）。

　　纳吉有没有李光耀至少一半的能力来改善人们的收入？

　　基辛格在回忆录的读后感中写道：“每一项伟大的成就在实现以前都是个梦想，他（李光耀）的梦想是建立一个国家，不只求生存，更要出类拔萃，成就过人。他要以超凡的智慧、纪律和创意，替代天然资源。”

　　巫统—国阵领导人可能有梦想，但他们在多方面的不足却让他们的大计划沦为空谈，无法付诸行动。

原载马来西亚回教党党报《哈拉卡》（Harakah）。

Can't wait to see it

2010-03-23T21:45:00.004+08:00

How time flies...It's already been a year. Heads up, we are getting the keys in April:) Keeping my fingers crossed that the Dispersal Link would soon be up and running.

And, a few more gray strands will grow on my head now.

婆婆种的菜

2010-02-24T17:01:00.002+08:00

All the best, mate

2010-02-04T10:38:00.007+08:00

For all the reasons, I know you would leave one day, but not so soon. I am happy for you though, for you are one man with a dream, and a man's gotta walk the talk one day, right? Thanks for the warm accommodation while CM and I were in Penang. Those trips in search for yummy food, trusting me with your Olympus DSLR, always standing by like a big bro, being non-judgemental no matter what happens, showing me your zest for life - Appreciate it very much.

Sometimes, life is such a wonder.

You go to some place, get to know some people, and one or two of them turn out to be someone important to you, for no special reason. Those are the ones that you can hang out and blab about anything under the sky, meet once in the blue moon without tinge of unfamiliarity, keep in contact with you no matter how long or how far you have been. Subtle.

All the best, mate! May we meet in autumn this year.

The search for Kenny

2010-01-26T22:33:00.012+08:00

South Kuching City Hall

Was in Kuching over the weekend for my sis' wedding, and also partially in search for Kenny Sia. The view when we were about to land was breathtaking with large rivers snaking through the jungle and we were so excited to see the floodplains, marshlands and deltas, it's like learning Geography all over again.

DUN Sarawak

Kuching is a beautiful town and I learnt from CF that the Sarawakians owe much to the mighty White Rajah or Pek Moh (the White Hair) for its development. He has been in power longer than Mahathir's premiership, and will be in power for the next decade and if Mahathir can lead Malaysia to what it is today, you can imagine what the Pek Moh is capable of in ruling the largest and most resourceful state in Malaysia.

Astana

I probed a lot about the legendary blogger who recently opens his gym in Kuching. I took a walk to Level Up which is a few streets away from the hotel in hope to run into Kenny by chance and learn a few tricks from him on how to earn some extra money through blogging. That didn't happen because somebody chickened out and merely hang around outside the gym with prying eyes like a voyeur and when one of the receptionist noticed my existence and started walking towards me, I fled away with my D60 in a fluster.

Is that my lighting engineer or just the bride's dad trying to hammer the bride?

As usual, we had to rise and shine pretty early for the matrimony ceremony. Am glad to meet Alvin the photographer for the day. This is one talented IT guy who can sing like Michael Buble:p So I tried to learn from the master, like I had learnt from all the other masters. Didn't bring batt for my flash so I had to rely fully on natural lightings, as a matter of fact, I am still exploring how to use it. Most of the pictures are a bit blurry, should have switch to higher ISO...noob!

The cutest and prettiest bride.

And when I thought my search for Kenny is over, there he is going merry-go-round from table to table at the wedding dinner. ~meow

Kenny Junior

1Malaysia: The Way I See It

2010-01-12T23:31:00.003+08:00

I walked into Maybank, City Square today and saw this eye-catching yellow flyer:

Dividen + Bonus 8.55%

urging investors to invest in this fund. Pretty enticing until I saw that it is ASB (Amanah Saham Bumiputera). The country is practically giving out cash generously, too bad we Malaysian Chinese and Indians don't get to enjoy this benefit because it is only for 1Race.

This is 1Malaysia.

Visit Malaysia 2010

2010-01-12T19:31:00.005+08:00

If you want to see burnt churches and cow head soccer, where else to go but Malaysia?

