Too often we forget to appreciate something when it lies abundantly upon us. When this suddenly disappears, become scarce, and not easily available for us to grab, then only we'd feel the real, true value of it.
You can just name it - Parents, good health, eyesight, God's blessings, good neighbors, our significant other, a peaceful nation, access to electricity and water, life, money, or freedom. Once these are taken away, then only we know how valuable they actually are to us.
Appreciation seems like it's quite a simple thing - but it's not. For some reason, it comes easier only when we don't have that special something anymore.
Anyways, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Eid Mubarak, and take care everyone. I apologize for any of my mistakes all this while. You guys have a good one alright. Cheers ;)
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Are We Islam Enough?
One night about two months ago, me and my other two friends spent four hours talking about life questions, world issues and such. It was really intriguing we got carried away and ended up spending four hours just exchanging ideas. I didn't feel much regret spending that much time, though, because we seldom talk about some serious life questions.
During the discussion, I had one of my biggest realizations ever - the question of "Am I Islam Enough?"
Honestly, I am one of many who believe that as long as we acknowledge that Allah is our God, then that'll pretty much prove that we are Islam enough. But my friend told me that when it comes to believing in God, there are two levels. "Rob", and "Illah".
Rob, could be described as the believe that there is God, while Illah, is a higher level that makes us believe and TOTALLY submit ourselves towards Him. Illah drives our life to only live for Him, and Illah makes us be His servant and let Him be our only reason to live.
Surely Illah sounds like a really high level, doesn't it? But as hard as we should work to achieve that level, we should also realize that being only at the Rob level does not guarantee us that we die in Islam.
But why? One might ask. If I believe in Allah, that should mean I'm a Muslim, right?
Not necessarily.
Whenever we refer to the word "Allah", it always depends on what is the context that we're referring Him to. If what we see in Allah is just as our God who is up there and the one who created this universe, then this is described as being at the "Rob" level. If we're only at this level, we should worry a lot.
Again, why? What's so wrong about being at the "Rob" level?
Well, it's simply because almost everybody believes in God. Even some of the atheists I've talked to believe that there should be some kind of higher power up there but they just don't know which religion is the correct one.
The Jews, Christians, for example - they all believe in the same God that we always refer to as "Allah". And worse, even the evil satans acknowledge the existence of Allah! So, if our belief in God is only at this level, we should worry because we might be risking ourselves to be placed at the same level as the satans!
But Illah, as pure as it is, means total submission. And total submission means that everything we do on this earth is because of Him, adhering to His words and avoiding what He dislikes. That's why He likes it better for us Muslims to call Him Allah instead of just God. (Note: You could still call Him Allah but mean just the God at the Rob level). Being at this level makes our prayers being the reason we stop committing sins. Being at this level makes us feel peace. Being at this level gives us security.
Now, ask ourselves, my fellow Muslim friends - are we only acknowledging Allah the same way satan does, or are we moving towards having Illah inside our hearts?
May Allah bless all of us in this world and in the hereafter.
During the discussion, I had one of my biggest realizations ever - the question of "Am I Islam Enough?"
Honestly, I am one of many who believe that as long as we acknowledge that Allah is our God, then that'll pretty much prove that we are Islam enough. But my friend told me that when it comes to believing in God, there are two levels. "Rob", and "Illah".
Rob, could be described as the believe that there is God, while Illah, is a higher level that makes us believe and TOTALLY submit ourselves towards Him. Illah drives our life to only live for Him, and Illah makes us be His servant and let Him be our only reason to live.
Surely Illah sounds like a really high level, doesn't it? But as hard as we should work to achieve that level, we should also realize that being only at the Rob level does not guarantee us that we die in Islam.
But why? One might ask. If I believe in Allah, that should mean I'm a Muslim, right?
Not necessarily.
Whenever we refer to the word "Allah", it always depends on what is the context that we're referring Him to. If what we see in Allah is just as our God who is up there and the one who created this universe, then this is described as being at the "Rob" level. If we're only at this level, we should worry a lot.
Again, why? What's so wrong about being at the "Rob" level?
Well, it's simply because almost everybody believes in God. Even some of the atheists I've talked to believe that there should be some kind of higher power up there but they just don't know which religion is the correct one.
The Jews, Christians, for example - they all believe in the same God that we always refer to as "Allah". And worse, even the evil satans acknowledge the existence of Allah! So, if our belief in God is only at this level, we should worry because we might be risking ourselves to be placed at the same level as the satans!
But Illah, as pure as it is, means total submission. And total submission means that everything we do on this earth is because of Him, adhering to His words and avoiding what He dislikes. That's why He likes it better for us Muslims to call Him Allah instead of just God. (Note: You could still call Him Allah but mean just the God at the Rob level). Being at this level makes our prayers being the reason we stop committing sins. Being at this level makes us feel peace. Being at this level gives us security.
Now, ask ourselves, my fellow Muslim friends - are we only acknowledging Allah the same way satan does, or are we moving towards having Illah inside our hearts?
May Allah bless all of us in this world and in the hereafter.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Finally, Proton
Last Monday, on the very front page of the "Ekonomi" section in Berita Harian, an article writes "Proton mampu berdikari". This article explains how Proton is now moving forward due to its success in their customer feedback on the latest Proton Saga and Persona.
Proton's CEO, Syed Zainal Syed Mohamad Tahir said,
"Semua usaha dilaksanakan sudah berhasil. Tanggungjawab Proton besar dan apa yang penting ialah mengeluarkan model disukai pembeli"
And the article further writes,
"Namun, katanya kunci kejayaan pembaharuan itu yang menekankan aspek mutu ialah Proton tidak boleh lagi mengeluarkan model 'syok sendiri'"
"Kami perlu mengeluarkan model disukai dan ia terbukti berjaya apabila Persona dan Saga baru mendapat sambutan."
Dumbfounded at first, then I thought "Oh, Yay..... Errr, Congratulations... Proton...."
After a looong 23 years in the business, FINALLY Proton got the secret formula of how to actually make cars: produce models that customers like. I could imagine the CEO in his office shouting with pride "Oh My God!!! Guys, Check this OUT!!! I got the secret formula!!!! We need, to make cars, that our customers love!!!! Wooot!!"
Lame...
Right now, let's cross our fingers and hope it won't take Proton another 23 years to finally learn that cars have four wheels.
Proton's CEO, Syed Zainal Syed Mohamad Tahir said,
"Semua usaha dilaksanakan sudah berhasil. Tanggungjawab Proton besar dan apa yang penting ialah mengeluarkan model disukai pembeli"
And the article further writes,
"Namun, katanya kunci kejayaan pembaharuan itu yang menekankan aspek mutu ialah Proton tidak boleh lagi mengeluarkan model 'syok sendiri'"
"Kami perlu mengeluarkan model disukai dan ia terbukti berjaya apabila Persona dan Saga baru mendapat sambutan."
Dumbfounded at first, then I thought "Oh, Yay..... Errr, Congratulations... Proton...."
After a looong 23 years in the business, FINALLY Proton got the secret formula of how to actually make cars: produce models that customers like. I could imagine the CEO in his office shouting with pride "Oh My God!!! Guys, Check this OUT!!! I got the secret formula!!!! We need, to make cars, that our customers love!!!! Wooot!!"
Lame...
Right now, let's cross our fingers and hope it won't take Proton another 23 years to finally learn that cars have four wheels.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Fuel Price Hike: Is Petronas Guilty?
A few days ago, Malaysia Today posted an article titled "Petronas Could Go Bust By 2018". The article is originally written by Wong Sai Wan of The Star newspaper.
For those of you who don't have the time to read the whole article, it mainly suggested that Petronas will go bust within 10 years if all of its profits are handed to the Government to continue subsidizing fuel. Petronas CEO, Tan Sri Hassan Merican later talked about how production costs have increased in oil exploration and such.
People, of course, are hot happy with these kinds of statements since they seem to justify on the recent fuel subsidy restructuring (read: fuel price hike). But, Petronas will go bust by 2018 ONLY IF ALL of its funds are channeled to the government. So far, the government has NEVER taken ALL of Petronas' profits since 1974, the year Petronas was formed.
However, people got mad because they thought CEO Hassan Merican was making a statement that supported the fuel price hike. And so they wrote nasty comments.
From the comments just below the article, I was just amazed at how ignorant Malaysians truly are. I, too, do not know everything about the oil industry, but when people do not actually understand the situation and at the same time trying to sound smart, they start writing comments that ask people to boycott Petronas and write really stupid questions like "Then why does Petronas spend so much in oversea research for oil resources in corporation with foreign companies?". One fella also questioned "what really Petonas really benifit rakyat???" (See, this fella even had two typos in one sentence) Sheeeesh, I thought I was dreaming when I saw this.
But, you know what, I guess I can't blame people for not knowing how the industry works, but at least I think they should not try to write anything if they don't know facts. Since I am taking Petroleum Engineering as my major and at the same time being a Petronas scholar, I admit such remarks about Petronas only made me feel angry.
Regarding the fuel price hike, people might want to know that Petronas doesn't earn a single cent on the recent subsidy restructuring. In fact, due to the higher prices, local oil sales might even drop and thus reducing Petronas' revenue. So, NO, the price hike has nothing to do with Petronas. In this case, the ONLY party that saves money (RM13.7 billion in total) is our government because now the government no longer has to pay the subsidies to Petronas whenever we go to the gas stations to top off our tanks.
Petronas is just Malaysia's national oil company and it didn't play any role in the fuel price increase, so please stop blaming the company for the current inflation that's storming the country.
Drilling for oil nowadays DO cost much much higher than before (especially offshore) because all the conventional "easy" oils have been discovered and what's left for us to play with is just the small pockets of reservoirs deep deep down below. Bringing the oil to surface is not as simple as "poking" a hole on the ground today and selling the oil the day after that. Some could even take years (I personally believe this is the reason why oil price kept increasing lately due to the time lag the supply needs in adjusting itself to the currently high market demand). Thus, it's clear that whatever Tan Sri Hassan Merican said does hold truth. He at least knew what he's talking about.
So, people, let's not boycott Petronas since that's such a baseless idea it would only bring adverse effects to the country. The one to be blamed is not Petronas but whomsoever that mismanaged the funds channeled by Petronas. You see, when the money is not well managed (due to corruption, etc etc), the country runs out of it and so, now to save more money, the subsidy is being taken away. Well, to know more, do your own research using Google. I prefer not to talk further details about this or I'd just risk my scholarship being taken away or my whole blog being scraped.
Alright. Til my next post, take care, everyone.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I Support Kempen "Mari Ubah Gaya Hidup"
A funny three-month old video now becomes relevant again after the recent fuel price hike. Watch below:
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Malaysian Fuel Up 40% Overnight
Although I'm ten thousand miles away from home, I could still hear about what just happened yesterday - a 78 cents per liter fuel price hike - 40% increase from its original price.
Me and my friends talked about this issue, and we had mixed ideas. One of my friends said he just loves the idea of subsidies being scraped away - as in, let's live with the market price and let's stop pampering fellow Malaysians with subsidies. Another agreed on this price hike because he said the government can no longer pay the higher subsidies as oil prices worldwide keep increasing lately. Plus, he said any price increase would definitely start causing people to adapt to a new lifestyle - carpooling, start using public transportation, or even start using old roads instead of highways to keep our expenses low.
