End What You Start

Folks,

I am a firm believer of ending what you started.

For instance, if you start courting someone, then try your best to end it in a nice manner -- whether in the end, you be in a relationship with the person, or you end it nicely with minimal emotional damage.

Leaving it hanging halfway is not good because it shows that you are not a problem solver, but rather, a runaway idiot.

I am also a firm believe of being a man -- that of being responsible and accountable.

If you are a risk taker, then you need to evaluate first your capability in handling the risk and it's associate derivatives which could lead to a bad consequence.

Merry Christmas

Peeps,

Although I am a little too late to wish thus particular season's greeting, nevertheless, Merry Christmas to all those celebrating it!

Badtameez Dil

Folks,

I am now in awe with this particular Hindi song, "Badtameez Dil", which literally means "insolent heart".

Check it out, peeps! It is music to my ears.

Bedtime Note #2

"Where there is desire,
There's gonna be a flame,
Where there is a flame,
Someone's bound to get burned,
But just because it burned,
It doesn't mean you gonna die,
You gotta get up and try"

"Try" by Pink

Midday Note #1

"who can say if your love grows,
As your heart chose,

Who can say why your heart sighs,
As your love flies,

And who can say why your heart cries,

When your love lies?"

++

"Only Time" by Enya

Bedtime Note #1

"Your eyes,
They shine so bright,
I want to save that light,
I cant escape this now,
Unless you show me how"

++

"Demons" by Imagine Dragons

Life is a Journey

Folks,

I have been watching Malaysia Airline's branding advertisement for quite sometimes, especially in the cinemas, but when I re-watch it again, it tickled my heart. It made me realize that life is indeed a journey, and that journey is meaningless with people that travels.

The background music is very epic, instrumental and evoked the feeling of loneliness and misery of life. But nevertheless, it is very suitable with the storyline in which all actors hold a bag in their hands.

The words uttered are mesmerizing:-

Life is a journey, which we are all travelers,

Looking to make that great trip with someone.

Journeys are made by the people you travel with.

And in this world, life is made by the people who are in your journey to find success and happiness.

With the right people, your life is a joy, and with the wrong people, it is just a misery.

Just a reflection for tonight.

Have a watch at this branding advertisement -- I suggest that you turn-up the volume and watch it an empty room where there will be no one to bug you from understanding the deep message conveyed in this video.

--

Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/cMLsCZsnHRM

Whither energy poverty

Folks,

Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently published a very interesting economic working paper entitled "Energy Access and Energy Security in Asia and the Pacific". This paper was prepared by Professor B. K. Sovacool.

It is a very good paper that tackles the often forgotten global issues.

The working paper discuss on energy security, deprivation and poverty, which mainly covers electricity access in the Asia and Pacific (APAC) region.

I have always thought of poverty as being deprived of money, but this is the first time that I hear the word "energy poverty".

The ADB defined energy poverty as:-

"the absence of sufficient choice in accessing adequate, affordable, reliable, high-quality, safe and environmentally benign energy services to support economic and human development."

It makes me sad that there are still people out there that do not have proper access to electricity.

I am shocked when I read the statistics produced in this paper -- that there are still many people on this planet earth that are deprived of electricity -- one of the basic needs in this era.

In this paper, the good professor outlined that the consequence of energy deprivation include poverty, death, gender inequality and energy degradation.

Read on, folks. The report is absolutely timely.

--

Source: http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2013/ewp-383.pdf

The Importance of Fearing God As You Climb Your Life's Mountains

Folks,

This is a very good speech by Mr Denton Rarawa, the Governor of Central Bank of Solomon Islands.

It is heartening to note that there are still pious central bankers in the world. And by pious I mean God-fearing, as well as those inculcating religious values in their life.

The speech is very encouraging. Have a read, peeps!

--

Source: http://www.bis.org/review/r131212l.pdf?frames=0

TIME Magazine Person of the Year 2013

Folks,

It is official. The influential TIME magazine named the new leader of Catholic Church, Pope Francis as the Person of the Year 2013.

Monday Blues

Folks,

I am now in the train, heading to my office.

I noticed that Monday is always a hectic day -- people are just so busy on this day, and traffic is always congested on this day too.

And the look on the face of people, especially the ones in the train, are always sombre and dull. Rarely do you see people smiling early Monday morning.

Myself included too.

It is as if they are forced to come to work after enjoying two days of rest.

Well, they are in a way, 'forced'!

But when it comes to Tuesday and the days that follow, I think that people just adjust themselves to the situation, I guess.

But Monday is always the busiest day of all; no matter how relaxing that day is, it seems to be always the busiest and the most hectic! Hence, the Monday blues!

Anyway, Happy Monday, people!

Hidden meaning of common abbreviations

Folks,

Somehow, the hidden message in the following commonly-used abbreviations are true!

PISA Results

Folks,

Recently in the news, there was a lot of debate on the performance of our country in PISA - an internationally-acclaimed education assessment of 15 year-old students.

The PISA - Programme for International Students Assessment - is managed by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

This program runs every three years beginning from the year 2000 and Malaysia participated in this Programme in the year 2009.

The 2012 results are now available in the OECD website. The link can be found at the end of this post. You can even try the questions used in the test to have a feel at the kind of questions used in the PISA exam.

How did we fare in the 2012 PISA test?

Let us look at three dimensions, namely reading, mathematics and science.

The following results are for our consumption and reflection of the effectiveness of our education system.

(A) Reading

The average score is 496, and in terms of reading, we scored 420, which is way below the average. The difference is 76, which is very significant. What this means is that the 15 year-old students in our country are two years behind the threshold score.

A rule of thumb is that 38-point difference is equivalent to one year of schooling.

Looking at our neighbors, Singapore scored 542 and Indonesia scored 396.

In terms of ranking, we are positioned at 59, out the 65 participated countries.

(B) Mathematics

The average score is 494, and we scored 421, and the difference is 73. In this regard, we are lagging close to two years behind the average score.

Singapore scored 573 and Indonesia scored 375.

In terms of ranking, we are at number 52.

(C) Science

The benchmark mean score is 501 and we scored 420, and that is a difference of 81. And likewise, we lagged close to two years in terms of education standard.

