March 31, 2011

Angola, Indiana

UNI-VERSITY TOWNS
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
on March 28, 2011 8:00 AM

I had often wondered why uni-versity towns like Cambridge and Oxford do not develop in Malaysia after we build uni-versities in places far from the towns. After much study and thinking things over I have concluded that it is because uni-versities, particularly Government uni-versities, build all the shops within the campus and probably operate them as well. The residences for the students and staff are all built by the Uni-versity.

Developers find no opportunity for developing the surrounding land through building shops and residences for staff and students. There will only be uni-versity campuses and no uni-versity towns. Uni-versities can be catalysts for new growth areas. That was how Cambridge and Oxford towns were founded. With clever planning these uni-versity towns can be very attractive and can attract visitors, especially relatives of the students coming to visit them. Maybe those in charge of uni-versity funding and development should think about this.

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Teringat Angola. The uni-versity campus is so beautifully landscaped that it was built within a compound of half golf course and half residential areas. You’ll find a main road in between campus buildings, right from downtown Angola to Zoelner Golf course. Angola, a small lakes-ville countryside-picturesque town, is located in the northeast corner of Indiana. It’s like an hour drive from Fort Wayne (2nd best place in Indiana I guess), Kalamazoo (There were lots of Malaysian in the Michigan State Univ in 90s) and about 2 hours drive from Metropolitan Chicago (where you’ll get all your halal daging ayam from Devon Street). Indianapolis, Cleveland, Detroit, and Toledo are also only about three hours away via Interstate 69.
Angola is just like Tronoh. My first impression upon arrival at that town was a quite, peaceful town and perhaps a place for ol’ folk untuk menghabiskan saki baki hidup. It was a normal view in Angola if you find old lady doing their shopping all by themselves. If you go downtown for entertainment, you’ll find few good places to lepaking; Brokaw for instant is the place to release your stress watching movies. Well, we usually rent videos from Scotts at $0.52 cents per movie (kalau movie berwarna tu charge mahal skit ha ha ha). Further, you’ll find Bowling Alley; place to heat up yourself during winter (Unnerving feeling occurs and the need to disappear when some red-neck started to bowl foolishly. Further up, you’ll find rows of shops at the left and right side of the main street. It was also part of an entertaining routine for us to shop at Wall Mart, Myers only to refund back the goods purchased within a month time (taking advantage of 30days no-question-asked money back guarantee policy).

Taking up north, you could find beautiful lake view of Pokagon State Park. We used to have our bbq at the open camping area. You can do swimming, fishing, jungle tracking or just enjoy the nature. In a tragedy back in 1995, one of our Bangladeshi girlfriends drowned in that Pokagon lake. There are so many lakes in that State Park. I once tried to explain that to a librarian lady by saying “Oo.. there got many nice beaches there..”(which sounded like bitches…and she goes like “Oo…Ok?” frowning).
Further north, you could do shopping at value price from the outlets at Freemont. Levi’s, Reebok, Guess & Fossils, Queen Anne (sudu garpu yang mahal), you name it. In Levi’s, I barely could find pant of my size. :p~~~

Angola is populated by about 17 to 18 thousand of many ethnicity; Asian, African American (students only), Amish (yang tidak menggunakan enjin dalam hidup), the Whites and the famous Red-neck. The Uni-versity community is 10% of Angola’s population. No doubt Angola is the best fun place to live, safe and comfortable (at least when you not bump into the red-neck)

P/s – The uni really lighten up the surrounding areas. Wonder our neighbor Bob still there finishing his Bachelor Degree at 40++.

March 26, 2011

Bila Tiang Letrik Diskirtkan

Rahim, Syazril Eskay serah bukti
RAJA SYAHRIR ABU BAKAR dan WAN NOOR HAYATI WAN ALIAS
pengarang@utusan.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR 24 Mac – Bekas Ketua Menteri Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik dan seorang ahli perniagaan, Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah tampil memberi keterangan dan menyerahkan rakaman bukti video seks lelaki didakwa pemimpin parti pembangkang kepada pihak polis hari ini. Turut diserahkan kepada pihak polis adalah seutas jam tangan jenama ‘Omega’ yang didakwa milik pemimpin tersebut.