My personal opinion? I don't know, but to me, any price increase is not good. It'll take months for me to find any good reason why fuel price increase is favorable. Even Americans are whining now because they're now paying close to $4.00 per gallon (around RM3.25 per liter - some people actually compared this and said "hey, bersyukur la, minyak kat US $3.25 seliter, kat Malaysia baru $2.70 seliter" - URGHH!!!)
At the same time, I'm actually quite confused, as to how the subsidy system really works. There should be a connection between Malaysia being the net exporter, the price of oil increasing and the fact that our government owns Petronas, which is now enjoying higher profits due to the price increase. If Petronas earns more, that means the government now earns more since Petronas is government owned (Plus Petronas pays taxes to the Feds). When the government has more money, doesn't that mean it is now even easier to subsidize gasoline than before - even with worldwide price increase?
I admit I'm not good at how the system really works, but until today nobody from the upper levels had come up with figures to clearly show or explain to us why Malaysian gasoline price should increase by 40% overnight. If increasing world price of oil has really hurt the government's budget due to the subsidies, I'd definitely support any option that'd be best for the situation, but when nobody explains what the hell is really going on at the backstage, how would I know if we Malaysians have been cheated or is this really for the good of the country? If any of you out there actually read this post and knows how the subsidy system really works, please kindly explain it to me on the comment section. I really need to know about it.
You know, it is true, we could all start carpooling now, but reality is - things are always easier said than done. If 50% of our drivers now decide to carpool, I'd award Malaysians as the most adaptable human beings on this planet.
No, it won't be 50%. Even 20% is good enough. Will people start using old curvy roads rather than highways? 20% less traffic on the highways - I'd call that a miracle. And how many people are willing to switch from using their 2.0 liter Honda to a 1.6 liter Waja?
Still talking about adapting? Maybe we need to start including some element of reality in there as well.
Right now, all I know is this - regardless, whether this price hike is the right decision or not, a 40% increase in the price of gasoline at gas stations will absolutely lead to higher inflation. And since most likely Malaysians' earnings won't go up as much as even 20% by next year, I doubt more among us would actually be happy that we're now paying RM2.70 per liter to fuel up our cars. The consequences will be worse.
Wake up, fellow Malaysians. I'm calling all of us find out if taking back the subsidy is really necessary for the betterment of the country. The government now better has some good figures to show us that this decision will benefit our life quality more than the price difference that we now have to pay at gas stations. As one of Malaysian citizens, I demand a thorough explanation on this decision.
Me and my friends talked about this issue, and we had mixed ideas. One of my friends said he just loves the idea of subsidies being scraped away - as in, let's live with the market price and let's stop pampering fellow Malaysians with subsidies. Another agreed on this price hike because he said the government can no longer pay the higher subsidies as oil prices worldwide keep increasing lately. Plus, he said any price increase would definitely start causing people to adapt to a new lifestyle - carpooling, start using public transportation, or even start using old roads instead of highways to keep our expenses low.
My personal opinion? I don't know, but to me, any price increase is not good. It'll take months for me to find any good reason why fuel price increase is favorable. Even Americans are whining now because they're now paying close to $4.00 per gallon (around RM3.25 per liter - some people actually compared this and said "hey, bersyukur la, minyak kat US $3.25 seliter, kat Malaysia baru $2.70 seliter" - URGHH!!!)
At the same time, I'm actually quite confused, as to how the subsidy system really works. There should be a connection between Malaysia being the net exporter, the price of oil increasing and the fact that our government owns Petronas, which is now enjoying higher profits due to the price increase. If Petronas earns more, that means the government now earns more since Petronas is government owned (Plus Petronas pays taxes to the Feds). When the government has more money, doesn't that mean it is now even easier to subsidize gasoline than before - even with worldwide price increase?
I admit I'm not good at how the system really works, but until today nobody from the upper levels had come up with figures to clearly show or explain to us why Malaysian gasoline price should increase by 40% overnight. If increasing world price of oil has really hurt the government's budget due to the subsidies, I'd definitely support any option that'd be best for the situation, but when nobody explains what the hell is really going on at the backstage, how would I know if we Malaysians have been cheated or is this really for the good of the country? If any of you out there actually read this post and knows how the subsidy system really works, please kindly explain it to me on the comment section. I really need to know about it.
You know, it is true, we could all start carpooling now, but reality is - things are always easier said than done. If 50% of our drivers now decide to carpool, I'd award Malaysians as the most adaptable human beings on this planet.
No, it won't be 50%. Even 20% is good enough. Will people start using old curvy roads rather than highways? 20% less traffic on the highways - I'd call that a miracle. And how many people are willing to switch from using their 2.0 liter Honda to a 1.6 liter Waja?
Still talking about adapting? Maybe we need to start including some element of reality in there as well.
Right now, all I know is this - regardless, whether this price hike is the right decision or not, a 40% increase in the price of gasoline at gas stations will absolutely lead to higher inflation. And since most likely Malaysians' earnings won't go up as much as even 20% by next year, I doubt more among us would actually be happy that we're now paying RM2.70 per liter to fuel up our cars. The consequences will be worse.
Wake up, fellow Malaysians. I'm calling all of us find out if taking back the subsidy is really necessary for the betterment of the country. The government now better has some good figures to show us that this decision will benefit our life quality more than the price difference that we now have to pay at gas stations. As one of Malaysian citizens, I demand a thorough explanation on this decision.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Busy Busy Busy
Alright, I know "I'm-busy" is just an excuse, but...
... seriously, I had too many things to do in such a short time I couldn't update my blog at all for the past few weeks. If any of you visited my blog and see nothing new posted (and got irritated), I apologize.
Starting from early-May, I had five final papers to go thru. Two days after I'm done with finals, I had to go to a 12-day geology field session in Massadona, a place northwest of Colorado that takes 6-hour of driving to reach. The next morning after we're done with field session, I had to take a flight to St. Louis, Missouri and drive down to Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois for Midwest Games 2008. It's a three-day event and today I just got back which means my busy schedule just ended. Everything went well so I should say alhamdulillah...
Alright. Now it's summer time so I'm going to relax for three months and forget about school. Hopefully I'd be able to write some posts on this holiday and hopefully some of you would still feel like coming here to check if this blog is updated at all..
Later...
... seriously, I had too many things to do in such a short time I couldn't update my blog at all for the past few weeks. If any of you visited my blog and see nothing new posted (and got irritated), I apologize.
Starting from early-May, I had five final papers to go thru. Two days after I'm done with finals, I had to go to a 12-day geology field session in Massadona, a place northwest of Colorado that takes 6-hour of driving to reach. The next morning after we're done with field session, I had to take a flight to St. Louis, Missouri and drive down to Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois for Midwest Games 2008. It's a three-day event and today I just got back which means my busy schedule just ended. Everything went well so I should say alhamdulillah...
Alright. Now it's summer time so I'm going to relax for three months and forget about school. Hopefully I'd be able to write some posts on this holiday and hopefully some of you would still feel like coming here to check if this blog is updated at all..
Later...
Monday, April 21, 2008
Respect Yourself First
I work part-time on campus. I'm one of the three lab assistants helping Al, the lab coordinator for the Petroleum Engineering Department here at school.
One of the most interesting part in doing this part-time job with Al is that he'll at times give us advices one might usually regard as "wisdom". And sure, I personally think Al is a wise man.
This morning, first thing after Chrissy (one of the three lab assistants) and I reported ourselves to work, we updated him about some work stuff. Later we deviated into other topics and one of them was concerning women and respect.
Al talked quite a lot on it. He said some men are just not respecting women, thinking that men are superior to women, etc. etc. He obviously was against that, and I couldn't agree more with him. We believe women should be equally respected in any circumstances.
"But...", Al continued, "...women should know how to respect themselves first before they want or demand men to respect them"
He later suggested that if physical beauty is the only thing that a woman put forward to let themselves be regarded as, while neglecting the fact that she also has other non-physical qualities and achievements, then most likely this woman will be treated as such. Most likely men will treat them like objects - beautiful objects, of course, but nothing more than that. And when this happens, it's the woman's fault and she doesn't have much room to ask for men to give them the respect they actually deserve.
And I thought...
In other words, women should not only "sell" their physical attractiveness, because if they do, that'll be the only thing men will appreciate about them. If women also "sell" their other humanly self-qualities, they'll be much more appreciated as an equally respected human being.
But you know, men are not noble, either. Some men, even with women who respect themselves in the first place, will still think that women are mere objects who are inferior to them. In this case, then it's the man's fault for not respecting the woman. And if you meet one of these men, you'll immediately see the word "J.E.R.K" hugely printed right up on their forehead.
And I believe the whole respecting-yourself-first idea should also go to men. Notice how some men let beautiful women manipulate themselves and treating them unfairly but will still like the woman and humbly say sorry every single time he has the chance to. And notice every time the man stands up for himself, then woman will later give him more of the respect that man deserves. Dating expert, David Deangelo, for example, describes this as something like "Not letting women treat you with second-class behavior".
And I guess this "law" is quite universal that it is actually true in a lot of other circumstances. It's logical, and it makes a lot of sense, too. See - if we do not respect ourselves, how can we ever expect other people to give it to us in return, right?
One of the most interesting part in doing this part-time job with Al is that he'll at times give us advices one might usually regard as "wisdom". And sure, I personally think Al is a wise man.
This morning, first thing after Chrissy (one of the three lab assistants) and I reported ourselves to work, we updated him about some work stuff. Later we deviated into other topics and one of them was concerning women and respect.
Al talked quite a lot on it. He said some men are just not respecting women, thinking that men are superior to women, etc. etc. He obviously was against that, and I couldn't agree more with him. We believe women should be equally respected in any circumstances.
"But...", Al continued, "...women should know how to respect themselves first before they want or demand men to respect them"
He later suggested that if physical beauty is the only thing that a woman put forward to let themselves be regarded as, while neglecting the fact that she also has other non-physical qualities and achievements, then most likely this woman will be treated as such. Most likely men will treat them like objects - beautiful objects, of course, but nothing more than that. And when this happens, it's the woman's fault and she doesn't have much room to ask for men to give them the respect they actually deserve.
And I thought...
In other words, women should not only "sell" their physical attractiveness, because if they do, that'll be the only thing men will appreciate about them. If women also "sell" their other humanly self-qualities, they'll be much more appreciated as an equally respected human being.
But you know, men are not noble, either. Some men, even with women who respect themselves in the first place, will still think that women are mere objects who are inferior to them. In this case, then it's the man's fault for not respecting the woman. And if you meet one of these men, you'll immediately see the word "J.E.R.K" hugely printed right up on their forehead.
And I believe the whole respecting-yourself-first idea should also go to men. Notice how some men let beautiful women manipulate themselves and treating them unfairly but will still like the woman and humbly say sorry every single time he has the chance to. And notice every time the man stands up for himself, then woman will later give him more of the respect that man deserves. Dating expert, David Deangelo, for example, describes this as something like "Not letting women treat you with second-class behavior".
