http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/27/nation/3357130&sec=nation
A issue that was settled a few years back is now being brought up again. I have no idea as to how the plan was considered feasible a few years back but now problems are arising. Is this a mistake on the part of the government or are teachers not working hard enough to meet the requirements needed by the new system? I think that our government probably did not conduct sufficient research to determine the feasibility of such a big change. They were probably just hoping that people would cope as they go.
However , what is done is done. It is not a matter of pointing fingers but rather to solve the argument immediately. This constant debate could affect the performance of students as they might worry about how the changes will affect them. Let us hope that this debate will come up for the last time and that the government will resolve the issue quickly as it can very well affect the quality of our future generation.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Work sharing
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/20/business/20090220140806&sec=business
Many countries have become victims to the economic downfall. As a result of the economic fallout , many have lost their jobs and fallen prey to unemployment. Japan’s action to initiate a work-sharing concept is actually a great move. With this , the country actually shares the pain of the economic downturn so everyone just takes a small pinch rather a punch. This actually brings the people closer as well which is a great thing for any country. In addition to that , it is any governments vision to spread wealth evenly among the people. So by taking this action , the Japanese government is actually taking a step towards that.
Moreover , the economic growth of a country is dependant on the buying power of the citizens. So by having the work-sharing concept , more citizens will have buying power instead of just a handful of citizens. This will assist in bringing the economy back up again. In addition to that , by not retrenching their workers , companies can easily resume full production when the economy is back on its feet.
Many countries have become victims to the economic downfall. As a result of the economic fallout , many have lost their jobs and fallen prey to unemployment. Japan’s action to initiate a work-sharing concept is actually a great move. With this , the country actually shares the pain of the economic downturn so everyone just takes a small pinch rather a punch. This actually brings the people closer as well which is a great thing for any country. In addition to that , it is any governments vision to spread wealth evenly among the people. So by taking this action , the Japanese government is actually taking a step towards that.
Moreover , the economic growth of a country is dependant on the buying power of the citizens. So by having the work-sharing concept , more citizens will have buying power instead of just a handful of citizens. This will assist in bringing the economy back up again. In addition to that , by not retrenching their workers , companies can easily resume full production when the economy is back on its feet.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Greener cars
The idea of a greener world seems to be one of the concerns of automakers these days. This is certainly great music to everyone’s ears. In addition to that , the pricing of the cars make them affordable to most people as the price is still similar to that of other cars. So why not get a greener car for the same price?
Often people claim that one or two families going greener cars is not going to change anything. However , what makes this news more interesting is that the automaker is actually based in China , the country with one of the largest population. So imagine if Chery was capable of getting every citizen to change to a hybrid car , the amount of pollution will drastically be reduced and thus lead the world towards a greener future.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
What would you have done?
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/18/nation/20090218191503&sec=nation
Honestly , I am glad that I was not the judge for this case. I don’t think I would have been able to make a proper decision. However , I would agree with the judge’s judgement. Even though Unah was a rape victim , the baby was innocent. Taking the baby’s life was not the way to go even if she was not able to support him. She is already a mother of one so she should have the motherly instincts to do the right thing and protect the child at all cost. There were other alternatives she could have taken. Even leaving the baby on someone’s doorstep would have been a better option as the baby would then at least have a chance to live.
Honestly , I am glad that I was not the judge for this case. I don’t think I would have been able to make a proper decision. However , I would agree with the judge’s judgement. Even though Unah was a rape victim , the baby was innocent. Taking the baby’s life was not the way to go even if she was not able to support him. She is already a mother of one so she should have the motherly instincts to do the right thing and protect the child at all cost. There were other alternatives she could have taken. Even leaving the baby on someone’s doorstep would have been a better option as the baby would then at least have a chance to live.
On an another note , taking the baby’s life was probably not the easiest choice she had to make either. She was probably not well educated so her choices seemed limited. Besides that , sometimes ending a person’s life to save them from suffering always seems like the better option. However , regardless of all the possibilities leading to her actions , all crime has to be punished. If we do not punish one , it could lead to a domino effect causing more cases like this to arise.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Valentine's day
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/13/nation/3248183&sec=nation
Valentine’s day is here yet again. A day where most people will find ways to express their love for one another , let it be their lover , spouse , family or even friend. Being in the world that we are in today , I believe that this day is rather meaningful. You may be wondering why this is so. Well , I believe that with the busy lifestyle we have today , we often take our loved ones for granted. We never spend enough time with them or get them a gift just to show them we care. So if we can at least find a day to do so , it beats not doing so at all.