Abdul Rahim yang hadir di Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman kira-kira pukul 5 petang disoal siasat hingga pukul 9.45 malam ini. Beliau ketika ditemui pemberita memberitahu, semua bukti yang ada sudah diserahkan kepada polis. Katanya, segala keterangan yang diberi kepada polis penting untuk membantu siasatan dan menunjukkan siapa aktor dalam rakaman video seks itu. “Harap bukti asli yang diberi boleh disiasat secara forensik, sekiranya ada penipuan atau tidak. Kalau perlu, ketulenan itu boleh dibuktikan dengan bantuan FBI (Biro Siasatan Persekutuan). “Saya berharap, keterangan ini dapat membantu mempercepatkan proses siasatan. Jika kerajaan setuju, suruhanjaya diraja perlu ditubuhkan bagi membolehkan siasatan terperinci dibuat dan memuaskan hati semua pihak,” kata Abdul Rahim selepas selesai memberi keterangan.

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Marketing is an activities and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that creates value for stakeholders. In doing so there are few main elements need to be taken care of; product, price, place, promotion and perhaps timing too. In a process of creating, communicating and delivering the so called value, one must not overdo it. Sometimes overdoing could backfire, could ruin the whole things. 3 minggu lagi sebelum pilihanraya Sarawak adalah masa yang paling sesuai untuk mengeluarkan semua peluru yang ada dan jangan terkejut kalau nanti ada yang lebih ”surprise....” bak kata Eric Deco deco deco.

Tapi aku lagi la surprise sebab yang buat cerita DSAI dan pelacur warga asing tu dulu pernah dilabelkan ”kalau tiang letrik pakai skirt pun dia tibai....”. Sukar mempercayai semua ini. Womanizer, gay, mole... pakej yang lengkap. Tapi ’methodology’ yang digunapakai kurang effective. Tak solid, tak kukuh sekukuh tiang letrik tadi membuatkan ’finding’nya very questionable. Tambahan pulak dah dekat nak pilihanraya ni. Apa-apa pun kita jangan melompat (biarkan aje Cashvinder sama Jamaluddin melompat), kita serahkan pada hakim yang arif lagi bijaksana untuk menilai semua ini. Panggil FBI, CSI New York ke, Lieutenant Horatio buat penelitian atau tubuhkan saja Suruhanjaya Diraja. Semua pun sekarang suka Suruhanjaya Diraja ni...kes Beng Hock, kes VK Lingam, kes Soi Lek.. kes Hantu Kak Limah balik rumah dsbgnya.

So lagi sekali masa aku driving balik dari kerja aku terfikir semula kisah si lelaki Y dan si tiang letrik, lalu aku letakkan diri aku in Anwar’s shoes. Lama-lama aku jadi kesian dengan dia. Umur dah lanjut, kekuatan fizikal dah kurang. Musuh politik depan belakang, kawan baik hari ini esok boleh jadi musuh no 1. Tekanan politik bermula dengan penjelasan tennis-mate Nalla, tangisan Umi Hafilda, keluar pulak buku Tun Mahathir. Sekarang si tiang letrik pulak dah keluarkan peluru. Series tu beb! Mesti dia penat balik rumah macam aku jugak. Tapi macam air di lautan, kalau di tepian pantai Danga Bay tenang saja airnya, bila dah ke tengah sikit mulalah bergelora, lagi tengah Laut China Selatan silap haribulan tsunami melanda. Anwar hebat sebab katanya kalau tak berani di lambung ombak jangan berumah di tepi pantai. Kalau takut dengan risiko usah bicara pasal perjuangan.

P/s - Aku simpati dengan DSAI walaupun masih tidak sependapat dengan perjuangannya.

When Women Smoke

I had an engagement with four UiTM students seeking my views on the institution’s undergoing Transformation. It was part of their study to understand how we define the Transformation in term of Mindset Change and Engagement & Communication. I then explained the concept of System that leads to culture, of which eventually will shape one’s mindset. System, I added consists of people, the process as well as policy and guidelines. I stressed a system without a dedicated and skillful people, well defined process and good policy will not gonna be efficient. Thus, unable to create a culture and later change the mindset. I quoted Mintzberg’s concept of management, a concept we tried to implement in the Transformation, make it as part of our day to day process and support it as a policy thru KPIs. I reiterated by saying the culture and mindset change would have been a mess without proper planning, leading, organizing and most importantly control.

But then I guess I failed to explain the concept of peer/situational superiority that might be able to offset the system. As I drove back home that day, I saw a lady in an old Saga with 3 children (of her perhaps), and she smoke. Government might have spend millions for ads, campaign etc to ensure good system in place i.e. health awareness and anti smoking campaign, but nothing might come close if the reasons were to be able to socialize, to avoid gaining weight, to deal with stress/depression or even a sign of control of one’s lives.