And I guess this "law" is quite universal that it is actually true in a lot of other circumstances. It's logical, and it makes a lot of sense, too. See - if we do not respect ourselves, how can we ever expect other people to give it to us in return, right?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
What Zionists' Don't Want The World To Know
Take three minutes to watch this video. Americans are not exposed to these kinds of news. I'd like to take back some of my earlier comments saying that their media is free. Surely, if something has an ownership, it'll best represent the interests of its owner, right? And the "free" American media is just the same as any other controlled media we see around the world, especially when it comes to US foreign policies. I'd strongly suggest Americans who'd like to know what it's actually like out there to search somewhere else other than what you're fed on that huge TV you have. The internet might be the most independent media of all.
Now, let us together pray so that the Palestinians will be more protected from the filthy Zionists. And so that Allah will damn those Zionists who have no heart to the point that going into someone else's home and breaking walls do not seem to be something to feel guilty of anymore.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Humbled
An open letter to whom it may concern
It's so hard
That it hurts inside it kills me slowly
Whenever this feeling comes
It just makes me feel humbled all over again
I am angry
I am mad
Not towards you but towards myself
But nothing could be done
Thus my only choice is to feel humbled
I may not be the ideal one
And I may not be the best
But no matter what happens
I know I will try my best
To be responsible, to be respectful
To have your trust, and to be sincere in this
I apologize
If you were hurt
I know it's hard to forgive
I do not know if you will ever forgive me
Or even to spare me a chance to prove myself
But what I do know - is that
My apology sincerely comes from the bottom of my humbled heart
I'm sorry...
It's so hard
That it hurts inside it kills me slowly
Whenever this feeling comes
It just makes me feel humbled all over again
I am angry
I am mad
Not towards you but towards myself
But nothing could be done
Thus my only choice is to feel humbled
I may not be the ideal one
And I may not be the best
But no matter what happens
I know I will try my best
To be responsible, to be respectful
To have your trust, and to be sincere in this
I apologize
If you were hurt
I know it's hard to forgive
I do not know if you will ever forgive me
Or even to spare me a chance to prove myself
But what I do know - is that
My apology sincerely comes from the bottom of my humbled heart
I'm sorry...
Friday, April 11, 2008
Ron Paul Is America's Only Hope
Photo credit: AP / Charlie Neibergall.Living in the US has given me the tempias of the upcoming Presidential Election - taking place end of 2008. I have not read much of the candidates, but amidst my ignorance, I used to prefer Barack Obama.
But I've given up on Obama. Now it's Ron Paul time.
One might ask: Why the hell should you care about whoever becomes the US President? It's not like you're gonna be able to vote. Dude, you're a Malaysian for God's sake!
My answer: Well, because the US' Foreign Policies are vital to the rest of the world, thus knowing who gets to be the President will also guide us as to what should we anticipate in the near future , for example - more wars or no wars anymore? I am a human being living on this earth and somehow I do care what happens to the people in Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, and any other countries. I'd like to know if world peace will be restored or eroded more and more.
Now, I'd like to clarify that the reason I like Ron Paul is not because he is a Republican. Actually, in many ways, Ron Paul's ideas actually do not sound too Republican. I like Ron Paul particularly because of his ideas to restore the American constitution back in place just like what their founding fathers wanted back then. Many in America believe that for various reasons, the systems that they have today are slowly taking away Americans' sovereignty. Ron Paul is the only candidate who doesn't support the War against Iraq, and at the same time he seems to be the only one who is against the Patriot Act - an act similar to the famous Malaysian Internal Security Act (ISA). These outdated and colonial-like acts give governments unlimited power to jail anyone that they wish without trial in court and even without our rights to appoint a lawyer to defend ourselves. And in my opinion, these kinds of laws should not exist anymore in this world for any reason. If one is said to be guilty, he/she should have the right to at least defend him/herself before getting charged and jailed.
Also, learning (or I might also call it grilled) by a two hour movie Zeitgeist, I am now all clear that just as much as what should be done to Malaysia, so much should also be done in America. And to me, as we speak, the only man who seems to realize on what the main problems Americans are facing is Ron Paul.
So, what are the main problems that Americans are facing?
To answer this, first, let me talk about the movie Zeitgeist. The movie is somewhat an independent movie which costed me two hours of my afternoon sleep. But I'm glad I "paid" the two hour to gain some useful realizations as to what is really happening in American economy.
The movie has three parts, where the first part scrutinizes the existence of Jesus Christ (or probably even God) which I certainly do not agree with simply because I'm a Muslim and we firmly believe in the existence of Jesus (who is regarded as one of our Prophets before Muhammad).
But the other two parts, however, are mind-blogging. Too many facts (even some not properly cited) have been presented and they support one another you just can't deny that something wrong has been going really wrong with this world even from the beginning of the 20th century.
The two parts talk about the 9/11 attack (plus some previous world wars) and the Federal Reserve System (which is something like Malaysia's Bank Negara but privately-controlled). Net result - too disturbing to churn.
There is simply too much to be said about the movie that I would recommend all of you to spend some time watching it. And I especially recommend watching the last two parts. You can skip that first one.
And so, why Ron Paul? This time, my answer is: "Easy. Watch Zeitgeist on Google Video, search Ron Paul on Youtube, and you'll see what I'm trying to say"
Peace and out.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Freedom Of Speech - Dutch Style
Have you seen the latest Dutch hit, "Fitna"? If you haven't, you should. Go to YouTube and you'll find it there.
It is amusing to know that some people are producing videos or cartoons that they know are sensitive to Muslims, and later say
"Hey, this is freedom of speech! I can write and do whatever I want because we the civilized countries know better than you developing countries do! This is freedom of speech. You know nothing about it. So don't get offended, because if you do then I'm gonna call you terrorists!"
Pathetic.
That's the only description I could say to the people who can't distinguish between what is proper and what is not. These "civilized" people can't even tell if they're only using freedom of speech without taking somebody else's dignity or not.
Let's take this conversation as an example on how confused these people are:
Friend: Geert, I have two hands. Can I say that I should have freedom for my two hands to do whatever that I want? I mean, I should be able to pick up anything and use my hands to hold anything that I want, right?
Geert Wilders: Oh, yes! Why not? We humans have freedom in doing anything that we want!
And so Friend walked towards Geert Wilder's wife who's standing next to him and landed his hand on her ****** (you choose, whichever part that is sensitive).
Flabbergasted, Geert Wilders punched Friend on the face as hard as he could. He could not believe Friend had such an intention. With his nose bleeding, Friend said
Friend: What the hell, Geert?! You just told me that I could use my hands for anything. You said my two hands have freedom!
Geert Wilders: Are you stupid or what?! This is my wife. I treasure her the most and of course someone touching my wife is something that is offensive to me. I won't ever allow you to do that, and I don't care how much freedom your two hands have, you still can't go touching some private parts which are sensitive to some!! Limit that freedom you have, will you?!
And seeing that scene from far, a Muslim guy shook his head seeing how stupid Geert Wilders is. He talks about freedom of speech, but he doesn't know how to limit his. He doesn't know what offends others and yet he gets offended when others touch his wife's private part because to him, "it is offensive". UUuuu. Now he's talking about what's offensive and what's not.
Besides some European countries, freedom of speech is also common in America. People make fun of others on the Comedy Central TV channel, but yet they still know what should be the limits. And knowing that some jokes could be offensive, most stand up comedians prefer to use self-depreciating jokes, where they would humiliate themselves, their own race, their religion, or their own family members. Even in America people know how to use freedom of speech while behaving themselves.
But Geert Wilders? To him, freedom of speech is smearing other people's religion. He seems to know freedom of speech better than anyone else in the whole world.
I guess this is freedom of speech - Dutch style.
Shame on you, Geert.
It is amusing to know that some people are producing videos or cartoons that they know are sensitive to Muslims, and later say
"Hey, this is freedom of speech! I can write and do whatever I want because we the civilized countries know better than you developing countries do! This is freedom of speech. You know nothing about it. So don't get offended, because if you do then I'm gonna call you terrorists!"
Pathetic.
That's the only description I could say to the people who can't distinguish between what is proper and what is not. These "civilized" people can't even tell if they're only using freedom of speech without taking somebody else's dignity or not.
Let's take this conversation as an example on how confused these people are:
Friend: Geert, I have two hands. Can I say that I should have freedom for my two hands to do whatever that I want? I mean, I should be able to pick up anything and use my hands to hold anything that I want, right?
Geert Wilders: Oh, yes! Why not? We humans have freedom in doing anything that we want!
And so Friend walked towards Geert Wilder's wife who's standing next to him and landed his hand on her ****** (you choose, whichever part that is sensitive).
Flabbergasted, Geert Wilders punched Friend on the face as hard as he could. He could not believe Friend had such an intention. With his nose bleeding, Friend said
Friend: What the hell, Geert?! You just told me that I could use my hands for anything. You said my two hands have freedom!
Geert Wilders: Are you stupid or what?! This is my wife. I treasure her the most and of course someone touching my wife is something that is offensive to me. I won't ever allow you to do that, and I don't care how much freedom your two hands have, you still can't go touching some private parts which are sensitive to some!! Limit that freedom you have, will you?!
And seeing that scene from far, a Muslim guy shook his head seeing how stupid Geert Wilders is. He talks about freedom of speech, but he doesn't know how to limit his. He doesn't know what offends others and yet he gets offended when others touch his wife's private part because to him, "it is offensive". UUuuu. Now he's talking about what's offensive and what's not.
Besides some European countries, freedom of speech is also common in America. People make fun of others on the Comedy Central TV channel, but yet they still know what should be the limits. And knowing that some jokes could be offensive, most stand up comedians prefer to use self-depreciating jokes, where they would humiliate themselves, their own race, their religion, or their own family members. Even in America people know how to use freedom of speech while behaving themselves.
But Geert Wilders? To him, freedom of speech is smearing other people's religion. He seems to know freedom of speech better than anyone else in the whole world.
I guess this is freedom of speech - Dutch style.
Shame on you, Geert.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Excellence Speaks for Itself
Excellence comes from various ways. Being a respectable leader, an intelligent student, a man who's good with women, an active philanthropist, a caring parent, a successful businessperson - all categorized under what I call excellence.
Now. Excellence is not a living thing, but would all of you believe me if I say that excellence speaks for itself?
Just by looking at the way successful individuals deal with situations, we know that they are indeed good at what they're doing. Somehow, the skill radiates some kind of message that's saying "Hey, I'm good at doing this job". For instance, listening to some prominent leaders' speeches tells us instantly that he/she has some credibility in what he/she is doing.
While excellence is achieved by many, not everyone who has it know that excellence actually speaks for itself. Or they probably know it, but they think it's not enough to just let excellence does its job. Thus they also tend to "speak" for the excellence that they have achieved.
I have once heard some people saying
"When you've done a good job, let success speak for itself - don't interrupt"...
Until today I believe that there's so much truth in these words. There is absolutely no need for all of us to "interrupt" when our excellence can project its own image to others without our help.
I for one think that if we ever try to speak for our own excellence, it only shows that we're only irritating others into thinking that we're actually not that excellent after all. In a layman's term, this is what we call "bragging". Yes, if we need that much attention from others to show them how much we've got, we now fall far far below the level of excellence, plus we will lose respect from others at the same time.
Why is this so? If there's more effort put into trying to send the same message, logic tells us that the effect should be greater, am I right?
Errr, No...
Unfortunately, this time it doesn't work that way. This time even Mr. Logic is wrong. But why?