Singapore scored 551 and Indonesia scored 382.

In terms of ranking, we are positioned at 53.

Overall, our country's score in these three critical areas are way below the average mean, and this is something that our education policy makers need to look at. We are lagging behind among many countries and that is worrying.

There are calls by certain quarter of the citizen to 'overhaul' our education system; and that I leave it to the folks at the relevant ministry to respond and deal with it.

In all honesty, we need to reflect and perform SWOT analysis of the current education system so that we can address the glaring gap and loopholes, thus reforming (or to use the current buzzword 'transforming') the education system to be more advanced and holistic.

At the same time, we also need to benchmark and compare the questions used in PISA with our equivalent national examination for the 15 year-old, PMR.

It will certainly be confusing if we say that our students performs well in the local PMR exam, but failed miserably in the PISA assessment, as evident in the latest 2012 findings.

The next PISA test will be conducted in 2018, and hopefully we shall outperform most countries.

--

Source: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-results.htm

Large Vienna

Folks,

Presenting to you, large Vienna by Dôme!

Youth Unemployment

Folks,

Here are some shocking statistics on youth unemployment, as evident on the Asian Development Bank  website:-

>> As many as 200 million: Number of working youth that earn less than US$ 2 a day.

>> 357.7 million: The number of youth globally who are not in education, training or employment. 62% of them are in South Asia (101 million) and East Asia and the Pacific (119.4 million).

>> 536 million: The number of working youth in the developing world who were underemployed in 2010 -- more than half of them live in South Asia (152 million) and East Asia and the Pacific (150 million).

I feel sorry to those who are unemployed. And I pity those earning USD$ 2 a day.

How do you survive with that kind of money?

--

Source: http://www.adb.org/features/youth-employment-and-skills-development-asia-and-pacific-numbers?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alerts

Black Bear - Blue Ocean - Wanton Noodle

Folks,

Below is the speech by Mr Norman T L Chan, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Monetary Authority at a dinner event.

It is a very good speech about competition and surviving in tough times. Two important lessons are presented by Mr Chan:-

"One, the world can be very dangerous and unpredictable risk may crop up from nowhere. So be prepared. Two, the world is a very competitive place. It is not about how fast you can run, but whether you can outrun your competitors. The marketplace is a wild jungle in which only the very fit or the fittest can hope to survive or succeed."

His speech is very informative as it is told in a narrative form, in which layman like me can understand well. And I so wish that I was in that dinner sto listen live to this inspiring speech.

His speech is particularly exciting as he talks about two important stories -- the story of the black bear and the story of the wanton noodle seller. In addition, he also -- in a way -- subtly criticize (in a good manner) the concept of "blue ocean strategy".

Last year, I attended a two-day course on Blue Ocean, and frankly speaking, I think that the theory is not necessarily viable. In a very, very simple definition, the concept of blue ocean is that you should not enter a crowded market but instead to focus on innovation and enter a niche market so as to avoid fierce competition.

Though the concept encourages people to innovate, but I think that it may not necessarily be feasible and viable. As demonstrated in the speech of Mr Chan, he said that "And there is a limit on how often companies can innovate new products or lines of business".

Innovation is good, but I also think that not all things can be "innovated" from scratch, instead, it can improved and enhanced.

An alternative to the blue ocean theory is the anecdote of "wanton noodle story".

Wanna know more? Read on!

I reproduce the speech below for your own reading:-

++

1. I feel very honoured to have been invited to speak at the HKMA Fellowship Dinner tonight. This is not only because the Hong Kong Management Association has been a forerunner in enhancing the standards of management and governance in Hong Kong, but also because the Hong Kong Management Association and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority share the same initials "HKMA"! Hence, attending the Fellowship Dinner tonight has double meanings for me as the Chief Executive of the HKMA.

2. Management is crucial as it embraces knowledge, skills, culture and leadership that would guide and shape the future of an organisation, whether it is public sector or private sector body or whether it is profit-seeking or non-profit-making entity. There is no doubt that, with increased globalisation and technological innovation, markets in different geographical localities have become more interconnected. One author has described the phenomenon as the "World has Become Flat".

3. An important outcome of the interconnectedness of markets is that competition has become much more intense and ferocious. Talking about competition, let me share with you this story.

4. One day two men went together hiking in the mountain. While happily walking and talking, they bumped into a giant black bear which was apparently in a bad mood and in need of some nutritious food. Even though this was their very first encounter of a big bear in the wilderness, the ferocity displayed by the bear cast no doubt in their minds that their lives were at stake. So the two of them ran as fast as they could downhill and soon they reached the flat land at the bottom of the hill. Unfortunately the bear appeared to be quite determined to get the catch of the day and was chasing them from 50 yards behind. Suddenly one man stopped running and took out his running shoes from his knapsack to put them on. The other guy was very puzzled and asked: "What are you doing, you stupid? I don't think you can run faster than the bear even with your running shoes on!" The other guy replied: "Yes, I know this. But it would be good enough if I can run faster than you!"

5. What is the moral of this story? One, the world can be very dangerous and unpredictable risk may crop up from nowhere. So be prepared. Two, the world is a very competitive place. It is not about how fast you can run, but whether you can outrun your competitors. The marketplace is a wild jungle in which only the very fit or the fittest can hope to survive or succeed.

6. Therefore it is natural that in the field of management science a great deal of research and study on how one can be successful in a highly competitive marketplace has been undertaken. I am no expert in this specialised field and thus not qualified to comment on a wide spectrum of management theories on the path to success. However, I have noticed that in recent years the "Blue Ocean" theory has gained a lot of popularity and support. I too have found considerable merit in this theory because, as the world has become more globalised and interconnected, capital, information and talent flows within and between markets have become much more efficient than ever. A profitable business would attract new participants or entrants, which would result in very fierce competition and the squeezing out of profitability. The Blue Ocean theory suggests that we should try to avoid a crowded marketplace by looking for new lines of business, new products and new markets. In taking the lead in a new market or new horizon, the enterprise can enjoy the first mover and associated advantages, at least for a period of time. That theory encourages managers and entrepreneurs to think outside the box, and to innovate and explore new lines of business and products. This is all very well, but there is, in my mind, an important catch. We can all see what Bill Gates has done in creating Microsoft and what Steve Jobs did to the success of Apple. These are great examples of the success under the Blue Ocean theory. However, not all of us can become Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. And there is a limit on how often companies can innovate new products or lines of business. So the Blue Ocean theory is good but has its own limitations. Most people and companies would find it hard to create blue oceans in the day-to-day life. So what is the alternative route to survival and success? In this connection, let me share with you another story. It's the story about a noodle shop in Wanchai.