For ages, male has dominated the world of tobacco but of recent, peers and situation has changed the mentality of women and relate smoking to glamour, slimness and lured young women especially to the habit. In years to come, it will become culture and eventually will change the paradigm of mindset. In 10 years, perhaps one might feel awkward seeing women without cigarette in their hand. Although WHO estimates only 7% increase for women smoker in Asia (as compared to 48% for men), but with daring advertisement, it could represent incredible untapped market for tobacco manufacturer.

And I failed to explain all those to the students.


P/s - midnight 26 March...Aku rasa bahagia dengar lagu ni!
..dan disuatu masa di hari yang indah, kuhulur tanganku lalu kau terima...


March 17, 2011

Super Kinta

Super Kinta bakal dihidupkan semula
Oleh AMIZUL TUNIZAR AHMAD TERMIZI
utusanperak@utusan.com.my, 17 Mac 2011

IPOH 16 Mac - Lebih 10 tahun lalu, kompleks membeli belah Super Kinta di sini merupakan pasar raya paling popular dan menjadi tumpuan orang ramai di bandar raya ini. Ini kerana kedudukannya yang strategik di tengah-tengah pusat bandar dan terletak di bangunan Pasar Besar Ipoh yang turut menempatkan perniagaan pasar basah serta pelbagai gerai jualan lain. Namun, entah di mana silapnya, Super Kinta terpaksa 'gulung tikar' lapan tahun lalu berikutan kemunculan beberapa kompleks membeli belah yang lebih besar dan moden di bandar raya ini.

Dalam tempoh lapan tahun itu, ada beberapa syarikat pelabur, termasuk dari luar yang berminat memajukan bangunan Super Kinta itu, tetapi tiada satu pun yang menjadi kenyataan sehingga kini. Kini, harapan penduduk bandar raya ini untuk melihat bangunan berusia 29 tahun itu kembali beroperasi mungkin menjadi realiti setelah Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia (DPMM) Perak dan Persatuan Komputer dan Digital Perak berminat untuk memajukannya.

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I guess it’s about time Ipoh’s long forgotten building, Super Kinta be renovated to bring back its glorious days. Tebing Sungai Kinta tu pun dah diberikan nafas baru inikan pulak bangunan yang pernah satu ketika dulu menjadi mercu tanda bandaraya Ipoh. Memori dan Super Kinta sangat-sangat relevan pada aku dan gagal untuk dipisahkan. Sejak pandai naik bas ke pekan Ipoh, itulah satu-satunya tempat paling afdal untuk ditujui selain dari Lokin, Bazar Bulat dan Restoran Vanggey. Lokin dengan Bazar Bulat tempat tuntuk mencari barangan sukan, cari kasut bola, jamu-jamu mata tengok orang jual ubat dsbgnya. Kalau Vanggey tu nasik ganja la paling top masa tu (huh! Berapa banyak kolesterol tersimpan daa..)

Lokin dah beralih-alih tempat sejak mula-mula diperkenalkan. Dulu tempatnya di lorong belakang bangunan Bazar Lam Looking, sekarang dah dikenali dengan nama Memory Lane (hari minggu dan pada setiap malam). Tempatnya pulak amat strategik, luas dan mudah dikunjungi. Bazar Bulat tu sedang direnovate agaknya nak jadikan bujur pulak kot? Nasi ganja Vanggey masih berdiri teguh.

Super Kinta lain skit. Itulah tempat untuk bershopping (konon) juga tempat untuk berdating. Kadang-kadang itulah juga tempat melepak dan tengok-tengok SYJ sama MAY jamming lagu-lagu rock masa tu. Kalau keluar dengan budak-budak Sekili hujung minggu, habis je pusing Super Kinta sama Yik Foong (Daim sama Apit rasanya suka ‘melencong’ ke Jubilee Park), pusat penjaja Taman Kanak-kanak Ipoh tu la tempat lepaknya sebab ada gerai si Pedok. Padang Kanak-kanak tu kami la yang ‘berkuasa’. Bebudak sekolah Izzudin sama STAR angkat muka pun tak berani. Malamnya lepak pulak di gerai Nuar Congo di Medan Selera depan bangunan keretapi. Sekali sekala pi pulak libur kat Rex sama Majestic nonton wayang kungfu Cina.