My opinion is this: It is because the act of praising our own self is not even part of excellence. Rather, it is a sign of our insecurity - due to the fact that we need to "project it", or else, we'd think that there's no way others can see the excellence if we live it alone to speak by itself.
But you know, the worst part of all is this - while some of us think that by telling others would alleviate our status, it'll actually just do the opposite. It instantaneously kill our reputation.
And it's sad when some of us just never learn.
Now. Excellence is not a living thing, but would all of you believe me if I say that excellence speaks for itself?
Just by looking at the way successful individuals deal with situations, we know that they are indeed good at what they're doing. Somehow, the skill radiates some kind of message that's saying "Hey, I'm good at doing this job". For instance, listening to some prominent leaders' speeches tells us instantly that he/she has some credibility in what he/she is doing.
While excellence is achieved by many, not everyone who has it know that excellence actually speaks for itself. Or they probably know it, but they think it's not enough to just let excellence does its job. Thus they also tend to "speak" for the excellence that they have achieved.
I have once heard some people saying
"When you've done a good job, let success speak for itself - don't interrupt"...
Until today I believe that there's so much truth in these words. There is absolutely no need for all of us to "interrupt" when our excellence can project its own image to others without our help.
I for one think that if we ever try to speak for our own excellence, it only shows that we're only irritating others into thinking that we're actually not that excellent after all. In a layman's term, this is what we call "bragging". Yes, if we need that much attention from others to show them how much we've got, we now fall far far below the level of excellence, plus we will lose respect from others at the same time.
Why is this so? If there's more effort put into trying to send the same message, logic tells us that the effect should be greater, am I right?
Errr, No...
Unfortunately, this time it doesn't work that way. This time even Mr. Logic is wrong. But why?
My opinion is this: It is because the act of praising our own self is not even part of excellence. Rather, it is a sign of our insecurity - due to the fact that we need to "project it", or else, we'd think that there's no way others can see the excellence if we live it alone to speak by itself.
But you know, the worst part of all is this - while some of us think that by telling others would alleviate our status, it'll actually just do the opposite. It instantaneously kill our reputation.
And it's sad when some of us just never learn.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Malaysia: Race & Racism
Well, I am definitely happy to know that race will slowly play less of a role in determining government allocation of funds. Like any other developed country, I support fully the need to help the poor regardless of their race. This is in fact a much healthy scene for Malaysian's political, business and social landscape for it will help to further reduce the income gap between the rich and the poor.
So, Bangsa Malaysia seems to be a good idea. But is it easy to just disregard race?
From my observation, it's not easy.
Just look at the popular independent news site, malaysia-today.net. Even the many people who are championing about having "Bangsa Malaysia" as our new label to all Malaysians are still using terms like Malays, Chinese and Indians in their blogs and comments. But does this mean that these people are racists? No, not necessarily.
See, there's a huge difference between race and racism. Having race that differentiates us in culture, religion, and ways of life is totally fine. There's nothing wrong to acknowledge that someone is from another race. Anyways, if race really doesn't matter to us, why are we still calling people from Asia as Asian and Westeners as Whites/Europeans? And if race really doesn't matter, I'm sure today we are calling ourselves as "earthans", or anything close to it. So, this is race, and acknowledging that we're of different races should not be a problem.
But racism?
Racism is no way close to just acknowledging race. Racism is when one race feels that they are superior than another. Racism is when one race thinks that the others should bow down to them. Racism is only for sick-minded people like the KKK's. So, racism is a No-No - definitely.
In Malaysia's case, I think there is no need for us to try to come up with one race name like "Bangsa Malaysia" or "Bangsa Melachindian" (well, I don't know if that name even sounds good) to replace our already established Malay, Chinese and Indian.
Yes, there's no need to do so. Why?
Because it's just not realistic and it is impractical to do so. Just look at America. After so many years, they're still calling themselves African-American and (Caucasian)-American. But this in no way makes them racist. Like I said earlier, one becomes a racist only when he/she thinks that his/her race is superior than another.
In Malaysia, we should not allow racism to plague the country. No one race is superior in Malaysia. Even when the Chinese are good at doing business, they can never claim that they're a superior race compared to the Malays or Indians. If the Indians are better in being dermatologists, so be it. Just because the Chinese and Indians come later, doesn't make the Malays any better than the other races. We're all equal. Everyone in the country should treat others equally fair and just.
If there should be any discrimination made, that will only be the rich, and the already-established companies (by taxing them more). Poor ones, and smaller start-up companies, regardless of the race of the individuals involved, should be helped.
Seeing ourselves united as purely Malaysians is definitely the best way to go. But as far as eliminating race labels is concerned, I think it is not practical. My 2 cents is this - we won't be able to just throw away the Indian, Chinese and Malay labels because it is evident that we have been created with different features.
And that, too, is why God has created us with different races - for us to get to know, trade, work, and tolerate one another. If we're all created with the same features and attitudes, how boring do you think this world would be?
Saturday, March 22, 2008
I Need Some Personal Check & Balance
Check & balance is a must. For Muslims, one of our check and balances should be Allah, where we know that He is watching us all the time. Even when no one is around, He is around to ensure we don't dare do evil. For a student like me, I also think I need a few personal check and balance factors to keep me rolling on the right track in terms of studies and my part-time job.
Being a human full of imperfection, I find myself sometimes lazy and procrastinating. Some recent events really taught me on why personal check and balance is a must. One day I overslept where it almost costed me my part-time job as a lab assistant in our Petroleum Engineering department.
With my strict (but fatherly) boss being my personal check and balance factor in my daily life as a student here, I'm glad now I care and appreciate more about the job that I have. Should I lose this job, I'd lose so much of my side income it might even affect my studies.
To make this story a lesson, I should say that all of us should recognize and ask - what has been our personal check and balance all these while? Such check and balances would keep us away from being complacent, lazy and inefficient. They push us to the limits where we would work our hardest to appreciate whatever that we have now. And pushing ourselves to the limit is a must for personal growth. Otherwise, 5 years from now, we will still be at the same level as today.
Cheers.
Being a human full of imperfection, I find myself sometimes lazy and procrastinating. Some recent events really taught me on why personal check and balance is a must. One day I overslept where it almost costed me my part-time job as a lab assistant in our Petroleum Engineering department.
With my strict (but fatherly) boss being my personal check and balance factor in my daily life as a student here, I'm glad now I care and appreciate more about the job that I have. Should I lose this job, I'd lose so much of my side income it might even affect my studies.
To make this story a lesson, I should say that all of us should recognize and ask - what has been our personal check and balance all these while? Such check and balances would keep us away from being complacent, lazy and inefficient. They push us to the limits where we would work our hardest to appreciate whatever that we have now. And pushing ourselves to the limit is a must for personal growth. Otherwise, 5 years from now, we will still be at the same level as today.
Cheers.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Government VS Political Party
Dear Malaysians,
I do not know if this is too basic of a knowledge that I'd sound stupid trying to explain it. But from what I have observed, it seems like a lot of us (to my surprise, even the hosts on national TV) do not really know how to differentiate between a government and a political party.
First things first. BARISAN NASIONAL (BN) IS NOT EQUAL TO THE GOVERNMENT.
BN is a coalition of parties. Inside BN, there's UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, and another 10 parties.
Other than BN, we have Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), and Democratic Action Party (DAP). These are of course just the famous few of many more parties that we have in Malaysia. And these parties have different ways to look at and deal with national issues.
Government, on the other hand, is a group of people/ministers formed by either a single party, or a coalition of parties. A government handles national matters and spends taxes paid by citizens and corporations to execute national plans. During election process, the citizens will look at all of the parties' offers on how to deal with national issues, and choose the party that we think have the best offer to form the government.
Therefore, a government can be formed by any party contesting in an election. It doesn't matter, BN, PKR, DAP, PAS, all of these parties can form a government individually or mixed. Our problem is, after having BN being our government for the past 50 years (and for the next 4-5 years), a lot of people seem to have been confused when to use the term government, where most of us call BN as the government. If in the next election PKR, DAP and PAS wins simple majority in the Parliament, then please, once and for all we need to stop calling the BN coalition-of-parties as the government.
So, in the recent election, it was not the government who lost the four states... BN lost the four states to the hands of PKR, DAP and PAS. And if we love BN, we should say we sokong BN instead of we sokong kerajaan.
I just hope this clears up if not many, some of the people's confusion. To be honest, I am somewhat disturbed when people are even using the term government when they are actually referring to the BN coalition (this was on national TV, during election).
To those who just learned this difference, please do educate your friends as well. Thanks.
I do not know if this is too basic of a knowledge that I'd sound stupid trying to explain it. But from what I have observed, it seems like a lot of us (to my surprise, even the hosts on national TV) do not really know how to differentiate between a government and a political party.
First things first. BARISAN NASIONAL (BN) IS NOT EQUAL TO THE GOVERNMENT.
BN is a coalition of parties. Inside BN, there's UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, and another 10 parties.
Other than BN, we have Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), and Democratic Action Party (DAP). These are of course just the famous few of many more parties that we have in Malaysia. And these parties have different ways to look at and deal with national issues.
Government, on the other hand, is a group of people/ministers formed by either a single party, or a coalition of parties. A government handles national matters and spends taxes paid by citizens and corporations to execute national plans. During election process, the citizens will look at all of the parties' offers on how to deal with national issues, and choose the party that we think have the best offer to form the government.
Therefore, a government can be formed by any party contesting in an election. It doesn't matter, BN, PKR, DAP, PAS, all of these parties can form a government individually or mixed. Our problem is, after having BN being our government for the past 50 years (and for the next 4-5 years), a lot of people seem to have been confused when to use the term government, where most of us call BN as the government. If in the next election PKR, DAP and PAS wins simple majority in the Parliament, then please, once and for all we need to stop calling the BN coalition-of-parties as the government.
So, in the recent election, it was not the government who lost the four states... BN lost the four states to the hands of PKR, DAP and PAS. And if we love BN, we should say we sokong BN instead of we sokong kerajaan.
I just hope this clears up if not many, some of the people's confusion. To be honest, I am somewhat disturbed when people are even using the term government when they are actually referring to the BN coalition (this was on national TV, during election).
To those who just learned this difference, please do educate your friends as well. Thanks.
The Way of a Good Friend
I could not emphasize enough on how important friendships are. Some of us do claim that we make a good friend, but probably we should start evaluating ourselves whether or not we've been nice to our friends all this while.
I don't have a list of what will make a good/loyal friend, but what I'm going to talk about here is on how some "friends" do actually talk behind the back of another friend. Okay, let's assume that there's three people, A, B and C. They're all close friends.
For some reason, A doesn't like B, so A tells C how B is behaving this and that way and how A is disgusted with B.
Now, if we are C, how would we react? I figured out that there are four possible ways to react to A's comments:
First, is the worst (hopefully not the most common) reaction of all. C joins A in his/her arguments and C adds fuel to the flame (Despite having a good relationship with B). And in the end, they both agree that B is bad. But in front of B, they act all nice. Nod if you know what I'm talking about.
The second possible reaction is the same one as the first one, but this time both A and C doesn't want to talk to B even when in front of B (Yes, showing your dissent is actually better than actually having a talam dua muka [double-face])
Third, is quite neutral. C listens, and ask some relevant questions, such as what proofs A has to prove that B is a bad person. Or C could just listen and keep silent.