Now that I get your attention, I can further promote what my country has to offer as a spectacular tourist spot much better than aunty Ng.

Imagine a firework, not those that you'd witnessed during the Beijing Olympics, and definitely not the lame ones you saw during the Burj Khalifa's opening ceremony, I am talking about the firework with real human flesh and blood as confetti. And, for the bursting charge, we use military-grade explosives, C4 for example. Wow! Oya, did I mentioned that we are using voluptuous models worldwide? And of course, Mongolian model has been the all time favorite.

That's not all! In Malaysia, we are so bloody rich, so much richer than Dubai, I mean, come on, when our central bank lost RM32 billion in 6 months dabbling in foreign exchange and not go bust, and when we can simply send some handsome doctor into space for fun, we are unarguably rich, right? So, the Malaysian government has graciously bought extra fourteen Sukhoi fighter jets, for display. Where else can you see brand new fighter jets rotting in the hangar?

Fear not! Am pretty sure that in no time, we are going to recall the costs as we have already established a very good network with international jet engine collectors. Oya, I've got this news regarding the latest exhibit for Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2010, our F5E fighter jet will definitely be the star of the event. Come on, where else can you see fighter jets without engines?

and,

Cinics without doctors

and, I think the list will get longer and longer if there is no unforeseen circumstances, like a change in the ruling parties in the coming general election.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T00:45:00.001+08:00

Letter to the Prime Minister

2009-12-27T22:23:00.005+08:00

Dear Najib,

Aren't you the Malaysian Defence Minister back in 2007? Shouldn't you at least care to explain to the rakyat on the disappearance of the RM50 million jet engines now since the cat is out of the bag?

Instead, what I observed is that you are shedding all responsibilities like nobody's business, stepping aside in apathy while poor Ahmad Zaid Hamidi, our current Defence Minister is trying to wipe the shitty asshole in helter-skelter. Where is your accountability and integrity?

As a Malaysian, I am deeply saddened that we have an irresponsible and scandalous premier heading the regime. To me, you failed! So we can forget about the KPI and NKRA bullshit altogether.

Yours sincerely,

1Malaysia

Mama, I failed my KPI and NKRA:(

Come clean, Najib!

鄭丁賢‧皇家空軍人才濟濟 (RMAF full of talents!)

Ayam Penyet Ria ~ Hot

2009-12-27T21:30:00.003+08:00

CY and TK brought us once to Lucky Plaza for this remarkable Indonesia cuisine - Ayam penyet. Don't really know what "penyet" means, but from the pronunciation I reckon it must be related to something being smashed. Anyway, who cares as long it is sinfully delicious, right? From the menu, we realized that other than chicken, we can have promphet penyet, sotong penyet, catfish penyet,...,penyet...penyet...penyet. Wonder why the Indonesians like to smash their food:p

There are two Ayam Penyet Ria restaurants at the plaza, on the 1st and 4th floor respectively. My Indonesian friend told me that he prefers the one on the 1st floor, somehow the dishes there taste better. Frankly, I can't tell the difference, especially after you spread the bud-numbing belacan on the chicken and shovel it into your mouth. Trust me, the belacan do give you the kick to go back for more!

Location: Lucky Plaza, Orchard Road, Singapore.
Opening Hours: 11.00am-9.00pm (Daily)
Contact: +65 6235 6390

Photos of the Week

2009-12-23T20:36:00.001+08:00

Merry X'mas!

No Signboard

2009-12-11T15:32:00.004+08:00

Best chili crab in town, no signboard. I prefer the branch at The Esplanade!

Just order one Sri Lankan crab, some bun for a light meal.

Add Malay-style fried noodle to eat till full.

Steamed bamboo clam with garlic is fabulous, too!

Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times

2009-12-08T23:51:00.006+08:00

Mahathir: "Wah piang! It's only RM100 billion lar!!"

Book Review: Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times

Written by John Berthelsen

Friday, 04 December 2009

by Barry Wain. Palgrave Macmillan, 363pp. Available through Amazon, US$60.75. Available for Pre-order, to be released Jan 5.