Padang kanak-kanak tu sekarang dah jadi port Indon sama Bangla berkuasa. Aku yang sekali sekala lalu kat situ pulak yang dah tak berani angkat muka. Gerai selera depan bangunan keretapi tu pulak dah lama melingkup. Dulu ada satu kedai tu nama Sabar Menanti, sekarang dah tak sabar-sabar dah pindah sampai stadium sana. Pedok (Nasaruddin) sama Nuar Congo dua-duanya dah jadi perwira negara. Sorang TLDM, Nuar pulak dah jadi drebar Mig-29 TUDM agaknya.


YATI YANG COMEL

Sambung balik tentang Super Kinta ni, kat situlah aku selalu ’ushar’ Yati. Yati ni kira marka paling comel seluruh Gugusan Manjoi dan segala takluk jajahannya pada masa itu (at least pada mata aku la). Aku jumpa dia first time masa Kejohanan Hoki Remaja Piala Dunia kat Stadium Azlan Shah. Masa tu aku rasanya form four dia pulak form one. Ada la sekali tu dengan bantuan kakak dia, aku berjaya buat date pertama dan terakhir kat Pasar Malam High Chapperal. Masa tu aku pakai baju Melayu lagi dating, sangatlah klasiknya. Apa jadi lepas tu aku pun tak boleh recall tapi pendekkan cerita, kiranya ayat-ayat maut aku tak berapa nak maut la agaknya malam tu.

Yati lepas sekolah kerja kat Super Kinta. Dressing blazer merahnya peh! Macam super model sedangkan aku pulak masih 'terperangkap' dengan sneaker hi-cut walaupun dah jadi student kolej waktu tu. Jiwa Rock la katakan. Selalu jugak aku singgah Super Kinta tu tapi sampai sudah tak berani tegur Yati lagi. Tapi tu dulu cerita lama. Yati pun dah berkeluarga bahagia dan berkelana ke Johor. Jarang budak Manjoi pi jauh-jauh sampai Johor tu...hihi!

Anyway, kudos to Dato’ Muhiyuddin kalau nak jadikan Super Kinta tu tempat berniaga businessman Melayu. Sekurang-kurangnya ada jugak tempat bertapak di tengah-tengah bandar. Dulu ada projek ”Satu Daerah Satu Kiosk” kat Medan Kid, melingkup. Megoplex sama Silveritage pun gagal jadi tempat tumpuan. Mungkin Super Kinta boleh menghidupkan semula zaman kegemilangan perniagaan orang-orang Melayu dan dalam masa yang sama mengembalikan kehebatan Mall terbesar di Asia Tenggara (pada suatu masa dulu)....

March 13, 2011

Happy Anniversary Al Kulipahtun

Selama tiga tahun pemerintahan DAP di Pulau Pinang telah banyak perkara-perkara yang diusulkan oleh Lim Guan Eng (LGE) be it yang produktif, sensitif ataupun yang senseless. Yang pentingnya usul. Bermula saja pemerintahan Pakatan, Dasar Ekonomi Baru dihapuskan, CAT diperkenalkan dengan alasan kononnya pentadbiran akan menjadi lebih telus, effisyen. Maka berdemolah puak-puak pembangkang diketuai beberapa pemimpin UMNO negeri yang masih berjaya mengekalkan satu dua kerusi DUN. Demo tak kemana DEB dibakulsampahkan oleh LGE dan konco-konconya. Kemudian timbul pula dasar pembersihan restoran-restoran haram diketuai oleh samseng KOMTAR Ng Wei Aik. Ironinya hanya restoran-restoran mamak dan peniaga Melayu kaki lima di’bersih’kan. Bagi memberikan keselesaan kepada peniaga-peniaga Cina, jalan di New Lane, Chai Leng Park, Batu Uban boleh ditutup bagi tujuan perniagaan kiasu. Johar Ismail (pemilik kafe Do Re Mi) boleh balik rumah tengok Laksa Mana? Do Re Mi lawak P Ramlee sama Tompel dan Ibrahim Din. Kampung Pala juga terpalit, mengamuk India2 setinggan di situ.

Tak habis dengan itu, timbul pula cerita perarakan Maulidur Rasul, isu duit Kuda, isu Valentine, terbaru isu Bible Bahasa Melayu, isu My Balik Pulau (aku sempat bercerita panjang dengan Prof Murad Merican berkenaan isu yang dibangkitkan beliau ”Melayu Pulau Pinang tewas dengan maklumat, teknologi?” dalam The Malaysian Insider. Jarang TMI bagi ruang pada seorang penulis, pemikir yang dianggap pro kerajaan?