7. In the 1970s, a young couple decided that they should start their own business. They borrowed money from their parents and relatives to set up a small noodle shop in Wanchai. They worked very hard and the noodle shop's business was doing well after several years. In the 1980s the couple used the money they had saved up to buy the shop space of their noodle shop. However, the business of the noodle shop began to decline in the 1990s. A friend of the couple offered help by giving the following advice: "The noodle shop is too old-fashioned. People's eating habit has changed and they prefer a wider variety of food in the form of a local cafe (茶餐廳)." This sounded sensible and the couple took the advice and converted the noodle shop into a local cafe. The business improved initially but worsened again several months later. Deeply disappointed, the couple consulted another friend and sought advice on what went wrong and what could be done. They were told that the food variety was still too limited. They should offer hot pot rice (煲仔飯) and hot pot meals (火鍋) as well to attract a wider clientele. The couple thought it was a good advice and immediately launched the new products. In the first winter, the business went quite well but in the summer months it was dreadful. What was more surprising, in the second winter, the business fell even further. After two years of struggle, the couple felt that they had run out of new ideas and that there was no point to hang on. So they decided to close down the business and sell the shop space. So the couple went to see the branch manager of the bank to settle the outstanding mortgage payments. The branch manager, who was also an old customer of their noodle shop living in the neighbourhood, asked why they had to close their shop. The couple complained that the market environment, including people's taste and eating habits had changed but they simply could not cope with these changes fast enough. The branch manager was astonished to hear this and said: "I used to like your noodle shop very much in the earlier years, but for reasons I don't understand, the quality of the noodles kept deteriorating. When you introduced the cafe, the food was even worse. The hot pot business is just out of place as there is not even space in the shop to serve this kind of food."

8. The couple suddenly realised at that very moment they had misunderstood the true reasons why their business had kept on falling. When they first set up the noodle shop, they were very serious about every minor detail - they scouted the New Territories to source the best quality flour to ensure that noodles were chewy. The husband went to the fish market at dawn to buy the fresh shrimps for the wonton and the wife woke up at four in the morning to make sure the soup base (湯底) was properly prepared. But they both had ceased doing that when the noodle shop business was doing well and such daily routines were no longer practised. So the noodles were no longer as chewy as before and the wontons were no longer tasty. As for the cafe and hot pot meals, they had very little idea on how to do them well and eventually their customers, one by one, turned away from the shop.

9. The takeaway of this story is that very often that market conditions or customer needs have changed and so we have to adapt. If a company does not or cannot adapt, then bad outcomes would ensue. However, it is more often the case that the formula and values leading to success in the past have been inadvertently eroded, if not forgotten totally. The couple in Wanchai should not have forgotten what drew customers to their noodles in the first place. They had failed not because their customers had decided to eat sandwiches rather than noodles but because they forgot that it was quality that made the noodle shop successful in the first place. Very often we become complacent and take things for granted after we have been successful, just like the Wanchai couple did. Shifting to a new product line in which we have no real expertise or niche was a recipe for disaster. The same holds true if we look at what made Hong Kong tick twenty or thirty years ago. Many good qualities such as can-do spirit, never-say-die, openness and versatility that were cherished by Hong Kong people in the past seem to have faded away. Keeping these good qualities, Hong Kong can hope to maintain its competitive edge even when the goings get rough.

10. Ladies and gentlemen, the message I have for you is: while an entrepreneur should always strive to expand and grow his business, it is equally important that he should resist complacency and continue to excel in what he is doing or what he is good at. To venture into an unfamiliar universe in which one has no expertise or advantage is risky. The market is fiercely competitive and no doubt customers' preference may change, but the market is generally fair and always rewards quality and consistency handsomely. So if we are not hopeful that Hong Kong can produce many Bill Gates or Steve Jobs in the future, don't be disillusioned as it is still within the reach of all of us to uphold the values or formula that has transformed Hong Kong into the most vibrant and successful centre in trade, commerce, tourism and finance in Asia in the last two to three decades.

11. Thank you.

--

Source:  http://www.bis.org/review/r131209b.htm

How's Life

Folks,

Recently, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a report baseda survey on the quality of life. According to the report, there are eleven dimensions that construct or define the quality of life of a person:-

1. Housing

2. Income and wealth

3. Jobs and earnings

4. Social connections

5. Education and skills

6. Environmental quality

7. Civic engagement and governance

8. Health status

9. Subjective well-being

10. Personal security

11. Work-life balance

Malaysia was not among the country survey.

OECD further noted that no country excel in all dimensions stated above, and they rank the countries surveyed according to three categories:-

(A) Top 20% performers -- Australia, Sweden, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark etc.

(B) Average 60% performers -- Austria, Germany, Ireland, etc.

(C) Bottom 20% performers -- Chile, Mexico, Estonia, Greece etc.

You may read, download and access the report here: http://www.oecd.org/statistics/howslife.htm

Powerful Statement by President of the World Bank

Folks,

The following statement by the President of The World Bank on the death of Nelson Mandela is absolutely powerful:-

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. On behalf of the World Bank Group staff, I convey my deepest sympathies to Graca Machel, Nelson Mandela’s family, and the South African people.

The world has lost a man who brought a rainbow of possibilities to a country that was segregated into black and white. But his gifts to humankind remain with us. He taught the world that no matter the sins of the past, no matter the horror of apartheid, the way ahead toward peace was to forgive but not forget, to remember what happened but also to offer a hand in order to start anew.

We are humbled by his leadership. We are inspired by his commitment to reconciliation. He showed us that fundamental change is possible and must be pursued when the freedom and well-being of people are at stake.

On this sad day, our thoughts are with the South African people.”

Look at the phrase used -- "rainbow of possibilities". Very metaphoric, and deep. At least to me.