In 1984 or 1985, when I was an Asian Wall Street Journal correspondent in Malaysia, an acquaintance called me and said he had seen a US Army 2-1/2 ton truck, known as a "deuce-and-a-half," filled with US military personnel in jungle gear on a back road outside of Kuala Lumpur.

Since Malaysia and the United States were hardly close friends at that point, I immediately went to the US Embassy in KL and asked what the US soldiers were doing there. I received blank stares. Similar requests to the Malaysian Ministry of Defense brought the same response. After a few days of chasing the story, I concluded that my acquaintance must have been seeing things and dropped it.

It turns out he wasn’t seeing things after all. In a new book, "Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times," launched Dec. 4 in Asia, former Asian Wall Street Journal editor Barry Wain solved the mystery. In 1984, during a visit to Washington DC in which Mahathir met President Ronald Reagan, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and others, he secretly launched an innocuous sounding Bilateral Training and Consultation Treaty, which Wain described as a series of working groups for exercises, intelligence sharing, logistical support and general security issues. In the meantime, Mahathir continued display a public antipathy on general principles at the Americans while his jungle was crawling with US troops quietly training for jungle warfare.

That ability to work both sides of the street was a Mahathir characteristic. In his foreword, Wain, in what is hoped to be a definitive history of the former prime minister’s life and career, writes that "while [Mahathir] has been a public figure in Malaysia for half a century and well known abroad for almost as long, he has presented himself as a bundle of contradictions: a Malay champion who was the Malays’ fiercest critic and an ally of Chinese-Malaysian businessmen; a tireless campaigner against Western economic domination who assiduously courted American and European capitalists; a blunt, combative individual who extolled the virtues of consensual Asian values."

Wain was granted access to the former premier for a series of exhaustive interviews. It may well be the most definitive picture painted of Mahathir to date, and certainly is even-handed. Wain, now a writer in residence at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, is by no means a Mahathir sycophant. Advance publicity for the book has dwelt on an assertion by Wain that Mahathir may well have wasted or burned up as much as RM100 billion (US$40 billion at earlier exchange rates when the projects were active) on grandiose projects and the corruption that that the projects engendered as he sought to turn Malaysia into an industrialized state. Although some in Malaysia have said the figure is too high, it seems about accurate, considering such ill-advised projects as a national car, the Proton, which still continues to bleed money and cost vastly more in opportunity costs for Malaysian citizens forced to buy any other make at huge markups behind tariff walls. In addition, while Thailand in particular became a regional center for car manufacture and for spares, Malaysia, handicapped by its national car policy, was left out.

Almost at the start of the book, Wain encapsulates the former premier so well that it bears repeating here: Mahathir, he writes, "had an all-consuming desire to turn Malaysia into a modern, industrialized nation commanding worldwide respect. Dr Mahathir’s decision to direct the ruling party into business in a major way while the government practiced affirmative action, changed the nature of the party and accelerated the spread of corruption. One manifestation was the eruption of successive financial scandals, massive by any standards, which nevertheless left Dr Mahathir unfazed and unapologetic."

That pretty much was the story of Malaysia for the 22 years that Mahathir was in charge. There is no evidence that Mahathir himself was ever involved in corruption. Once, as Ferdinand Marcos was losing his grip on the Philippines, Mahathir pointed out to a group of reporters that he was conveyed around in a long black Daimler – the same model as the British ambassador used – that the Istana where he lived was a huge mansion, that he had everything he needed. Why, he asked, was there any need to take money from corruption? Nonetheless, in his drive to foster a Malay entrepreneurial class, he allowed those around him to pillage the national treasury almost at will, which carried over into Umno after he had left office and which blights the country to this day.

Wain follows intricate trails through much of this, ranging from the attempt, okayed by Mahathir, to attempt to rescue Bumiputra Malaysia Finance in the early 1980s which turned into what at the time was the world’s biggest banking scandal.

In the final analysis, much as Lee Kuan Yew down the road in Singapore strove to create a nation in his own image and largely succeeded, so did Mahathir. Both nations are flawed – Singapore in its mixture of technological and social prowess and draconian ruthlessness against an independent press or opposition, Malaysia with its iconic twin towers and its other attributes colored by a deepening culture of corruption that has continued well beyond his reign, which ended in 2003. Mahathir must bear the blame for much of this, in particular his destruction of an independent judiciary, as Wain writes, to further his aims.

