4 series today...

Tq Has..

Which One‘s Which??

Not long ago, I wrote something about Namewee’s Nasi Lemak 2.0. I wrote about his easy access to see Pak Menteri Nazriwee and how he can get away in promoting his 1Malaysia, better Malaysian for future generation so-called movie. It was a so ‘patriotic’ movie that most ‘Australian born Malaysian and somehow most migrating Malaysian in other countries’ had a long queue waiting and wanting to buy the cinema tickets. Read here. The controversial movie was eventually released in Malaysia and nothing dreadful things happen. Namewee cool, Nazriwee pleased and other Malaysian also happy. 

Recently, there was this yet-to-be-released movie entitled ‘Tanda Putera’ that sparked an issue which is quite similar with the Nasi Lemak. But this time, it was a Malaysian history movie spinning around on the tragedy of 13^th May 1969 and is directed by a Malay (a talented Shumi Baba – remember Maya’s Pontianak?). Again, the local and the ‘Australian born Malaysian and somehow most migrating Malaysian in other countries’ made fuss on the illicit and explicit contents of the movie with intention to make it fail, big time. Words were going around and mStar reported on July 19 that the movie’s release would be delayed to an unspecified date. The genuine story of the tragedy was not truly reflected, they said?? Mmm.... reflected my ass!! It will only be reflected if the story of any story is directed and casted by the ‘Australian born Malaysian and somehow most migrating Malaysian in other countries’. After all, the movie has been 30% ‘discounted’ by Dato’ Rais sampai logo 55 tahun Merdeka pun dah tersilap tampal. You won’t see the whole story pun, jangan la risau. Takkan ada pekikan-pekikan ‘Malay Si, ‘lancau’ dsbgnya cos’ most of it has been censored. Then, why want to delay the release of this movie? Kenapa la nak jaga hati sangat the ‘Australian born Malaysian and somehow most migrating Malaysian in other countries’ tu? Bak kata Leman Raja Lawak... “tak paham aku??”

Release, release, release in full as what the majority wants it (rather than concentrating in Bishop Ng Moon Hin or Dong Zong minority’s demands). No more carrot and time to ply the stick.

P/s – Dunno which one is genuine now, but yang Hana Tajima's look-a-like tu so damn cute..

 

 

Marhaban ya Ramadhan

Ramadhan will be knocking on our door in less than 4 days time, brings with it so many 'Barakah' to be treasured and pleasured. May it bring lots of Nur to our heart and into our life. 

During ‘heyday’ as a kid, not much can be taken away or learned from the holy month of Ramadhan, thou the month was something that we are looking forward to. It was a period of exciting and exhilarating with mercun, bunga api, main polis sentri dan segala bagai...almaklumlah Setan2 dah kena tambat, so kurang takut main malam2. Fasting can be ¼ a day (dikenali sebagai posa yang yuk), ½ day or full day depending heavily on how we dealt with lust and desire for food. Thus, parents usually allow their kids to play whole day long just to deviate their minds to this lust and desire, which eventually lead to a very minimum stamina towards the end of the fasting. Udah ghope nak separuh mampuih bila duk nengok ayo sirap kaler merah masa nunggu  masuk waktu Magerib..

Over time, you’ll learn that Ramadhan is not only about not to eat, not to look, not to do things that you are not supposed to do, et cetera but obviously it is more than that. It is mainly for the purpose of attaining ‘takwa’ i.e. piousness, devoutness, the feeling of fear to God. Fasting is between you and your Creator, only between the two of you. Thus, it’s really shape up your attitude, your mind, your fear, simply because no one knows whether you are fasting or not, except for Allah. It’s all about takwa that spiritually and mentally force you to continue fasting in the way that it should be.

I was in US in early 90s and I’ve experienced fasting in a society that will not pressure you to fast, they not even know what fasting is all about. Again, takwa play its pivotal role whether you have the inner strength to shape up or shift out. Allah says in Al-Baqarah, 183 “O you who believe, Observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain piety.”  There are two phases involved i.e. the Believer and those who attain piety. Fasting in the month of Ramadhan, as prescribed to us and doing it in the way it should be, is the linkage between both of them.

To all of us, let’s do this Ramadhan with our utmost best simply because we could never be certain whether or not we would live to see the next one.

Marhaban ya Ramadhan..

And in the end...

It was a rather quiet Monday, not like any other Monday that this office ever has gone thru. It’s a weirdo kind of feeling with this unnerving situation but at the same time I do feel so relieve, so un-stressful. Why, all bosses are not in place. Now, I’m the boss, the Sivaji, the Singh is Kingg. This situation is expected for another couple of days before snap@! coming back to usual work, and more works.

Not that I do not have any jobs line up to be completed. I do have abundant pile up next to me right now but no worries everything is in a good command of Fadil Ariff, the jack of all trades (but obviously master of none). All one need to do is to phrase a magic word ‘we will do it accordingly’ and Walla, Fadil Ariff will complete it proficiently. As a Muslim you got to be nice and positive at all time. That’s what I’ve been taught. But then you know some people are so dumb, ignorant, and selfish that they will never take lesson to be learned. Maybe not intentionally but circumstantially, usually, maybe. Hence, I guess, I will take up seriously Feng’s word of skepticism “grain of salt” in whatever I do in future. How to do that I will have to figure it out later or maybe the coming Ramadhan will assist in its very own inexplicable way.

Sound so negative, eh? Don’t worry this was just a reflective of a bit Monday blues. It should be ended up here…

P/s - the Beatles’ end song…

“Oh yeah, all right Are you gonna be in my dreams tonight?