I am always in awe at the choice of diction used in describing a person, an animal and even a thing.

--

Source: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/05/statement-world-bank-group-president-jim-yong-kim-nelson-mandela?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL

11.12.13

Folks,

Today is an auspicious day.

First is the birthday of the ruler (Sultan) of the State of Selangor. May he be continuously blessed by Allah with good health and wealth.

Second is the date. Today's date is 11.12.13. I am sure it doesnt come across quite often! Blessed are those who were/are born on this date!

Happy working, peeps.

Morgan Freeman vs. Nelson Mandel

Folks,

This is funny. Absolutely funny.

A hoax of death between two different individuals.

While there may be some (significant?) resemblance between Morgan Freeman (the actor) and Nelson Mandela (the late revered president), there too are distinct features that distinguish these two men.

And I am also not sure whether this is thw official tweet by Morgan Freeman as I highly doubt that he would go on a swearing rampage in the microblogging sphere.

Anyway, this is indeed funny! :)

Rest in peace, Nelson Mandela.

And may you live longer, Morgan Freeman.

Imagine Dragons - Demons

Folks,

Have you listened to the song titled "Demons" by Imagine Dragons?

I am in awe. The lyrics are philosophically deep. Deeper than Mariana Trench!

Anyway, YouTube it!

And listen also to a much more soulful  version cover by Marsha.

Love this song to bit!

This Yummy Thing!

Folks,

This is very surprisingly sweet and yummy.

I dont remember what this dessert is called, but you can definitely get this at a restaurant called "Hayaki".

I think it costs RM 5.90. But definitely less than RM 10.

The mango is absolutely irresistible. The puree is sooooo amazing. And the fruit is fresh and ripe and tasty and all those things.

You gotta try it, buddy.

I was on cloud 99th after taking the first sip of it!

Ridiculous Butt Dance

Folks,

This was quite an outdated issue, but nevertheless worth mentioning.

The issue of butt dancing to show protest. And the fact that it was performed by ex-soldiers who are in their twilight years disgust me.

I am sure that there is a better way of showing protest, than dancing ridiculously in front of someone's house!

--
Source: The Heat Newsweekly, Issue #14, Dec. 7th, 2013.

Happy 2014!

Folks,

A newspaper is never called a newspaper if it does not have a cartoon in it.

And the cartoon below is a reflection of the 15% hike in power tariff, as announced recently by the Minister of Green Energy and Water.

--
Source: Reggie Lee. The Heat Newsweekly. Issue #14, Dec. 7th, 2013.

Kenanga's Fresh New Logo

Folks,

I just noticed that Kenanga -- one of the financial investment groups in Malaysia -- underwent a rebranding exercise, as evident in this week's issue of The Edge Weekly.

Looks like they have adorned a new logo. No more symmetric "K", but now a complete "Kenanga", particularly the stylish shape of the "g" and the futuristic "n" shape.

It looks funky and simple. Or as they say it: "A fresh new look." True.

Bear in mind that it is not easy to design a particular logo for an organization. In fact, most organizations these days do not use stylish images as they brand -- e.g. crescent etc.

Instead, they use their names to brand and market themselves.

But I wonder too why Kenanga do not place or embed (even tiny bit) element of "kenanga" flower in their logo.

By the way, Kenanga is a name of a flower.

Anyway.

Kenanga's choice of corporate colour to my mind, looks a bit dull. It is not exactly 'dull' as being bad, but it has this very 'corporate' and 'executive' edge to it.

And normally executive colours are usually dark e.g. black.

And the choice of red is somewhat vaguely similar -- and I am speaking from a layman's view -- to that of CIMB Bank.

Kenanga' choice of the new cotporate colour is not red-blood, but more of a satin-heart.

But I'm sure the branding folks at Kenangan have their own rationale for choosing such colour.

My view is simple -- use bright colours to stand out among the rest e.g. yellow (Maybank) and blue (RHB Bank).

But to stay humble and low-profile, a "dull" and "dark" colours could be use.

After all, there is no right or wrong in determining the corporate colour for your organization.

It depends on your (or the shareholder's) choice and taste.

But anyway, congratulations Kenanga on your new rebranding exercise.

I guess I will miss the old symmetric "K" :)

Hefty Land Price

Peeps,

This posting is not about KSK Group, but raather, about extracting therein the data to all of you:-

*the land price in Kuala Lumpur area floats  around RM 3,300 per square feet (psf).

*our record of land price is RM 7,209 psf for a small piece of land between Grand Millenium Hotel and Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

My God!

I never knew the value sky-rocketed to that kind of price!

--
Image source: The Edge Weekly, Issue #992, Dec. 9th, 2013. Page 12.

The Edge Weekly - Issue #992

Folks,

Jut a quick scan of The Edge Weekly's cover of Issue #992.

It posed a very pertinent question to the telecommunications industry -- "Are telcos a safe divident bet?".

Telcos (short for telecommunication operators) traditionally rely on voice call and sms as their main source of income.

But as we progress into a digital era, their business strategy have expanded to providing mobile data and internet coverage to their customers.

And in Malaysia, there are three major players, namely Maxis, Celcom and DiGi.

TM is also part of the telco players, but it does not provide mobile services in the form of voice calls, sms or even mobile data coverage to the customers.

Now, in order for the telcos to provide dividends to their shareholders, they must -- in general -- develop a strategy towards profit maximization.

Of course this sector will not go down -- that is for sure. But the question is, how do they remain competitive and not stagnant?

Save Syiria

Peeps,

Look at the image below.

It shattered my heart.
It forced the (stubborn) tears out of my eyes.
It makes my knees weak.
It silences my talkative mouth.

Just look at this sad and heart-wrenching image.

While I have the liberty and enjoy sleeping on the most comfortable pillow there is on this world, this poor Arab boy in a war-torn country of Syiria is sleeping like nobody's business with a brick as a head rest.

Does that not tell us enough about the situation in their country?

When will the war stop?
When will peace arrive?

O God the almighty! Please, restore and peace and order in Syiria for I cannot stand seeing a child like this sleeping on an improper place with a brick being a head rest at the expense of some pathetic political leaders (read: Bashar al-Assas) wanting to hold on to that limited power.