However , as meaningful as the day is , I think that money-minded business people are destroying the day by commercialising it. The very day where people take the time to show love for their loved ones , businessmen raise the prices of everything to take advantage of the day. A simple meal that would normally cost RM20 easily spikes up to over RM60. Roses which normally cost a RM1 would easily become RM12 on Valentine’s day. Personally , I am glad that the economy downfall is hitting these people hard. Before I end , let me just say that we should not let these people deter us from doing something nice for our love ones. Always remember that any day can be Valentine’s day because what matters is not the date but how we appreciate our loved ones.
Valentine’s day is here yet again. A day where most people will find ways to express their love for one another , let it be their lover , spouse , family or even friend. Being in the world that we are in today , I believe that this day is rather meaningful. You may be wondering why this is so. Well , I believe that with the busy lifestyle we have today , we often take our loved ones for granted. We never spend enough time with them or get them a gift just to show them we care. So if we can at least find a day to do so , it beats not doing so at all.
However , as meaningful as the day is , I think that money-minded business people are destroying the day by commercialising it. The very day where people take the time to show love for their loved ones , businessmen raise the prices of everything to take advantage of the day. A simple meal that would normally cost RM20 easily spikes up to over RM60. Roses which normally cost a RM1 would easily become RM12 on Valentine’s day. Personally , I am glad that the economy downfall is hitting these people hard. Before I end , let me just say that we should not let these people deter us from doing something nice for our love ones. Always remember that any day can be Valentine’s day because what matters is not the date but how we appreciate our loved ones.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Messy politics
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/11/nation/20090211155119&sec=nation
The fall of the opposition in Perak is one of the “hottest” news in our local political scene at the moment. Everyday we read about the chaos and embarrassments brought about by this issue. From the public demonstrations by the people who are displeased with the power shift to squabbling between the parties. All this actions whether directly or indirectly is affecting our country. Firstly , the squabbling between the politicians will have an effect on their ability to develop the state. Besides that , imagine the image we are projecting when the leaders of our country are fighting among themselves. Most foreign investors would be hesitant to invest in our country at the very sight of that. Now, enough with the problems , let us discuss on a solution to solve this issue.
All this problems started because of a few party hoppers. So the question is, should we allow party hopping? Firstly , let us keep in mind that being a politician is the same as any other occupation. As it is so , politicians should be allowed to switch parties as it is similar to switching companies. However , ofcourse switching parties is slightly different as it affects the whole country. Personally , I think that if a by-election is the democratic way to go. Through a by-election , the people can have their say in who they want to represent them. In addition to that , no party can accuse the other of power stealing as the voice of the people is final. Doesn’t this seem so much simpler than the chaos we are facing now? So let us hope that this will be implemented in the future so that our country can be by the people , for the people as quoted by Abraham Lincoln.
The fall of the opposition in Perak is one of the “hottest” news in our local political scene at the moment. Everyday we read about the chaos and embarrassments brought about by this issue. From the public demonstrations by the people who are displeased with the power shift to squabbling between the parties. All this actions whether directly or indirectly is affecting our country. Firstly , the squabbling between the politicians will have an effect on their ability to develop the state. Besides that , imagine the image we are projecting when the leaders of our country are fighting among themselves. Most foreign investors would be hesitant to invest in our country at the very sight of that. Now, enough with the problems , let us discuss on a solution to solve this issue.
All this problems started because of a few party hoppers. So the question is, should we allow party hopping? Firstly , let us keep in mind that being a politician is the same as any other occupation. As it is so , politicians should be allowed to switch parties as it is similar to switching companies. However , ofcourse switching parties is slightly different as it affects the whole country. Personally , I think that if a by-election is the democratic way to go. Through a by-election , the people can have their say in who they want to represent them. In addition to that , no party can accuse the other of power stealing as the voice of the people is final. Doesn’t this seem so much simpler than the chaos we are facing now? So let us hope that this will be implemented in the future so that our country can be by the people , for the people as quoted by Abraham Lincoln.
Monday, February 9, 2009
What do you think?
http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=291
Should a child be allowed to work in the performing arts or professional sports? I think that if it is the child’s interest then the child should be allowed to pursue his or her dream. This is because if the kid is doing it out of their own will , they will be motivated to be the best that they can be. In addition to that , it is when we are young that we are unafraid to try new things , so let the child enjoy his or her interest when they want to. Besides that , it will also help them boost their self esteem as well as help them in the future as they have a talent to fall back on.