Mahathir, as the former premier said in the conversation over his mansion and his car, had everything including, one suspects, a fully-developed sense of injustice. He appears to this day to continue to resent much of the west, particularly the British. Wain writes exhaustively of Mahathir’s deep antagonism over both British elitism during the colonial days and the disdain of his fellow Malays (Mahathir’s parentage is partly Indian Muslim on his father’s side), especially the Malay royalty. That antagonism against the British has been a hallmark of his career – from the time he instituted the "Buy British Last" policy for the Malaysian government as prime minister to the present day.

Robert Mugabe, in disgrace across much of the world for the way his policies have destroyed what was one of the richest countries in Africa, remains in Mahathir’s good graces. Asked recently why that was, an aide told me Mugabe had driven the British out of Zimbabwe and was continuing to drive out white farmers to this day, although he was replacing them with people who knew nothing of farming. That expropriation of vast tracts of white-owned land might have destroyed Zimbabwe’s agricultural production. But, the aide said, "He got the Brits out."

For anybody wishing to understand Mahathir and the nation he transformed, Wain’s book is going to be a must – but bring spectacles. The tiny type and gray typeface make it a difficult read.

And a disclaimer: Wain was once my boss. -asiasentinel

Couldn't wait to grab a copy:)

Run, Forrest, Run!

2009-12-08T22:02:00.006+08:00

Joined the 10km marathon, fortunately did not collapse at the finish line like what happened to me during the penang marathon. Clocked 1h32min this time. Target next year is 1h15min.

PLUS: Drastic Improvements Needed

2009-12-05T01:59:00.010+08:00

Every fun festive seasons, it is a consuetude for those residing far away from home to return to their hometowns. In a place like Malaysia where the public transportation system is far from comfort and efficient, almost everyone needs to own a private vehicle. And all this conjures up into an incubus for all travellers who are coerced to travel via the "sometimes 2 lanes, sometimes 3 lanes" North-South Expressways (NSE).

Two lanes ain't enuf lar, brader!

How can I convince PLUS Berhad that it's time to expand the NSE from the pathetic dual-lane into at least 4 lanes?

Source: Department of Statistics, Malaysia.

Currently, Malaysia's population is estimated at 28.31 million, where 80% are residing in West Malaysia and 63.6% of them age between 15 to 64 year-old (14.4 million). Assuming that every seven individuals from this set make up one family, so we have about 2.057 million families who are going to pack and buckle up and hit the highway every peak seasons, balik kampung to visit the old folks (4.6%). And assuming each family travels in our esteemed Proton Exora, which is 4.592m in length, it totals up to 9,449km if we line them up bumper-to-bumper. So how many lanes do we need on the 966km NSE to fit all these MPVs?

10 (5 in each direction).

Ok, I may be exaggerating too much.

Let's cut 1.5 million Malaysians off the road, say they stay close to their hometowns and do not need to use the expressway. Now, let's remove another 1.5 million from the initial sample size because they can't afford to own vehicles, instead they take public transports like express buses or flights or for some sad cases, unable to secure a ticket home.~boohoohoo Another 1.4 million citizens fled the country for no reason. Finally, we are left with 10 million loyal NSE users, 1.4 million Exoras on the NSE. So, how many lanes do we still need?

6.79. Nose to nose.

See! Three lanes also jam lar, brader!

So, with the rough model with the pictures supplemented above, isn't it evident enough that PLUS Berhad should commence the expressway expansion, like 10 years ago? As a mainboard listed company on the KLSE, PLUS Berhad definitely acts like a goofy which lacks in strategy and planning to promote growth, only to execute its shrewdness in splendour to increase the toll charges based on a "mysterious" undisclosable contract endorsed by the government.

Why should we pay first class fee, only to get third class facilities?

Why should we accept the toll hike y-o-y, when the travelling time increases likewise?

Why call it the expressway, when my speedometer can only clock less than 50kmph half the journey?

Shouldn't the Transport Ministry look into this for the sake of the rakyat?

And why are the people tolerating this injustice?

Sometimes, I just don't understand.