Destroy, O God, the corrupt politicians and cruel government that care not its citizens.

I am sad. Because I truly think that this child deserve a better place and pillow to sleep on..

R.I.P. Nelson Mandela

Folks,

The former President of South Africa is finally being called by the almighty God.

There are many eulogies and biographies on Mandela -- otherwise known also as Madiba -- on the internet.

But one image that stands out the most is the cover of the special issue of Time magazine, a leading and influential magazine read worldwide.

In this image, I can see that this man -- the noble man -- is one happy man, full of cheers and joy.

A powerful image with no suitable adjectives and nouns there is in the English dictionary to describe you, sir.

Rest in peace, Mr Mandela. You died at a ripe good old age, and it is time to be with the almighty there.

Your effort in ending apartheid is absolutely is heartening and shall be remembered by the rest of the world.

You are the hero of your nation; and that the whole world recognized you and your tireless pursue of making your part of the world a better place to live.

Bless your soul, for you are now among the angels.

Monkey Parliament

Folks,

There is an English phrase -- "kangaroo court" that is aimed at the judges and justices for their own misconduct in their very own court of law; and now, I want to coin a new phrase: "monkey parliament" -- referring to the conduct of our Members of Parliament (MPs) in the august house.

The image below was forwarded to me last night.

Funny thing is that the image is making such a pun to the politicians in our parliament, specifically YB Mr Bung Mokthar Radin of Kinabatangan constituency, in East Malaysia.

Of course this is a doctored image.

In the original image, he is seen as ripping-off parliamentary motion belonging to YB Mrs Fuziah Salleh from Kuantan on deducting the salary of PM advisors, which according to her is exorbitantly high.

Her motion was dismissed.

But his act caused a stir to the point that the netizens are doctoring the image published by the media!

His act was in response to YB Fuziah's early action of ripping-off parliamentary papers.

Well, I guess that:-

1. It serves YB Fuziah right, and
2. The image is indeed a funny one, revealing the conduct of our MPs in the parliament.

Anyway, the image is truly -- to borrow today's adjective -- epic!

What with the flying banana and leaves! :)

Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia

Folks,

I stumble across this very good report on the internet titled "Economic Outlook fot Southeast Asia, China and India 2014: Beyond the Middle Income Trap", published by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

It is quite a comprehensive report covering the Southeast Asian (SEA) nations, including Malaysia.

The review of our country is excellent and done in a concise manner. In the report, it was mentioned that Malaysia's medium term policy challenges and responses are:-

1. Improve the quality of education -- this is absolutely timely! Especially on the English language. I am a strong advocate for using English as the medium of instruction. English is today's and future lingua franca of the world. It is inevitable and we need to rectify the education issues in Malaysia.

2. Improve the productivity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)-- this is timely too for SMEs accounted as much as 97.3% of all business establishments. We need to develop this sector for the benefit of our nation. Here are some interesting statistics anbout our SMEs mentioned in thus report:-

*90.1% of the SMEs are in services sector
*5.9% of the SMEs are in manufacturing
*3% of the SMEs are in construction
*SMEs contribution to the nation's GDP in 2011 is nearly one-third (32.5%)

3. Widen tax base and improve tax administration and compliance -- I think that introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) by our PM Najib Razak is actuallg a good move to save and improve our public finance system. It is certainly an unpopular move, but looking objectively, it will bring better impact in the long run.

Google this report folks.
It is available in OECD website.

Have a good reading time.

Moving On

Folks,

Tonight's note is about moving on.

This is a very hard topic as different people have different way of moving on with their life.

I suppose that not everything is eternal and that we have to accept it even though it is hard for us.

Alas, I can only smile because it did happened. And I need to only be extra vigilant in the future.

Good night, folks!

Why are we so cruel?

Peeps,

Recently, the news of a mother who lost her three children -- all daughters -- saddens me the most.

It is absolutely shocking and horrifying. I could not imaging what the mother must went through, after burying all her three daughters within 48 hours.

The emotional pain that she has to bear. It is just too much too handle.

Even though these children were not my daughters, but I can somehow feel at least 70% of the total emotional pain that the mother experiences.

Carrying the children in her womb for nine months, raising her with every possible care; and died in the most tragic manner.

The people are getting insanely crazy.

And the culprit should be given a death sentence. Period. No need for any dumb-looking and champion-wannabe human rights activist to defend that the culprit be given a second chance.

What second chance should be given when the mother lost all three daughters in one go? She lost three children at such an early ages of 14, 12 and 3!

Poor mother.

She is a school cleaner, and ...

I just can't write anymore.

It sickens me.
It gives me shiver.
It gives me goosebumps.

All my hairs are standing as I read this horrifying news.

It forces the tears to come out; as a way of praying the best for the mother.

O Lord! Bless these children's souls. Place them in the most beautiful heaven that you have.

Alfatihah.

--
Note: you can read this horrifying news here:

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/12/03/Student-held-over-death-of-sisters-16yearolds-telephone-number-found-on-Norsyafikas-handphone-says-c.aspx

Be humble

Folks,

This is a note to myself.

A note crafted in a 10-minutes-late-train heading on the way to my home sweet home from KL Sentral.

A note to remind myself time and again to always be humble and down to earth.

A note to remind this self not to be overly proud of achievements and that there are many things that require tremendous improvement.

A note to this very self to always be aware that there are many people out there with great personality that you have yet to discover.

A note to be always aware that there are people better than you, and a note to always constantly be aware that you will never be the greatest -- instead, you should always feel grateful and thankful that you meet these great peoples and that you are able to expand your horizon and broaden your mind.

And a note to this lowly self to always be thankful to the Almighty for giving the chance to meet many great people out there.

And this is a short note to this very self to always appreciate what you have, while you still can.

++

Monday,
December 2nd, 2013
10:35 pm

Death Penalty

Folks,

Recently, The Heat -- a sister newspaper of Focus Malaysia published a commentary (there was some personal stance in the article, hence being unworthy of calling it a 'factual news') that calls for a total abolishment and repeal of capital punishment: death sentence.