Fourth, is the way good friends actually are. No matter what A said and no matter what B "did" in the story, C will just listen and in the end say things like "I don't know if what you're saying is true, but B is my friend, and so far I haven't had any problems with B. B's been a good friend to me. So I'd probably just give B the benefit of doubt". Or if the time and place is not right to argue on the matter, C will just listen and not reply, but inside C is giving B the benefit of doubt.
Now, which type of friend are you?
I don't have a list of what will make a good/loyal friend, but what I'm going to talk about here is on how some "friends" do actually talk behind the back of another friend. Okay, let's assume that there's three people, A, B and C. They're all close friends.
For some reason, A doesn't like B, so A tells C how B is behaving this and that way and how A is disgusted with B.
Now, if we are C, how would we react? I figured out that there are four possible ways to react to A's comments:
First, is the worst (hopefully not the most common) reaction of all. C joins A in his/her arguments and C adds fuel to the flame (Despite having a good relationship with B). And in the end, they both agree that B is bad. But in front of B, they act all nice. Nod if you know what I'm talking about.
The second possible reaction is the same one as the first one, but this time both A and C doesn't want to talk to B even when in front of B (Yes, showing your dissent is actually better than actually having a talam dua muka [double-face])
Third, is quite neutral. C listens, and ask some relevant questions, such as what proofs A has to prove that B is a bad person. Or C could just listen and keep silent.
Fourth, is the way good friends actually are. No matter what A said and no matter what B "did" in the story, C will just listen and in the end say things like "I don't know if what you're saying is true, but B is my friend, and so far I haven't had any problems with B. B's been a good friend to me. So I'd probably just give B the benefit of doubt". Or if the time and place is not right to argue on the matter, C will just listen and not reply, but inside C is giving B the benefit of doubt.
Now, which type of friend are you?
Saturday, March 8, 2008
A New Chapter For Democracy In Malaysia
Yesterday was HISTORICAL for Malaysians.
The BN coalition has never been denied it's two-thirds parliamentary seats for the past five decades. For the first time ever, this 12th election has shown how the power has been given back to the people. The prime media describes this as the "wave", "sentimen", or "tsunami".
Apart from losing it's two-thirds parliamentary position, BN also lost four states, on top of all parliamentary seats in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur being taken away (except for Setiawangsa). These four states are Penang, Kedah, Perak and the most unexpected of all, Selangor.
Prior to election, when the opposition claimed that they are going to deny BN two-thirds of the parliamentary seats, honestly, for several reasons I was a bit skeptical of the opposition winning 75 of the 222 seats. It just seemed like they have to do too much work to achieve this.
But instead, the public have proven that I was wrong.
I am writing this only because I am so amazed at how Malaysians are brave enough to actually be ready for a change. This is because, making a decision to change itself is a really hard process. It needs a lot of courage, determination and trust to change. It is not that easy.
If Malaysians are brave enough now, that only means we've become more mature, and thus a lot more things can happen in the future for the benefit of all. The possibilities are endless. For this nationwide courage, I congratulate all Malaysians.
Whoever lost or whoever won, I should say that all of us should look at this change from the positive side of it. All sides must have tried their best, so there's nothing to regret for. I'm sure it must have been hard for BN to lose four states in one election, but I myself as a Malaysian citizen believe that this change is also good for BN because it lets not only BN, but also PKR, DAP and PAS realize that the political parties do not have the power - the people do.
Therefore, any party governing any state in Malaysia will serve the people better in the coming years, knowing that they will lose the people's trust if they ever fumble. And at the end of the day, isn't it true that the people will get the most out of this change? And shouldn't all political parties be happy when the rakyat wins, for all of their missions are to serve Malaysians in the best way possible?
Therefore, I'd rather consider this as a victory for all of us. Malaysians, let's work together despite our different views to create a better nation.
The BN coalition has never been denied it's two-thirds parliamentary seats for the past five decades. For the first time ever, this 12th election has shown how the power has been given back to the people. The prime media describes this as the "wave", "sentimen", or "tsunami".
Apart from losing it's two-thirds parliamentary position, BN also lost four states, on top of all parliamentary seats in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur being taken away (except for Setiawangsa). These four states are Penang, Kedah, Perak and the most unexpected of all, Selangor.
Prior to election, when the opposition claimed that they are going to deny BN two-thirds of the parliamentary seats, honestly, for several reasons I was a bit skeptical of the opposition winning 75 of the 222 seats. It just seemed like they have to do too much work to achieve this.
But instead, the public have proven that I was wrong.
I am writing this only because I am so amazed at how Malaysians are brave enough to actually be ready for a change. This is because, making a decision to change itself is a really hard process. It needs a lot of courage, determination and trust to change. It is not that easy.
If Malaysians are brave enough now, that only means we've become more mature, and thus a lot more things can happen in the future for the benefit of all. The possibilities are endless. For this nationwide courage, I congratulate all Malaysians.
Whoever lost or whoever won, I should say that all of us should look at this change from the positive side of it. All sides must have tried their best, so there's nothing to regret for. I'm sure it must have been hard for BN to lose four states in one election, but I myself as a Malaysian citizen believe that this change is also good for BN because it lets not only BN, but also PKR, DAP and PAS realize that the political parties do not have the power - the people do.
Therefore, any party governing any state in Malaysia will serve the people better in the coming years, knowing that they will lose the people's trust if they ever fumble. And at the end of the day, isn't it true that the people will get the most out of this change? And shouldn't all political parties be happy when the rakyat wins, for all of their missions are to serve Malaysians in the best way possible?
Therefore, I'd rather consider this as a victory for all of us. Malaysians, let's work together despite our different views to create a better nation.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
What would you want to tell others if you know you're only going to live for a few more months?
Randy Pausch, a professor in Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania) gave his "last" words before his pancreatic-cancer-driven death. He gave a full length "last" lecture in September 2007 in his university for 76 minutes, but the one I'm posting here is a shorter version of 10 minutes shown on Oprah two weeks after the original lecture.
He gave some really sound advice on life and how to live. I should say that most of his advice is the kind of advice any father would give to his children. Spend 10 minutes to listen to what Professor Randy Pausch has to say by clicking play on the video below.
Randy Pausch, a professor in Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania) gave his "last" words before his pancreatic-cancer-driven death. He gave a full length "last" lecture in September 2007 in his university for 76 minutes, but the one I'm posting here is a shorter version of 10 minutes shown on Oprah two weeks after the original lecture.
He gave some really sound advice on life and how to live. I should say that most of his advice is the kind of advice any father would give to his children. Spend 10 minutes to listen to what Professor Randy Pausch has to say by clicking play on the video below.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Between Age, Media and the Truth
I was talking to my dad yesterday, and I expressed my concerns over the overwhelming information I have gained through the internet, where there is too much revelation about government's bad practice in Malaysia, while all I have learned since I was small is that BN forms such a good government it'll ensure security and cater the citizen's needs across religions and races. I asked him what's his take on such issues.
Answering my question, I remember he said:
"Memanglah kerajaan ni ada yang tak betulnya, tapi banyak juga benda betul yang dia buat. Lagi banyak yang betul daripada yang tak betul. Banyak yang dia dah bagi kita. Kita mudah nak cari kesalahan orang lain, tapi takkan ada kerajaan yang perfect. Kalau opposition memerintah pun, tak tentu lagi bagusnya. PAS di Kelantan pun bukannya 100% bersih dari segi corruption ni, bang. Lagipun, kerajaan sekarang ni dah lama dan ada banyak pengalaman mentadbir."
"Ayah dulu macam abang juga waktu muda-muda. Banyak perkara yang ayah tak setuju dengan kerajaan. Tapi bila dah makin tua, ayah makin rasional. Ayah fikir-fikir, kalau ayah pun di atas sana, ayah takkan dapat puaskan hati semua orang. Pilihanraya kali ni pun nampaknya macam tak ada isu langsung. Mungkin lagi kurang isu daripada pilihanraya yang lepas-lepas. Memang betul ayah baca suratkhabar tempatan, tapi ayah pun dah tua dan ayah tapis jugak apa-apa information yang datang daripada sumber-sumber ni."
I did present few arguments that question his judgments, but in the end, I should say that like always, I still fully respect my dad and his words. I took his lines as wisdom I should live by. But when my dad said that there's not much issue happening for this upcoming election, that contradicts with a lot of things I've been exposed to. I mean, does that mean I'm wrong? Or has my dad been exposed to the local newspapers too much that he now thinks there's no big issue happening?
If there's no issue at all, what about Bersih and Hindraf? What about reports that talk about the police force arresting people on peaceful-gatherings without any solid reason? Is this the effect of a government-controlled media? (To report that the situation is okay while it's not). Or, just like him, but on the opposite side - probably I have been too much exposed to foreign and free internet media that my mind is now clouded by thoughts like "The government is wrong", while actually Malaysia is doing just fine? Is Malaysia doing fine?
I also believe him when he said that he had the same thoughts when he was young. As in, maturity matters. Young people are often immature and doesn't have much experience. This is true. But could this be the reason why a lot of us are concerned after hearing even the slightest issue being reported? At the age of 20 something, do we not have sufficient logical and rational mindset to think that the government is wrong even after few revelations have been made? Are we too young to judge that we easily get emotionally irritated over petty things? And, is it true that only young people are concerned over things like power abuse because youngsters are immature, don't have experience and often too idealistic? Or will my dad change his thoughts if he also gets access to much of the free media? Same goes here - Will I change my thoughts if I also read the local newspapers everyday, apart from the internet?
What is going on?
To be honest, my conversation with my dad has left me quite confused.
Between age and media, I do not know which one to believe in.
Therefore, until I truly understand the dynamics as a whole and get as much information as I could from all kinds of sources, I'm keeping an open mind and choose not to take any sides. This is probably the best solution for now. Since I can't vote because it's too late to register, I will keep myself updated and wait for the results on March 8.
I am willing to learn and grow. I prefer to be wise than extreme. Let the results show how good our government is doing now. Like many have predicted, I'm pretty sure BN will still form a government, but I'd like to see if it'll maintain two-thirds of the parliamentary seats. If it does, congratulations on the achievement, for it proves that the administration has done a good job in keeping majority of the people happy (Assuming that this 12th General Election is free, fair and clean). Otherwise, the opposition might need to make some changes in current policies for the betterment of the country.
I pray to God for the truth and give whatever that is best for us. Amin.
Answering my question, I remember he said:
"Memanglah kerajaan ni ada yang tak betulnya, tapi banyak juga benda betul yang dia buat. Lagi banyak yang betul daripada yang tak betul. Banyak yang dia dah bagi kita. Kita mudah nak cari kesalahan orang lain, tapi takkan ada kerajaan yang perfect. Kalau opposition memerintah pun, tak tentu lagi bagusnya. PAS di Kelantan pun bukannya 100% bersih dari segi corruption ni, bang. Lagipun, kerajaan sekarang ni dah lama dan ada banyak pengalaman mentadbir."