Love you, love you Love you, love you Love you, love you

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make” 

Mascot Man & MADID

Aku dan Amin ke Mydin Meru semalam. Tempat baru warga Ipoh untuk ber’shopping’ dan menambahkan seri pada Ipoh yang ekonominya semakin menunjukkan tanda2 positif di bawah pemerintahan si ‘metalik’ – mengambil ayat kononnya sinikal, yang agak bodoh bagi aku, oleh Ngeh Koo Ham. Banyak barang2 kemudahan di situ dan harganya memang murah. Turun escalator di tingkat bawah, ada promosi Astro, agak meriah dengan cabutan bertuah dan mascot man. Hari minggu dan cuti umum memang beginilah aktiviti yang disukai warga Ipoh bersama keluarga masing-masing. 

Aku teringat sekitar tahun 1992, MPOC (Malaysian Palm Oil Council) mengadakan satu promosi minyak sawit di The Store, Ipoh. Entah macam mana punya arrangement, aku dapat salah satu watak jadi mascot man untuk promosi MPOC tu. Panasnya costume tu ya amat tapi disebabkan elaun RM40 ¼ hari punya kerja.. beress!! RM40 zaman-zaman tu kira kaya woo!! Siap dapat ambik barang-barang promosi lagi, susu, sabun mandi, segala bagai... Kalau Tan Sri Yusof tahu aku pernah jadi antara mascot man untuk MPOC, mahu digelakkannya aku masa meeting AAC baru-baru ni. Tan Sri Yusof adalah CEO MPOC dan merupakan ahli Academic Advisory Council kami. Beliau merupakan seorang ‘fighter’ untuk Malaysian Palm Oil industry especially when dealing with market discrimination (shielding US domestic biodiesel industry from foreign competition) by the US. Dia juga ada blog sendiri... so cool!!

Esok Amin akan ke tempat baru untuk menyambung pengajiannya. Kali ini dia akan ke Madrasah Idrisiah yang bersebelahan dengan Masjid Ubudiah di Kuala Kangsar. Mulanya kami tak berapa pasti dengan sekolah ini tetapi setelah membuat sedikit homework, fahamlah kami yang sekolah tersebut merupakan antara sekolah ugama terulung di negeri ini. Ianya diasaskan semenjak 1922 oleh almarhum Sultan Idris I Mursyidul `Adzam Shah dan Tuan Guru Sheikh Haji Nawawi bin Haji Tahir. Madrasah ini telah mengalumnikan ramai tokoh antaranya mufti Perak sendiri, Dato’ Seri Harussani. 

Aerial view MADID

P/s - semoga Amin berjaya..

 

Bad Supervisors Criticize Others

Something that I've read lately and makes me wonder??

"When a supervisor is insecure, they tend to overcompensate by putting other people down, especially in public. They tend to talk down to people and make themselves appear more powerful. They find things to criticize about anyone who is getting positive attention. When they need to reprimand a subordinate, they will often do it in front of other subordinates because they think it make them more powerful. If only they know how horrible it makes them look!!

(Top 10 Signs of A Bad Supervisor, Dr Kimberley Alyn)

P/s - mudah-mudahan aku tidak seperti ini...

Khusus utk sahabat, Shamo yang tengah diujiNya. Moga cepat2 sembuh especially selepas mendengar lagu kegemaran ini...

AAC, SMART & Lynas

This year 10^th Academic Advisory Council was held on 3 July 2012 at the ‘Kayangan’ meeting room, level 86 in PETT Twin Tower. As usual it was another heck of a job starting from preparing logistic matters; drafting the presentation materials, coordinating and collecting appropriate data and finally preparing the Minutes of meeting. Nevertheless, the meeting with Tun was something that I looking forward to each and every year. If my calculation is right, this is my fourth time having a meeting with the AAC members.

The Council amongst others discussed matters related to direction, strategy and proper planning for a ‘global university’ status. It’s an avenue for exchanging ideas between academicians and industry leaders, I must say. All members turned up for the meeting except for Prof Dieter Jahn (CEO BASF).


After the meeting, we were taken to MMC-Gamuda’s SMART tunnel control room for a visit. Datuk Zaidee himself briefed us on the history, operation and processes of the smart tunnel. SMART is an acronym of storm-water management and road tunnel, is the first and ‘smartest’ flood management and at the same time efficient road tunnel in the world. It started off with Tun Mahathir bold decision and aspiration to have smart roadways that will connect KL to Putrajaya in not more than 20 minutes driving. After sometimes, I do understand why Datuk Zaidee delivers the briefing with proud.

Prior to the trip to the SMART control room, I had a small chat with Datuk Zaidee.  We talked about Lynas and how rare earth, if it is developed and industrialized in Malaysia, could reduce at least 10% of total China domination of world’s rare earth. That 10% is huge in terms of dollars and cents. I guess that’s why some people ‘politically’ do not want the industry to take off citing environmental and safety as an issue.

As usual there are few good phrases of words from the meeting that I wish to highlight: -

a) Any long term investments especially in research and development, will always have a significant impact to the people and nation although it does not contribute to an immediate Return on Investment (ROI).

b) Aspiration has got to be realistic but at the same time should also be ambitious. The dilemma in balancing both aspects is of paramount important in order to have a clearer direction in achieving desired vision.

c) Students who are globally aware are those who are encouraged to develop their own critical thinking, have a broad basis in liberal art as well as being very competent in particular areas.

d) While we continue to learn from others, we must always take matters with 'a grain of salt' i.e. to accept the fact of other’s success but always maintain a degree of skepticism about its whole truth.

e) It is expected that in five-year time, a successful institution is the one that is better able to address the so-called 3Ps (people, planet & prosperity).

P/s – Convo event will be another hectic activities right after this...