Many arguments were presented, and I hve to say that the writer is a little biased. That is totall fine because at the end of the argument, she has to choose a side; but before she decides which side should she choose, a proper understanding of the both sides of the coin should be thoroughly examined.

In her piece, she presented so many arguments "for" the abolishment of the death sentence, but she failed to discuss or even mention the arguments "for" capital punishment.

She even said that Malaysia lags behind many countries for having "this archaic law that is  cruel and perverse in its finality".

I totally and absolutely disagree with her statement.

While the law may be archaic, but it is this very law that gives justice to those who lost their loved ones at the hands of the murderers.

Such a careless statement, dear ma'am!

My belief is simple and clear -- justice must be done. It must not be manifestly be seen to be done, but it must be executed so that it is done.

I fully support and endorse the idea that certain crimes should not be punished by death. For instance, in cases related to drugs. I think that whipping is sufficient to teach the carrier a lesson.

In Christianity, there is this argument that says "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".

I could not agree more.

It is a universal principle, one that is consistent with the principle of natural justice.

If someone commits a murder for instance, then that person's actions should be rightfully punished by death.

However, since death is the utmost form of punishment, we must clearly define the degree and cause of murder.

If the death of the victim was caused by accidents, then we must factor in many reasons for it.

We must mitigate and consider various reasons from all aspects and sides.

If it is intentional, then one logic question is -- why should we give the murder a (second) chance?

Why should the murder be spared the death sentence and instead walk scot-free?

Why give the murder a so-called 'second chance' for rehabilitation, while the victim didn't get any?

It just baffles me.

The charter by the UN for a total abolishment of death penalty is all nice with 'sweet' principles of justice and human rights; but lest we forget that the victims died did not even get the chance and rights to breathe and enjoy the beautiful life on this planet earth.

I am not saying that the said UN charter is totally flawed, all I am saying is that while the charter is good in promoting human rights, we must look at it from both angles and in totality.

We must not look solely on the basis of 'humans should not play God in taking life away from criminals', but instead we should look at the perspectives of 'how do we retribute justice?'.

On the other hand, we must equally too be very careful in passing down death sentence.

Only deserving criminals should be punished by death sentence. We should not be too quick in handing down sentences so as to avoid wrong persons to be executed.

In conclusion, I truly detest the idea of totally abolishing the death sentence.

We need this law of death sentence, and we need to reform the law so that only certain crimes are punishable by death.

Repealing this law will only makes us look like a fool in bowing to some demands by external parties having complete disregard to the principle of justice.

But at the same, I respect those having different ideas than mine.

Focus Malaysia vs. The Edge

Folks,

They are doing it again.
They never learn.

The marketing folks in "Focus Malaysia" thinks that many Malaysians may never noticed their branding advertorial (ads), but I did.

From a small ads, it has now grew to one that is quite big. My god.

Talk about breaching the ethical guide in advertising and marketing.

Even though Focus Malaysia may dig interesting issues than "The Edge", but they should neither harm nor offend others, especially their only competitor in the newspaper segment of Malaysian business.

I understand that "the edge" was spelt in lowercase and may not refer to anything or anyone specifically, but come on Focus Malaysia, Malaysians in general are not that dumb.

Though the noun is general (and the words were also bold), but the meaning is not. One need to only read between the lines to understand the ethereal message that was interspersed between the words.

They, the Malaysian readers, may let it off or may chuckle a bit, but I wouldn't. I can definitely see the hidden message that you are trying to convey.

Why can't you compete healthily?

This sort of patheticity in marketing your products should cease to exist.

It transcends beyond stupidity and it certainly deserve to censured!

Change your method of advertising, please!

I am disgusted by your way of marketing your products.

Sinful doughnuts!

Peeps,

When I woke-up from a 3-hour short nap since 630pm, I saw this on the dining table. Wow! Yummy..

Mom and dad are out somewehere in Kedah. No one seems to be upstairs, heck not even my siblings are at home!

And these yummy doughnuts seem to be waiting for me to gobble it.

This is like a gift by angels from the heaven up there to me.

I know it is sinful to eat these sweet-looking things at 9:30pm, but my stomach pleads that I should just take a bite. And my mind adds that: "Nobody's home. Just finish it off!".

And these doughnuts seem to ask me to gobble it. And it is only three of 'them' on the table. Seems like a leftover of some sort, alas, it is still delicious!

Well, just look at the bright-red strawberry sitting on those pinkish whipped cream. It looks delicious.

And those chocolate cream -- dark, moist, and sweetly indulging seem to really call you to take a bite. Just a bit of bite. Jeez!

I could imagine that whoever bought these donuts seem to be 'donating' it to me for dinner since they may saw me sleeping like a baby on the small couch since evening.

Besides, I am hungry anyway.

Oh well.

Calories.
Junk foods.
Diabetes.

But then again, I am hungry. So, "ittadakimasu", people!

The Script - Nothing

Folks,

Today is Saturday. One of the nicest days to sleep and rest after working very hars during weekdays.

I now in my car heading to buy a "win chair". Whilst driving in this gloomy evening, one nice song was played on the radio -- The Script, Nothing.

Google and listen to it.

Just a nice afternoon/evening song :)

Is life easy?

Folks,

I am in a restaurant having my breakfast. It is 8:08 am, and one of the hypothetic question that goes through my mind is this:- "is life easy?"

That said, I am now reminded of a Superman song. "..it's not easy.. to be, me.."

Life is certainly full of challenges and I am leaving you all to ponder on this question.

Let's do some work, now.

Redefining Weekends

Folks,

It is now official: Johor will join the fraternity of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu in 'celebrating' weekends on  Friday and Saturday instead of the normal Saturday and Sunday.

I am sure that the Muslims have accepted this news with joy, while there may be disgruntles by the Christians.

I think that the head of state has the right to choose and (re)define what constitute a weekend; but on a personal note, I personally think that weekends -- whatever days it may be -- should be uniform throughout the country.

Whether it is "Friday & Saturday" vs "Saturday & Sunday", it really is not a big issue for me.

Both arguments have its own merits, and it is not for us to say this is good or that is bad.

The head of state has decided and it is his prerogative in doing so. While some may challenge his decision academically, and backed by plethoras of economic statistics; in the end, I am sure that the ruler is doing what is best for his state.