WAIT SEMINIT

Bukan isu yang di atas yang hendak aku bawa pada kali ini. Isu di atas tu aku memang dah jangka sejak hari pertama Pulau Pinang diambil alih lagi. Aku teringat seseorang yang agak totok dengan perjuangan PAS dan aku pernah beberapa kali berdebat dengan beliau tentang perjuangan, hala tuju dsbgnya. Hamba Allah ini bila ditanya kenapa PAS tidak menjalankan hukum hudud, syariah di dalam pentadbiran PAS di Kelantan dan Kedah? beliau akan sentiasa menyalahkan kerajaan Pusat yang pasti tidak akan membenarkan usul tersebut dikemukakan ke Parlimen. Kali kedua soalan ditanya sama jugalah jawapannya. Masuk kali ketiga jawapan yang sama diberikan maka fahamlah aku memang itulah obstacle kerajaan pimpinan Nik Aziz dan Ustaz Azizan.

Cuma yang aku tak faham, kenapa LGE dengan bersahaja boleh menukar segala bala polisi dan undang2 di Pulau Pinang, tetapi tidak di Kelantan dan Kedah. Kalau di Kedah mungkin juga sebab Pakatan masih baru memerintah tetapi halnya berbeza di Kelantan. Pemerintahan sudah berdekad-dekad. Kenapa tidak saja promosikan di dada-dada akhbar alternatif, medan internet yang kerajaan Kelantan akan menjalankan hukum syariah pada sekian-sekian haribulan. Kalau kerajaan Pusat menghalang confirm kufur. Jadikan negeri itu model pemerintahan Islam yang sebenarnya. Be bold macam LGE bilamana dia nak menghapuskan DEB di Pulau Pinang. Orang Islam, orang Melayu khasnya bukannya bodoh macam 20-30 tahun lepas. Orang sekarang dapat membezakan mana satu politiking mana satu implementation. So buka minda dan fikir-fikirkanlah....

Happy Anniversary Al Kulipahtun… Sekurang2nya nama LGE ada dalam wikipedia, kita ade?

P/s – Aku? Aku masih neutral.

March 11, 2011

Sandwiched

Most people do not know what they are capable of until forced to survive in difficult situation. Those words might be appropriate in reflecting two weeks of agony; last ‘full of workshops’ week and equally terrifying this coming week. If last week's buzz word was Sustainable Sciences and Megacities, this coming week we will talk a lot on progress and more progress.

On the 7th, we had our transformation External Review Workshop at the Equatorial Hotel. The workshop brought the best of two worlds; industry and academic to dwell on MORs’ proposed R&D roadmaps. We had people like Dermatology specialist Puan Sri Prof Datuk Dr Suraiya Hani (Menteri Amaran’s sister), Sustainable Science expert Prof Nik Meriam & Prof Muhamad Jantan, and many more. It was a fruitful event for the MOR leaders and to a certain level to people like me who after this could ‘arrogantly’ speak about kelestarian. Smug!


EMOTION SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN

I came back from work pretty late today. Rain was pouring quite heavily as I passed the Esso station at Jalan Kuala. That’s when I saw one umbrella-less Chinese auntie squirt down looking over passing by cars. I wanted to pull over at least to lend her something that could shelter her from the heavy rain but I just could not pull over due to traffic. From that moment on I’m driving with full of emotion. So many things ruptured in my mind, from what’s going on with this lady to where the f*#@ her children was?

Annoyed and speechless at home, those Raja Lawak clowns that night failed to make me even smile.

Tomorrow AM we will be having a Bakti programme at SRK Felcra Nasaruddin. I look forward to spend time with those children and hope it will take away some of my last week’s emotion, agony and arrogant-ness.


LAST HURDLE

Next week we supposedly gonna have the last Steering Committee before the handover to the newly established so called dedicated office of TO. TO Director himself, right after the External workshop do offer me to continue as Secretariat but I guess I just need some break and concentrate on my niche. Otherwise, I’ll be only known as an implementer, not thinker which is not good for career path.

To TO, I wish them transform..and roll out!

I hope I will be given that strength to push for this last hurdle. Oh yea, next AAC meeting with Tun will be on 7th July. I have his 800+ pages controversial ala LKY’s memoir - “A Doctor in the House” for my night reading.

P/s – Moral of the story – A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination (Nelson Mandela).

March 08, 2011

Good Times Teambuilding

I remember memories not days...
Selamat Hari Wanita juga kepada female team members Venezuela
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