"Ayah dulu macam abang juga waktu muda-muda. Banyak perkara yang ayah tak setuju dengan kerajaan. Tapi bila dah makin tua, ayah makin rasional. Ayah fikir-fikir, kalau ayah pun di atas sana, ayah takkan dapat puaskan hati semua orang. Pilihanraya kali ni pun nampaknya macam tak ada isu langsung. Mungkin lagi kurang isu daripada pilihanraya yang lepas-lepas. Memang betul ayah baca suratkhabar tempatan, tapi ayah pun dah tua dan ayah tapis jugak apa-apa information yang datang daripada sumber-sumber ni."
I did present few arguments that question his judgments, but in the end, I should say that like always, I still fully respect my dad and his words. I took his lines as wisdom I should live by. But when my dad said that there's not much issue happening for this upcoming election, that contradicts with a lot of things I've been exposed to. I mean, does that mean I'm wrong? Or has my dad been exposed to the local newspapers too much that he now thinks there's no big issue happening?
If there's no issue at all, what about Bersih and Hindraf? What about reports that talk about the police force arresting people on peaceful-gatherings without any solid reason? Is this the effect of a government-controlled media? (To report that the situation is okay while it's not). Or, just like him, but on the opposite side - probably I have been too much exposed to foreign and free internet media that my mind is now clouded by thoughts like "The government is wrong", while actually Malaysia is doing just fine? Is Malaysia doing fine?
I also believe him when he said that he had the same thoughts when he was young. As in, maturity matters. Young people are often immature and doesn't have much experience. This is true. But could this be the reason why a lot of us are concerned after hearing even the slightest issue being reported? At the age of 20 something, do we not have sufficient logical and rational mindset to think that the government is wrong even after few revelations have been made? Are we too young to judge that we easily get emotionally irritated over petty things? And, is it true that only young people are concerned over things like power abuse because youngsters are immature, don't have experience and often too idealistic? Or will my dad change his thoughts if he also gets access to much of the free media? Same goes here - Will I change my thoughts if I also read the local newspapers everyday, apart from the internet?
What is going on?
To be honest, my conversation with my dad has left me quite confused.
Between age and media, I do not know which one to believe in.
Therefore, until I truly understand the dynamics as a whole and get as much information as I could from all kinds of sources, I'm keeping an open mind and choose not to take any sides. This is probably the best solution for now. Since I can't vote because it's too late to register, I will keep myself updated and wait for the results on March 8.
I am willing to learn and grow. I prefer to be wise than extreme. Let the results show how good our government is doing now. Like many have predicted, I'm pretty sure BN will still form a government, but I'd like to see if it'll maintain two-thirds of the parliamentary seats. If it does, congratulations on the achievement, for it proves that the administration has done a good job in keeping majority of the people happy (Assuming that this 12th General Election is free, fair and clean). Otherwise, the opposition might need to make some changes in current policies for the betterment of the country.
I pray to God for the truth and give whatever that is best for us. Amin.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Cost of Independence by Diplomacy
"We got our independence by diplomacy. We didn't have to go to war. Not a single drop of blood was spilled. And we're damn proud of it."
These were the thoughts that our history textbooks generally convey, and we Malaysians wanted to brag about not having to go into war like how Indonesians got their independence from the Dutch. Well, at least this was how I felt when I was eleven or so.
Looking from the other side of the story, could we question that there might have been a "cost" that came together with the diplomacy-based independence? I mean, what led British to giving us independence by diplomacy?
I didn't want to inquire about such information. Like some people say, "Ignorance is Bliss". But one day I bumped into one documentary that tells some important stories that are not included in our history textbooks. And because this documentary has filled the knowledge gap that's been there among Malaysians for a while, it was awarded the title of "Most Outstanding Human Rights Film - Freedom FilmFest Award 2007".
Now, I know a lot of us DO NOT like to learn history because it is SO BORING we would sleep throughout the class from the first second to the last, yadda yadda yadda... But I have to tell you guys that this one is DIFFERENT. It'll keep you awake (Okay, now I feel like I'm selling a direct-selling product). Well, no this one is not something like that. It's an objective film and it'll just enrich your knowledge about Malaysian history.
This film is a true story told by interviews done with some important figures who were also fighting for independence. It has really given me an opportunity to learn some additional knowledge and stories happening ten years before Malaya gained independence. This is interesting and I'd say it's definitely a must-watch.
The title of this documentary is "Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka", by Fahmi Reza (and crews). The total length of the clips is approximately 30 minutes, so you're gonna need some patience.
To know more, feel free to click here:
Youtube - Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka - Part 1
Youtube - Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka - Part 2
Youtube - Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka - Part 3
Youtube - Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka - Part 4
And to go to it's official page, click here:
Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka Official Site
Cheers.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Relationships Are Like Jual-Beli
Here's something a friend of mine told me recently, which I think is very interesting to share with you guys:
"Sometimes, being in a relationship is very much like being in a market. You, orang kedai, and your partner nak beli your products. You know barang you tak perfect, tapi you tau ada quality. You gotta sell it! Sell the quality. She knows these barang tak perfect, tapi that's not the only thing she looks into. She weighs the good and the bad. If you know how to sell it, she'll buy it. So, sell it to her!"
Imperfection-based insecurities, anyone?
Remember, like my friend said, "If you know how to sell it, she'll buy it".
And another thing. This also applies to girls. Just change all the "her" and "she" to "him" and "he", and you're good to go.
Cheers.
"Sometimes, being in a relationship is very much like being in a market. You, orang kedai, and your partner nak beli your products. You know barang you tak perfect, tapi you tau ada quality. You gotta sell it! Sell the quality. She knows these barang tak perfect, tapi that's not the only thing she looks into. She weighs the good and the bad. If you know how to sell it, she'll buy it. So, sell it to her!"
Imperfection-based insecurities, anyone?
Remember, like my friend said, "If you know how to sell it, she'll buy it".
And another thing. This also applies to girls. Just change all the "her" and "she" to "him" and "he", and you're good to go.
Cheers.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Proton - A New Saga?
Proton, as we all know, is the Malaysian carmaker established in 1983. A collaboration with Mitsubishi and government protection by applying excise duties on foreign cars helped this company to grow slowly and managed to control approximately 73% of the market share five years after it came into business.
Later, performance of Proton dropped, letting Perodua become the largest national carmaker with 42% of market share, while Proton's market share dropped from 40% in 2005 to 32% in 2006.
Things got worse for Proton, and as some people described it, "Proton is bleeding".
But early this year, Proton launches it's latest model, an enhanced Proton Saga, codenamed Proton BLM during it's design and development process.
From my observation, this latest model is by far the most successful model that Proton has designed. Comments on existing blogs are mainly positive and a lot of people seem to really like this car with 23000 orders placed for this model within just a few weeks of its launch. I personally think that the car looks good, at least for the fact that it is an economical B-Class car.
Source: http://proton-edar.com.my
Is this a new beginning for Proton?
It seems like one, and I surely hope so. It is reported that this new design is a really different design compared to the previous models in every aspect, which could be the base of designing better enhanced models in the future.
With historically unsatisfactory customer service and losses that it has experienced, Proton cannot afford to be any less efficient than it's current state. Proton needs to move forward no matter what. And moving forward doesn't mean moving forward alone. Proton desperately needs positive changes in QC, as well as customer service.
If Proton fails again in the future (and yet still want to save the 100 000 jobs created from the company and its vendors), I think it'd be best if Proton gets a talented foreign CEO by selling its shares to some non-Malaysian companies just like how Nissan sold 37% of its stakes to French's Renault in 1999 and started to generate profit afterwards. Now, Renault owns 45% of Nissan's shares.
I am not a Proton basher, neither do I think it produces the best cars in the world. I do think government's protection is a must for Proton to help the company grow at first but at the same time this has caused the situation to be somewhat like rent seeking, so protection can't continue forever or Proton will die once it is exposed to the real competition.
I am just like any other Malaysian, hoping to see that someday Proton will make it to be one of the world's biggest players in the car business. So, if Proton has the same vision as this, it better get serious in the business. It is a tough business, so it's only now or never again. If Proton ever screws up again and expect Petronas to cover the consequences like what happened before, that'll be the end of it. I will never ever hope for anything better from Proton other than this one time.
To Proton, good luck in making this brand new saga a reality. May this company bring the pride and benefits Malaysians are supposed to get from it.
Later, performance of Proton dropped, letting Perodua become the largest national carmaker with 42% of market share, while Proton's market share dropped from 40% in 2005 to 32% in 2006.
Things got worse for Proton, and as some people described it, "Proton is bleeding".
But early this year, Proton launches it's latest model, an enhanced Proton Saga, codenamed Proton BLM during it's design and development process.
From my observation, this latest model is by far the most successful model that Proton has designed. Comments on existing blogs are mainly positive and a lot of people seem to really like this car with 23000 orders placed for this model within just a few weeks of its launch. I personally think that the car looks good, at least for the fact that it is an economical B-Class car.
Source: http://proton-edar.com.my
Is this a new beginning for Proton?
It seems like one, and I surely hope so. It is reported that this new design is a really different design compared to the previous models in every aspect, which could be the base of designing better enhanced models in the future.
With historically unsatisfactory customer service and losses that it has experienced, Proton cannot afford to be any less efficient than it's current state. Proton needs to move forward no matter what. And moving forward doesn't mean moving forward alone. Proton desperately needs positive changes in QC, as well as customer service.
If Proton fails again in the future (and yet still want to save the 100 000 jobs created from the company and its vendors), I think it'd be best if Proton gets a talented foreign CEO by selling its shares to some non-Malaysian companies just like how Nissan sold 37% of its stakes to French's Renault in 1999 and started to generate profit afterwards. Now, Renault owns 45% of Nissan's shares.
I am not a Proton basher, neither do I think it produces the best cars in the world. I do think government's protection is a must for Proton to help the company grow at first but at the same time this has caused the situation to be somewhat like rent seeking, so protection can't continue forever or Proton will die once it is exposed to the real competition.
I am just like any other Malaysian, hoping to see that someday Proton will make it to be one of the world's biggest players in the car business. So, if Proton has the same vision as this, it better get serious in the business. It is a tough business, so it's only now or never again. If Proton ever screws up again and expect Petronas to cover the consequences like what happened before, that'll be the end of it. I will never ever hope for anything better from Proton other than this one time.
To Proton, good luck in making this brand new saga a reality. May this company bring the pride and benefits Malaysians are supposed to get from it.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Read. Inquire. Scrutinize. Question.
This post is specially dedicated to my fellow friends.
With the upcoming general election in Malaysia (speculated to be held in March), parties have been busy campaigning and bloggers like Lim Kit Siang and Raja Petra just can't have much break. Local newspapers like Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, and The New Straits Times also have started to warm up for the election. Well, while these people are busy preparing for the election, I wonder if we are doing the same.
Although most of us are students, be it local or abroad, I just felt the urge to write this post because I do believe that a lot of us do not really have much interest to know about what is going on in our country as far as politics is concerned. It is well understood that we are all busy with studies and personal matters, but lately I also think that being 21 and over has brought us a new responsibility that we should not take for granted - and this is the responsibility to vote.
And because of this new responsibility, I feel that we need to start at least know what is actually going on in Malaysia. Therefore, I'd like to encourage all of us, myself especially, to get to know at least the basic stuffs that we need as voters.