It is now a matter of acceptance, and adapting with the newly imposed rule, beginning January 2014.

Unemployment Rate in Johanesburg

Folks,

I am touched, shocked and apalled by the news that appeared in BBC today.

It is about high rate of unemployment in South Africa. Many of them..., as evident in the accompanying video.

The statistics presented is just too shocking to believe and too hard to swallow: 10 million peoples are jobless in South Africa!

Horrifying. Terrible.

These were the first two words that appeared in my mind.

When you watch the video, it just saddens you -- the jobless are advertising and marketing their skills on the streets, begging for jobs and hoping that someone will employ them.

It just saddens me. Seeing them "begging" on the streets, hoping that someone will be kind enough to offer a job, to make ends meet.

Here in Malaysia, I must say that I am thankful that the situation here is still "under control", and has not reached that stage, yet.

But I have to admit that these days, it is  very difficult to find a decent job: one that pays you well and comes with tremendous fringe of benefits.

The competition is now stiff. Too many peoples graduated from the university, with too little jobs being offered by the market.

It is hard to shop around for jobs that you want.

Even if you go to a career portal such as Jobstreet, you will find that there are a minimum of 50 applicants responding for every vacancies advertised.

It is crazy, it is scary, and it blurs me.

What causes high unemplment? Why is it so difficult to find jobs these days? Who do we blame? Whom should be accountable?

God? Technology? Ourselves? Society? Companies? Universities? Or the Government?

These are not questions that can be simply answered. These are questions that must be thoroughly examined and discussed from many angles and perspectives.

There are just too many factors that need to be taken into account in examining this particular issue -- economic growth, educational background, polilitical stability etc.

With rising cost of living, I wonder how these jobless people would sustain themselves, and their dependents -- if they have one.

I wonder how they will pay house rents, electricity bills, water tariff, consumable goods, foods etc...

Jeez meez! It scaries me.

Even I -- earning a decent salary -- am finding it difficult to adjust and cope with the high cost of living in the urban of Kuala Lumpur.

It is said that those earning below RM 3,000 in Kuala Lumpur is classified as "urban poor". Sigh.

I pray to those out there having no job to be continuously blessed by God the almighty.

May God take care all of us, living in this tough time of a challenging era.

Crazy Electrical Socket

Folks,

Don't be ridiculous.
Don't be stupid.

Look at the picture below.

It is madness!
Crazy.
Or as the Aussie would say, "bloody hell!".

For this is the surest way to get your home ablazed in a fire.

Even a toilet bowl can handle one ass at a time.

So does the electric socket at your home - well, maybe an exception - it may handle up to four, but certainly no more!

And judging by the type of the extension plug used, I am sad to say that this is in Malaysia!

--
Disclaimer: I do not own this image.

Cost and Salary

Friends,

In any organization, the accounting and finance department is responsible to prepare a budget for the whole company, and that is divided into two: the capital expenditure and the operating expenditure.

Most part of the budget goes to salary and emoluments -- simply because a company js nothing with human workforce and as such they needed to be compensated fairly, what with their labour in running the organization to achieve its objectives.

Anyway, I found this cartoon on the net; and I hope you will enjoy it.

But please folks, dont ever say this kind of stupid things to your bosses, especially yhe big boss; for without him, the company would be lost in business direction.

This is also a big no-no to do, especially when the big boss is the owner of the company.

--
Disclaimer: I do not own this picture.

The Value of RM 10

Peeps,

What is the value of RM 10 these days? Very little, but still, is valuable to many middle-class Malaysians.

Surviving in Malaysia is increasingly becoming difficult, but thankfully, my unscientific observation says that it is still manageable.

Anyway.

Most wage earners working at hotels earn less than RM 10 per hour, and it this RM 10 that will buy them foods and other sustenance materials.

The image shown below is clearly depicting the current situation of our currency, especially in Kuala Lumpur. The declining value of ringgit. The exploding of prices of goods in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur in particular.

With high cost of living, RM 10 is not enough to survive in this thriving city of Kuala Lumpur.

Well, maybe you can spend less than RM 10 a day, but what can you really buy?

Our famous Nasi Lemak that is sold every morning is snow "socially standardized" at RM 2, and even then the portion is not as much as you would get in those days.

If you want a "sunny egg", then the price would increase by RM 0.50. And rest assured that the egg would be of the lowest quality and may not even be cooked properly.

Very soon too, a can of Coca Cola sold at 7-Eleven might be RM 10, if no immediate economic measures are taken to strengthen the value of ringgit.

And there must be some sort of mechanisms to control and stabilize the price of everything in Malaysia.

I dont know how the government would do it; but I really urge them to do so quick for prices of goods in Kuala Lumpur are uncontrollably soaring high and higher everyday!

The increase in price must be gradual and ideally, it should be in line with the country's economic growth.

And it (price increase) should also ideallu be in tandem and in proportion with our salary increment! Which to some is just peanut!

--
Disclaimer: I do not own the image below.

Shoes of the Year

Peeps,

And this year's shoes of the year award is shown in the image below.

I bet you that Jimmy Choo would be thrilled by this latest design of trendy foot fashion! :)

--
Image source: was sent to me by someone. I do not own this image.

Forever Alone

Hey peeps,

This is a sign of forever being alone.

But sometimes, being alone is not bad too.

It gives you freedom to do whatever you want and however you like.

But one thing strikes the most when being forever alone is ... that time of the night before you close your eyes that makes you feel the most loneliest person in the world..

Seriously Delicious Club Sandwich

Folks,

I had this for dinner on Monday night at Delicious -- one of Malaysia's best place to eat.

The club sandwich tasted good and the potato wedges are quite awesome as well!

Go there peeps for some nice local delicacies or western menus. You will be delighted!

Money, Slave, Master

Folks,

On this hot afternoon of Sunday, I leave you with this very thoughtful words of my friend, Bonavian Hasiholan.

Indeed, I am intrigued by it!

Money, Slave and Master

Folks,

On this hot afternoon, I leave you with a very thoughtfuk words of my friend, Bonavian Hasiholan.

Indeed, I am intrigued by it!