However , if a child’s talent is exploited by their parents as a means of acquiring fame and fortune , I would totally disagree. This is because the parents will tend to put pressure on the child causing the child to be under a lot of stress and in turn start losing their interest. This can then be considered as a form of abuse to the child. So it is important for us to put the child’s choice above everything else when considering this question.
Should a child be allowed to work in the performing arts or professional sports? I think that if it is the child’s interest then the child should be allowed to pursue his or her dream. This is because if the kid is doing it out of their own will , they will be motivated to be the best that they can be. In addition to that , it is when we are young that we are unafraid to try new things , so let the child enjoy his or her interest when they want to. Besides that , it will also help them boost their self esteem as well as help them in the future as they have a talent to fall back on.
However , if a child’s talent is exploited by their parents as a means of acquiring fame and fortune , I would totally disagree. This is because the parents will tend to put pressure on the child causing the child to be under a lot of stress and in turn start losing their interest. This can then be considered as a form of abuse to the child. So it is important for us to put the child’s choice above everything else when considering this question.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Community colleges
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/6/nation/3206581&sec=nation
Setting up more community colleges is a great step by the government. With this colleges around , less fortunate people who cannot afford to further their studies have the opportunity to do so. This is important if we are to end the poverty circle from continuing to younger generations. Besides that , this colleges will give a change to the academically challenged to learn some skills so that they can continue to earn a living.
This is really a good move by the government as it can help the citizen as well as the country to grow. Thru this plan , hopefully the poverty rate in our country will drop as well. I look forward to seeing more of this community colleges coming up all over Malaysia.
Setting up more community colleges is a great step by the government. With this colleges around , less fortunate people who cannot afford to further their studies have the opportunity to do so. This is important if we are to end the poverty circle from continuing to younger generations. Besides that , this colleges will give a change to the academically challenged to learn some skills so that they can continue to earn a living.
This is really a good move by the government as it can help the citizen as well as the country to grow. Thru this plan , hopefully the poverty rate in our country will drop as well. I look forward to seeing more of this community colleges coming up all over Malaysia.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Warriors or rebels?
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/6/nation/3203937&sec=nation
To be honest , when reading history books , I never really saw our warriors as rebels. Regardless of how they were perceived by the British , I believe Malaysians still see our warriors as heroes. So I believe that UKM need not worry so much about how our warriors were labelled as what matters is how Malaysians perceive them to be.
Nevertheless , it is true that their efforts and courage are not highlighted enough. So I believe that UKM’s effort should be more focused on this aspect to make role models of our warriors as an example to our youths.
To be honest , when reading history books , I never really saw our warriors as rebels. Regardless of how they were perceived by the British , I believe Malaysians still see our warriors as heroes. So I believe that UKM need not worry so much about how our warriors were labelled as what matters is how Malaysians perceive them to be.
Nevertheless , it is true that their efforts and courage are not highlighted enough. So I believe that UKM’s effort should be more focused on this aspect to make role models of our warriors as an example to our youths.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Voice out
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/5/focus/3194212&sec=focus
What an interesting letter by a caring citizen of our country. It is always nice to know that there are people out that who still cares about the welfare of others. I find it interesting to know that the case was not the first off its kind. I agree with Azmi that any such incident needs to be properly investigated and details needs to be released to the public so that citizens can trust the people who are entrusted to protect them. The investigation should be conducted by an independent body so as to ensure no foul play.
So now on the issue of Kugan’s death , is it actually justified for someone under police custody to be put under abuse? Well the fact is unless there is a form of resistance or assault on the police officers , the detainees pending trial cannot be harmed regardless of the charges hanging over his head. This is because our law is based on the principle of innocent till proven guilty. So before a trial , everyone is considered innocent. So to harm them would be equivalent to assaulting anyone else on the street. So all in all , I fully agree with Azmi and hats off to him for voicing out such an issue in our papers.
What an interesting letter by a caring citizen of our country. It is always nice to know that there are people out that who still cares about the welfare of others. I find it interesting to know that the case was not the first off its kind. I agree with Azmi that any such incident needs to be properly investigated and details needs to be released to the public so that citizens can trust the people who are entrusted to protect them. The investigation should be conducted by an independent body so as to ensure no foul play.