We need to know the procedures on how to register as a voter. We need to know the basics of a government and what it does. We need to know what parties are involved. We need to know expectations of what we should get from a government and also government's expectations of us. We need to be realistic enough to think that no administration is perfect, but at the same time know our rights as citizens. We need to read - Read the local newspapers, watch news on the televisions, read blogs on the internet, read people's comments on the blogs, find useful information and get to know what people are talking about nowadays, be it from the opposition side or the ruling party.
I'd say the best move for us is to read a lot and read from all kinds of sources, and not to stick to just one biased source. Why? Because the best judgement that we can make is after considering all kinds of information that we have acquired. Knowing about current issues are just vital. Therefore, inquire. Be critical. Ask questions. Get involved.
One more tip when reading news, blogs and reports is to always scrutinize the contents. Humans write according to their perspectives, so sometimes even the best bloggers could be wrong. Sometimes they make mistakes, but sometimes their ideas is just undeniably genius. I personally like Farish A. Noor of Othermalaysia.org due to his neutrality in his writings.
If you need other recommendations, I would say use Google and type keywords like Utusan, NST, The Star, UMNO, Pemuda UMNO, MCA, MIC, Barisan Nasional, PKR, DAP, PAS, Malaysiakini, Harakahdaily, Jeff Ooi, Lim Kit Siang and OtherMalaysia.org, Malaysia Today. These are all good sources to read from. Youtube is another interesting source. Whatever it is, just keep an open mind when you're surfing.
Well, I do not intend to sound too smart, or sound like I know about everything - because I don't. In fact, I actually regard myself as a newbie to this. Bus as far as knowing about the goings-on in Malaysia, I should say that I've learned more now than I ever did before. And I think it should be a really huge benefit for all of us to learn some basics and issues in Malaysian politics. I would therefore again, urge all of us including myself to equip ourselves with some useful knowledge about the country, especially now with the election coming close.
Anyway, we're Malaysian citizens, so aren't we the ones responsible to care about our own country and make it a better place to live?
With the upcoming general election in Malaysia (speculated to be held in March), parties have been busy campaigning and bloggers like Lim Kit Siang and Raja Petra just can't have much break. Local newspapers like Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, and The New Straits Times also have started to warm up for the election. Well, while these people are busy preparing for the election, I wonder if we are doing the same.
Although most of us are students, be it local or abroad, I just felt the urge to write this post because I do believe that a lot of us do not really have much interest to know about what is going on in our country as far as politics is concerned. It is well understood that we are all busy with studies and personal matters, but lately I also think that being 21 and over has brought us a new responsibility that we should not take for granted - and this is the responsibility to vote.
And because of this new responsibility, I feel that we need to start at least know what is actually going on in Malaysia. Therefore, I'd like to encourage all of us, myself especially, to get to know at least the basic stuffs that we need as voters.
We need to know the procedures on how to register as a voter. We need to know the basics of a government and what it does. We need to know what parties are involved. We need to know expectations of what we should get from a government and also government's expectations of us. We need to be realistic enough to think that no administration is perfect, but at the same time know our rights as citizens. We need to read - Read the local newspapers, watch news on the televisions, read blogs on the internet, read people's comments on the blogs, find useful information and get to know what people are talking about nowadays, be it from the opposition side or the ruling party.
I'd say the best move for us is to read a lot and read from all kinds of sources, and not to stick to just one biased source. Why? Because the best judgement that we can make is after considering all kinds of information that we have acquired. Knowing about current issues are just vital. Therefore, inquire. Be critical. Ask questions. Get involved.
One more tip when reading news, blogs and reports is to always scrutinize the contents. Humans write according to their perspectives, so sometimes even the best bloggers could be wrong. Sometimes they make mistakes, but sometimes their ideas is just undeniably genius. I personally like Farish A. Noor of Othermalaysia.org due to his neutrality in his writings.
If you need other recommendations, I would say use Google and type keywords like Utusan, NST, The Star, UMNO, Pemuda UMNO, MCA, MIC, Barisan Nasional, PKR, DAP, PAS, Malaysiakini, Harakahdaily, Jeff Ooi, Lim Kit Siang and OtherMalaysia.org, Malaysia Today. These are all good sources to read from. Youtube is another interesting source. Whatever it is, just keep an open mind when you're surfing.
Well, I do not intend to sound too smart, or sound like I know about everything - because I don't. In fact, I actually regard myself as a newbie to this. Bus as far as knowing about the goings-on in Malaysia, I should say that I've learned more now than I ever did before. And I think it should be a really huge benefit for all of us to learn some basics and issues in Malaysian politics. I would therefore again, urge all of us including myself to equip ourselves with some useful knowledge about the country, especially now with the election coming close.
Anyway, we're Malaysian citizens, so aren't we the ones responsible to care about our own country and make it a better place to live?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Letter from a Desperate Housewife
I got this joke from Dr Azwan's blog page. I'm re-posting it here to share it with you guys. This is a must-read..
Dear IT Support,
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a slow down in the overall performance, particularly in the flower, gifts and jewellery applications that had operated flawlessly under boyfriend 5.0.In addition, Husband 1.0 un-installed many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, but installed undesirable programs such as Formula One 5.0, NBA 3.0 and World Cup 2.0.
And now Conversation 8.0 no longer runs and House Cleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.
What can I do?
Signed,
Desperate Housewife
------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply:
Dear Desperate Housewife,
First keep in mind: Boyfriend 5.0 is an entertainment package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system.Try entering the command C:\ I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME and download Tears 6.2 to install Guilt 3.0. If all works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewellery 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.
But remember, overuse can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Late Night Teh Tarik 6.1. Late Night 6.1 is a very bad program that will create SnoringLoudly.wavfiles.
Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-in-Law 1.0 or reinstall another Boyfriend program. These are not supported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.
In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have a limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider additional software to improve memory and performance. I personally recommend Hot Tasty Food 3.0 and Tongkat Ali 6.9.
Good Luck,
IT Support
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Economics of Love
From a combination of economics theory, love, relationship failures and success stories, I came up with quite a simple theory that finds a connection between attention and attraction..
It's called "The Economics of Love". And here what it's all about..
My theory says that Attraction works more of like a "price", and attention works more of like the "quantity of goods available". Let's say our example is a girl and her name is Siti. Being the only person with the name Siti who has her own unique personality traits that defines herself, she can then declare that she's the world's only supplier of brand-name "Siti's Attention", thus making her a monopoly in the market since her product is unique. Now, "Siti's Attention" is always produced under her own control and conscience..
Now let's get a typical guy's name to be Siti's partner. Let's just name him Ali.. Since he is Siti's partner, thus we can assume that Ali is the target audience (or the market consumers) of the product called "Siti's Attention".
Would you agree with me if I say this -- If "Siti's Attention" is produced in huge numbers every single day, in amounts that far exceeds what Ali can consume every day, flooding Ali's mind, time and energy, thus the price to get one unit of "Siti's Attention" has now decreased...
This is the reason why -- If Ali can earn something like "Siti's Attention" all the time without having to put hardly any effort, then the price of "Siti's Attention" will drop. "Siti's Attention" has now become less in value. And the market surely doesn't crave for something that's easy to get.
Being a monopoly, how can Siti increase the price of "Siti's Attention"? -- The answer is by controlling the supply. Siti needs to produce a smaller amount (or just the right amount) of "Siti's Attention" for Ali so that the price of "Siti's Attention" will go back to the appropriate level. As the availability of "Siti's Attention" is lower (and harder to obtain), it's price will increase. With this, Ali will become more attracted to it (Ever wonder why people are much more attracted to a Mercedes than a Kancil?)
If you ask me if it also works the other way around (A girl and A guy's attention) -- I believe it does..
So, what have we learned here? Take this example and see if we have been pouring too much attention towards our partners. If some of you are doing this, notice if your partner is "suffocating" a little bit or not. If he/she is "suffocating", then you might have been producing too much Attention for him/her. The price of your attention has gone down. He/she doesn't have to do much effort to get attention from you. You definitely need to stop the "suffocation" immediately before your actions will cause him/her to start losing the attraction that your partner once had towards you before..
Leaning back, taking your own time and doing your own stuff will really help. This projects security and confidence (which are really attractive to just about anyone). Plus, by paying less attention (or giving just the right amount of it) towards your partner, it will give the other person the chance to think about you and miss you when you're not around. This really makes the relationship healthy because both people will have to put at least some effort to get each other's attention (there is BALANCE)..
But how can we know how much is TOO much of attention? Well, I should say that any amount of attention would be good, as long as we're not at the level of being clingy and needy.. Why? Because being clingy and needy indirectly projects insecurity..
So, if your partner seems to be suffocated by you clinging around all the time, then you probably want to give him/her some space to breathe by starting to do your own stuff. If there's no third person in the picture, then it is definitely not their fault that they now feel less interested to talk to you. Most probably you were the one to be blamed.
Now, I'm sure there are also other factors that comes into play when we talk about relationships and love, but what I'm trying to explain here is just the connection between Attention and Attraction.. Plus, this law might not be applicable to married couples due to the change in the relationship's dynamics..
To wrap up, I'd like to rephrase this theory into one line:
"In a pre-marital relationship, given that everything else is constant, if Partner X's projected Attention increases to the level of "clinginess"/"suffocation", Partner Y (the receiver) will start to feel less of Attraction towards Partner X.."
Now, do you agree with this theory? Or you have another way of explaining it? What's your personal opinion? I sure would appreciate to hear from you..
Til my next post, Cheers..
It's called "The Economics of Love". And here what it's all about..
My theory says that Attraction works more of like a "price", and attention works more of like the "quantity of goods available". Let's say our example is a girl and her name is Siti. Being the only person with the name Siti who has her own unique personality traits that defines herself, she can then declare that she's the world's only supplier of brand-name "Siti's Attention", thus making her a monopoly in the market since her product is unique. Now, "Siti's Attention" is always produced under her own control and conscience..
Now let's get a typical guy's name to be Siti's partner. Let's just name him Ali.. Since he is Siti's partner, thus we can assume that Ali is the target audience (or the market consumers) of the product called "Siti's Attention".
Would you agree with me if I say this -- If "Siti's Attention" is produced in huge numbers every single day, in amounts that far exceeds what Ali can consume every day, flooding Ali's mind, time and energy, thus the price to get one unit of "Siti's Attention" has now decreased...
This is the reason why -- If Ali can earn something like "Siti's Attention" all the time without having to put hardly any effort, then the price of "Siti's Attention" will drop. "Siti's Attention" has now become less in value. And the market surely doesn't crave for something that's easy to get.
Being a monopoly, how can Siti increase the price of "Siti's Attention"? -- The answer is by controlling the supply. Siti needs to produce a smaller amount (or just the right amount) of "Siti's Attention" for Ali so that the price of "Siti's Attention" will go back to the appropriate level. As the availability of "Siti's Attention" is lower (and harder to obtain), it's price will increase. With this, Ali will become more attracted to it (Ever wonder why people are much more attracted to a Mercedes than a Kancil?)
If you ask me if it also works the other way around (A girl and A guy's attention) -- I believe it does..
So, what have we learned here? Take this example and see if we have been pouring too much attention towards our partners. If some of you are doing this, notice if your partner is "suffocating" a little bit or not. If he/she is "suffocating", then you might have been producing too much Attention for him/her. The price of your attention has gone down. He/she doesn't have to do much effort to get attention from you. You definitely need to stop the "suffocation" immediately before your actions will cause him/her to start losing the attraction that your partner once had towards you before..