Rights issue for Utusan Melayu

Folks,

Recently Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd., a public listed newspaper company in Malaysia was in the limelight - the management intend to raise up to RM 40 mil via a two-call rights issue.

Let's take a look at brief financial performance - Utusan has been making losses quite a number of times (as evidenced in the image shown below).

However, for 2Q2013, it make a profit of RM 1.92 mil, a good signal to shareholders. But Utusan needs to do more to strengthen its financial position.

Also, as evidenced from the Nielsen research, Utusan's readership gradually declines. Its market share has also dropped to 11.06%.

From my unscientific personal observation, Utusan seems to be the only paper that is least popular and less appealing to the general public.

This can be seen in many 7-Eleven stored by midnight where papers other than Utusan are almost completely sold-off but when it comes to Utusan, there are still many balance to be returned to the news vendor in the next morning.

This clearly signifies that its sales has dropped tremendously.

For it to survive in the competitive era of making news headlines in the country, Utusan needs to revamp its business completely and start a new transformation program which will bring it back to its glorious days.

--
Image source: "Rights issue a lifeline for Utusan Melayu" in The Edge Weekly, Issue #989, Nov. 18th, 2013; page 36.

God save us all Malaysians!

Friends,

There is a very interesting article in the paper today, written by one Mr Yap Ming Hui, a local financial planner.

The article is about his personal commentary on the recent Budget 2014 announcement made by the Prime Minister, Dato'  Sri Najib Razak some weeks ago.

The  length of the article is about a page long and in it contain a very interesting story of a man (presumably) not being thankful to the God in all the helps that the God had sent to him.

Mr Yap aptly said that while the budget has its own benefits and advantages, we -- the people of Malaysia -- should not be too engrossed and impacted by all the negatives in the budget.

We should also at the same time be optimistic in seeing the benefits that the budget may have.

Mr Yap further went on to rant how we should adapt with situation that was announced by PM Najib, and he also described the loser and the winner of Budget 2014.

The loser, according to Mr Yap, is one who "choose to ignore the good measures in the budget that they can benefit from"; while the real winner has the "attitude [that] makes them win no matter how tough the environment is" -- emphasis in bracket is mine.

How so true, Mr Yap!

The story presented by Mr Yap is one that is timely as it reminds all of us to be positive when in the negatives.

I am sure that Mr Yap's parable in justifying the budget as announced by the Prime Minister will be heavily criticized by the detractors; but let the man be entitled to his own view.

I personally find the allegory to be rather interesting even though I have my own views on the budget announced by the PM weeks ago.

--
Image source: Yap Ming Hui, "Benefits in Budget 2014", The Star (StarBiz - page 22), Saturday, 16 Nov 2013.

MMC Corp

Hey there buddy,

Today I am going to introduce you one of Malaysia's leading conglomerates - MMC Corp, a company said to be controlled by one of Malaysia's richest Malay man, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary.

Legend has it that the man has three business vehicles, and MMC Corp is one of them.

Its main businesses are mainly in a the engineering, energy and utilities.

And what is more interesting is that I never knew they own the Senai Airport in Johor!

--
Image source: The Star, (StarBiz), Saturday, 16 Nov 2013.

Value of Something

Friends,

I found this image in my facebook.

It is a graphical representation of the value of something. A very simple presentation to quantify how much something (or someone?) means to you pre, during and post having it.

Before you have something, you will crave for it - day and night, and sometimes you might even dream of it.

Once you have it, then you may take it for granted, often too far sighted a realization of its value.

And once you have lost it, then that is where the grief part comes in.

So peeps, please value whatever it is that you have..

The Circle of Life

Friends,

This is such a powerful image. The shots are cleverly taken.

A tapestry of life, one that is often ignored until it is too late to realize.

I adore this image so much.

Indeed, it is an apt description of the cycle of life!

English are not for the elitists!

Friends,

A picture speaks a thousand word. Especially the image shown below. It speaks volume of an education system - and how this poor boy cried for not being able to join the so-called "elitist" to go to the school. At least, that is how I interpreted it.

Which brings me to the educational issue in Malaysia.

The issue of education is so close to my heart that though I am trying different things in life (read: changing careers and job-hopping), I still follow closely the educational issue as it is very dear in my heart.

Last year (2012), the government abolished the PPSMI policy - that of teaching maths and science in English.

In replacement of the now-defunct policy, introduced the MBMBI -- a rather mouthful acronym, but suffice to say at this juncture that everything in schools will be taught in Bahasa Melayu while at the same time, trying to strengthen English language proficiency for school-going students in Malaysia.

By switching the language (medium of instruction policy) from English to Bahasa, it is like saying that English is only for the so-called "elitists", while the non-elitists are only worthy of learning  and educated in Bahasa Malaysia ("Bahasa").

I am not saying that it is a bad thing, but it seems to me that acquiring knowledge via the English language seems to be exclusive only to the elitist.

While my argument is subject to further debate and may be somewhat hypothetically incorrect to some; however, let me pause arguing this argument for a short while and bring you an example of what happened in the  yester-years ago, to back my claim.

In the past (say in the 1970s), a number of Malaysian students were sent away to be educated in Britain - of course everything taught there was in the English language. And many notary individuals and public figures were educated in institutions where the medium of instruction is only in English, be it locally in Malaysia or abroad.

Fast forward to now, I dont think that those students sent abroad were meant to have their education taught in English, but more of learning new technology from other countries.

That said, I feel that English should be for all. It should not be for the elitists and the rich. And it should not be exclusive to those going abroad for their studies.

Take for example, students in the national schools (government-funded, where the fee is affordable); the medium of instruction used is mainly in Bahasa.

And compare to those private schools - where the fees are exorbitantly high - the students enrolled there are taught in English.

The point that I am to drive here in my piece is that English should not be for the elitists, but inclusive and for all. No child should be left behind in getting equal opportunity of being educated in English.

Fight all you like about this language policy thing, but the fact of the matter remains - as depicted and clearly palpable in the image drawn below: where the elitists are going to the school, all jolly and merrily having conversation in English; while the ordinary child is crying behind for being left out in an opportunity to learn in English -- so that he can have a better future.

And with this, I leave it to you all to ponder.

--
Disclaimer: I do not own the picture, and I found it in my Facebook.