So now on the issue of Kugan’s death , is it actually justified for someone under police custody to be put under abuse? Well the fact is unless there is a form of resistance or assault on the police officers , the detainees pending trial cannot be harmed regardless of the charges hanging over his head. This is because our law is based on the principle of innocent till proven guilty. So before a trial , everyone is considered innocent. So to harm them would be equivalent to assaulting anyone else on the street. So all in all , I fully agree with Azmi and hats off to him for voicing out such an issue in our papers.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Equality of the genders
http://rage.com.my/writeups/story.asp?file=/2009/2/4/rage_fashion/20090204151731&sec=rage_fashion
The sports arena has really changed over the past few years. A few years back you probably wouldn’t see any women in the futsal court , but now they are practically flooding the field. It is a good thing that the taboo where women shouldn’t play certain sports is slowly fading away and that now there are some women who are as skilful or maybe even more skilful as certain guys. Trust me , I know this through experience.
Getting the right gear however is often a problem for my friends of the opposite gender. They often have to settle for shoes made for guys where small sizes are hard to come by and designs are oftens considered unsuitable. Therefore , I find this article to be rather interesting. It is great that sports equipment makers are doing research to produce the right gear for women. If I am not mistaken there are already certain futsal shoes made for women. However , they have yet to reach our nation. Let us hope that the women of our country will soon receive the gift of appropriate sports gear.
The sports arena has really changed over the past few years. A few years back you probably wouldn’t see any women in the futsal court , but now they are practically flooding the field. It is a good thing that the taboo where women shouldn’t play certain sports is slowly fading away and that now there are some women who are as skilful or maybe even more skilful as certain guys. Trust me , I know this through experience.
Getting the right gear however is often a problem for my friends of the opposite gender. They often have to settle for shoes made for guys where small sizes are hard to come by and designs are oftens considered unsuitable. Therefore , I find this article to be rather interesting. It is great that sports equipment makers are doing research to produce the right gear for women. If I am not mistaken there are already certain futsal shoes made for women. However , they have yet to reach our nation. Let us hope that the women of our country will soon receive the gift of appropriate sports gear.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Would you take the same path?
http://rage.com.my/writeups/story.asp?file=/2009/2/2/outnabout/20090202142355&sec=outnabout
Social work is never an easy task for anyone. Which is why I really admire what Benjamin is doing. Only a handful of people would take the path he has taken , putting the needs of others before their own. Various task which most would consider repulsive and dangerous , becomes their job. In addition to that , they are doing it without getting anything in return. To me , that is truly honourable.
Now , would I ever consider changing places with him? Sadly , my answer would probably be “no”. Don’t get me wrong , it is not that I have anything against helping others or the needy , it just that I cannot imagine myself in Benjamin’s shoes. I think I lack the dedication and commitment needed for such a task. I am more of the type of help as and when I can , not one who can do it full type like Benjamin. However , I would probably try to change my mentality to be more like Benjamin because our world sure could use a few more Benjamins.
Social work is never an easy task for anyone. Which is why I really admire what Benjamin is doing. Only a handful of people would take the path he has taken , putting the needs of others before their own. Various task which most would consider repulsive and dangerous , becomes their job. In addition to that , they are doing it without getting anything in return. To me , that is truly honourable.
Now , would I ever consider changing places with him? Sadly , my answer would probably be “no”. Don’t get me wrong , it is not that I have anything against helping others or the needy , it just that I cannot imagine myself in Benjamin’s shoes. I think I lack the dedication and commitment needed for such a task. I am more of the type of help as and when I can , not one who can do it full type like Benjamin. However , I would probably try to change my mentality to be more like Benjamin because our world sure could use a few more Benjamins.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Everyone makes mistakes
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/2/apworld/20090202085352&sec=apworld
Yet another one of the world’s great icons have fallen to the temptation of bad habits. However , let us not be too quick to judge them as they are human like anyone of us and are prone to mistakes. Perhaps at times , we set too high a standard for these icons that we expect them to make no mistakes at all. What is admirable about Phelps however , is that he was brave enough to admit his mistakes and accept the judgement thrown at him. Hats off to him for that.
Through all this , I believe Phelps has learned a lesson and has regretted his actions. So let us forget the negative and look towards the positive. Let us not forget the medals won and records Phelps broke in the pool. I think his many achievements should outshine his mistake.
Yet another one of the world’s great icons have fallen to the temptation of bad habits. However , let us not be too quick to judge them as they are human like anyone of us and are prone to mistakes. Perhaps at times , we set too high a standard for these icons that we expect them to make no mistakes at all. What is admirable about Phelps however , is that he was brave enough to admit his mistakes and accept the judgement thrown at him. Hats off to him for that.
Through all this , I believe Phelps has learned a lesson and has regretted his actions. So let us forget the negative and look towards the positive. Let us not forget the medals won and records Phelps broke in the pool. I think his many achievements should outshine his mistake.
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