Leaning back, taking your own time and doing your own stuff will really help. This projects security and confidence (which are really attractive to just about anyone). Plus, by paying less attention (or giving just the right amount of it) towards your partner, it will give the other person the chance to think about you and miss you when you're not around. This really makes the relationship healthy because both people will have to put at least some effort to get each other's attention (there is BALANCE)..
But how can we know how much is TOO much of attention? Well, I should say that any amount of attention would be good, as long as we're not at the level of being clingy and needy.. Why? Because being clingy and needy indirectly projects insecurity..
So, if your partner seems to be suffocated by you clinging around all the time, then you probably want to give him/her some space to breathe by starting to do your own stuff. If there's no third person in the picture, then it is definitely not their fault that they now feel less interested to talk to you. Most probably you were the one to be blamed.
Now, I'm sure there are also other factors that comes into play when we talk about relationships and love, but what I'm trying to explain here is just the connection between Attention and Attraction.. Plus, this law might not be applicable to married couples due to the change in the relationship's dynamics..
To wrap up, I'd like to rephrase this theory into one line:
"In a pre-marital relationship, given that everything else is constant, if Partner X's projected Attention increases to the level of "clinginess"/"suffocation", Partner Y (the receiver) will start to feel less of Attraction towards Partner X.."
Now, do you agree with this theory? Or you have another way of explaining it? What's your personal opinion? I sure would appreciate to hear from you..
Til my next post, Cheers..
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Malaysian's Young Professionals Speak on the Economy
This is a very interesting 7-question short survey on Malaysian economy and it is done by the Young Professionals Chamber Malaysia (PROMUDA). Therefore, credits should be given to them. The survey was first started on new year, and after 12 days, approximately 400 young, professional Malaysians including students local and abroad have participated in taking the survey.
If you do not know economics that well, you can just read through this post and still understand most of the questions because they're kind of understandable from a layman's view. And if you do care about Malaysian economy, take the survey now before you continue reading this post because I'm afraid your judgments will be skewed after reading this post, thus affecting your responses. You can take the survey by clicking the link below:
PROMUDA Survey on the Economy
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Here are the results of the survey as of January 12, 2008:
Question 1
In view of globalization, do you feel Malaysia is getting more or less competitive as a nation?
Question 2
Do you think Malaysia is on track to achieve a developed nation status by the year 2020?
Question 3
What is your perception of the state of Malaysia's economy?
Question 4
Please estimate the increase in price level of basic commodities you have experienced in Malaysia over the last 3 to 4 years.
Question 5
How do you view the level of graduate unemployment problem in Malaysia following MIER's statement below?
"The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) said the country is now experiencing “jobless growth” where the economy grew at 5.9% in the last five to six years, but few jobs were created."
Question 6
How do you view affirmative action policies such as NEP?
Question 7
Please choose the best 3 options below which you think can help the nation to be more competitive in the future.
Look at the results and make your own conclusions.
I personally feel that either something is really wrong in the country, or the validity of these responses is questionable. But if something is wrong in the economy, some changes need to be done by the administration. I myself do not know much of the statistics, so I can't say that Malaysian economy is in a bad shape.
Now, what do YOU personally think? Feel free to share your comments below. I'd be glad to hear what's on your mind, because every opinion matters...
Source: PROMUDA State of the Nation 2008 Survey - Part 1: On the Economy
If you do not know economics that well, you can just read through this post and still understand most of the questions because they're kind of understandable from a layman's view. And if you do care about Malaysian economy, take the survey now before you continue reading this post because I'm afraid your judgments will be skewed after reading this post, thus affecting your responses. You can take the survey by clicking the link below:
PROMUDA Survey on the Economy
************************************************************************
Here are the results of the survey as of January 12, 2008:
Question 1
In view of globalization, do you feel Malaysia is getting more or less competitive as a nation?
| Answer | Responses | Percent |
| Less competitive | 312 | 78.00% |
| More competitive | 78 | 19.50% |
| I don't know | 10 | 2.50% |
Question 2
Do you think Malaysia is on track to achieve a developed nation status by the year 2020?
| Answer | Responses | Percent |
| No | 298 | 74.50% |
| Yes | 73 | 18.30% |
| I don't know | 29 | 7.30% |
Question 3
What is your perception of the state of Malaysia's economy?
| Answer | Responses | Percent |
| The economy is stagnant | 249 | 63.50% |
| The economy is in a recession | 74 | 18.90% |
| The economy is doing well | 57 | 14.50% |
| I don't know | 12 | 3.10% |
Question 4
Please estimate the increase in price level of basic commodities you have experienced in Malaysia over the last 3 to 4 years.
| Answer | Responses | Percent |
| 20% - 50% | 206 | 52.80% |
| 50% - 100% | 119 | 30.50% |
| Less than 20% | 32 | 8.20% |
| I don't know | 17 | 4.40% |
| More than 100% | 16 | 4.10% |
Question 5
How do you view the level of graduate unemployment problem in Malaysia following MIER's statement below?
"The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) said the country is now experiencing “jobless growth” where the economy grew at 5.9% in the last five to six years, but few jobs were created."
| Answer | Responses | Percent |
| The problem is getting worse | 259 | 66.60% |
| The problem is the same as before | 94 | 24.20% |
| I don't know | 26 | 6.70% |
| There is no such problem | 10 | 2.60% |
Question 6
How do you view affirmative action policies such as NEP?
| Answer | Responses | Percent |
| Skewed implementation and subjected to abuse, thus policy should be reformed | 304 | 79.40% |
| Effective implementation benefitting target groups, thus policy should be maintained in its present form | 43 | 11.20% |
| I don't know | 36 | 9.40% |
Question 7
Please choose the best 3 options below which you think can help the nation to be more competitive in the future.
| Answer | Responses | Percent |
| Have more quality leadership | 320 | 84.20% |
| Ensure effective implementation of policies | 284 | 74.70% |
| Reverse the 'brain drain' | 235 | 61.80% |
| Encourage more foreign direct investments | 104 | 27.40% |
| Encourage more transfer of technology from abroad | 93 | 24.50% |
| Hire more skilled foreign workers | 7 | 1.80% |
| Other | 1 | 0.30% |
Look at the results and make your own conclusions.
I personally feel that either something is really wrong in the country, or the validity of these responses is questionable. But if something is wrong in the economy, some changes need to be done by the administration. I myself do not know much of the statistics, so I can't say that Malaysian economy is in a bad shape.
Now, what do YOU personally think? Feel free to share your comments below. I'd be glad to hear what's on your mind, because every opinion matters...
Source: PROMUDA State of the Nation 2008 Survey - Part 1: On the Economy
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Things Malaysians Might Wanna Know
*From my old Friendster Blog site written on December 6, 2007.
I've only been in the United States for two years and a couple of months. To say that I know a lot about this country, I really don't. But no doubt I did learn a few things since I first came here in August 2005. So I just thought I need to share some things that Malaysians might be interested to know about the United States.
#1 Not everyone dress up or behave like what we see in Hollywood movies
Well, this country still have a lot of normal people like us, and they dress NORMALLY. I've seen people in Malaysia that are "dressed to kill" and some maybe even inappropriately dress up too much that it exceeds what I normally see here. Yes, I know that we all have individual freedom, individual rights, bla bla bla.. But you know, wearing a thick jacket under the hot Malaysian sun is probably~ not really a good idea..
#2 Not everyone know and talk about Malaysia
Thanks to the government, our media has really brainwashed us to believe that the world revolves around Malaysia. We're taught this way even since we were potty training. No, not everyone know Malaysia, my friend. Please quit thinking that people REALLY care about what we do in Malaysia, like all the time. They just don't.. To them, Malaysia is just another country (in Asia, or if they're pretty good in Geography, in South-East Asia). Plus, they have a lot more important things to think about than to care about what's happening in Malaysia..
#3 People hold the door open for the person walking behind them when entering a building (if that person is not too far away, of course)
And the person walking behind will usually say "Thank you" for that person holding the door. This is just one way people are being curteous towards others. Well, you don't wanna do this if it is automatic door..
#4 Cars stop for pedestrians to cross the road
Well, this one was quite a culture shock to me when I first got here. But they only do this on small, not-so-busy country roads, of course. Cars don't stop in the middle of highways. Malaysians in Malaysia might wanna try this. But don't be surprised if the pedestrian freaks out because he/she might think that you're just getting ready to run over them as soon as they walk in front of your car.
#5 They're not superior to us. They just THINK that they are
Yes. A lot of us might have inferiority complex when seeing a white person. But you don't really have to. Like I said, they just THINK that they are better than the others, so they act like one (and they usually perform like one, too). If we can also THINK and see ourselves as just as good as them (or even better), then we WILL also be just like how we see ourselves as. It's all in the mentality..
#6 You will appreciate "maple"s (or the mamak restaurants) so so much once you're here
Since I'm not a nighclub person, the nights are not so entertaining here. I just miss "maple"s so much. I don't even have to go over the details about the football (or soccer?) matches we watch on those big screens and the lively crowd that stays til 2-3 a.m. I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about.
The small town that I live in here will literally "die" after 9 p.m. No kidding. It's no fun. The only closest thing to maple should be this 24-hours restaurant called Denny's. But it really is not like maple at all. The place is too neat and you'd usually have to spend around $12.00 after tax and tip. So expensive. So please, appreciate what we have in Malaysia..
*****************************************
Well, that might be it. Some of the cultures here are good and I personally think that we should learn these things from them. But of course, we don't follow whatever that's bad.
But overall, probably the most important thing that I got from here is that I learned to appreciate more of what we have in Malaysia (except for the political scene, corruption, and crazy drivers). We might think that they have a better place to live than us. Yes, it might be for them, but definitely not for us. We are Malaysians, and Malaysia is where we live..
It's just like how they say it - "There's no place like home"...
10 Reasons Why My Mom Is The Best Mom In The World
*From my old Friendster Blog site written on October 16, 2007.
This morning I got a parcel of kuih raya so I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my mom by writing this..
Alright. Let's keep this short. Here's ten reasons why I vote my mom as the best mom in the world:
1) She loves me like how a great mom would..
2) She's been a good friend of mine, telling me some things nobody would say..
3) She's a gorgeous amoi so I believe she's 'installed' pretty useful chinese genes in the family..
4) She runs a small business and it's taken good care the whole 7 children of hers for a good 17 years..
5) She's been thru hardship in a lot of years before this to take care of us and still got thru it all..
6) She's taught me profound ways and realities of life... Like when I was around nine, I got fresh cili padi shoved in my mouth when she overheard me saying the word ba**.. (and so I learned a lesson)
7) She's been the reason I travel halfway around the globe to go home - 2 years in a row now (and counting)..
8) She got my dad (a.k.a the Sri Menanti Chick Magnet) as husband..
9) She sometimes act inappropriately too-cute for a 50-year-old..
And the last reason and the most important reason why I vote my mom as the best mom in the world, is...
10) Simply, because she's my mom...
Well, I'm sure in your case, your mom would be the best in the world to you - even if you don't have any reasons why you would think so.. in fact, I just think all of us should make our moms the best, because they simply deserve to be the best for all of us, don't they? (yes, even if she's britney spears or a yakuza head or something)...
And to that special lady - I love you mom, and I will always do.. ;)
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