No! Don’t Stop…

I received an obituary notice of Nobel Laureate Sir James Black in client newsletter a couple of days back. I then browse through his profile. The famous scottish pharmacologist was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for work leading to the discovery of Propranolol and Cimetidine.

Interestingly this old chap was a lecture in University Malaya, Singapore back in late 40s.

Timeline for Sir James W Black

2000 - Order of Merit

Quoted from The Star

Decision on teaching Maths, Science in English by month’s end (Updated)
By SIMON KHOOand KAREN CHAPMAN

KUANTAN: A decision on whether to continue teaching Mathematics and Science in English is expected to be reached by the end of this month.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the Cabinet would make a final decision after gathering all the feedback from the relevant agencies and other ministries.

Read more..

Frankly I think, the idea of teaching Math and Science in English is very good. Perhaps somewhere somehow the implementation wasn’t as supposed.. Understood that some which may not even be a majority are really pushing for it but I am totally against of flip(flop)ing back BM.. However improving the implementation is a must to avoid future generation from lacking behind..

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At night, Jr was on sugar-rush after a visit from his cousins from seremban earlier that evening.. jumping up and down on the bed.. mummy couldnt stand it any longer and began her infamous counting..

Mummy : “You better go to sleep now before I count to ten!! Masuk tido! SAAA-TU!!!”

Heh.. Do you think that’ll work on this Cheeky little boy???

Prolly in his mind : (Lalalalala.. Tomorrow don’t have school.. lalalalalalala.. Mummy wanna count? I can count also)
Jr : SATU… DUA…. TIGA… EMPAT…. (long pause).. SATU… DUA…. TIGA… EMPAT..
Daddy & Mummy : (puzzled)

Jr : Errrr.. Daddy.. what’s FIVE?????

Ouch!!!

We, strongly support PPSMI!!

When I took Basic Econ in form 4, one of the first chapter being covered was about your need vs want.

Wikipedia defines the term as below :

Quote

Needs would be defined as goods or services that are physiologically or biologically required for maintaining life. This would include the needs for air, food, water, clothing, shelter, sleep[1]. “Wants” are described as “having a strong desire for something” be it a consumable good, time, or money. Want is often a physiological desire.

Unquote

When I involved in system implementation projects for MNCs, I also came across with this term. Probably rephrase as Must win vs Nice to Have. The concept is still the same however.

From my experience working with Mat Sallehs in designing systems, they would always look deep into ‘Must wins’ first before slowly move towards on those ‘nice to have’. This to ensure that everything is optimumly designed and delivered for usage with quality, money and time well-spent.

However sad to say. Things are very much different in our country. Pardon me. I’ve never really experience it but from numbers of reliable source, it does happen.

Malaysia government, GLCs, often looking at facilities, systems, technologies at the very high-end. A consultant-friend of mine once told, he involved with a project with an oil company in malaysia (i dont wanna say the name) where they want a very complex & fully-automated system. after god knows how many mandays spent, it was delivered. The system was too complex until end-users dont really know how to make full use it.. One who never ride a horse but given to ride a Unicorn.. Ended up as another “White Elephant”..

Another friend of mine told me, a development corporation in Cyberjaya planned to implement a fully integrated up-to-date customer relationship systems which can monitor, track and process calls from customer very much faster and simpler. First question asked when he came to propose the solutions, how many calls the client want to track? His client proudly answered… “3-4 calls per WEEK“. My boss here would probably say “Pure bollocks!!”.. How on earth you need a multi-million system when it alternatively can be done by just a simple spreadsheet?

Last thing I heard, it has not fully went live after 2 years.. And to make it worse, (I strongly believe) this corp is being sourced by government grant..

This kind of scenario keeps on happening.. again and again..

The most recent on the purchase Eurocopter issue.

In a statement issued Friday, Abu Bakar said the ministry chose the Eurocopter EC725 because the company had a complete tender offer that obtained the highest marks based on technical evaluation, an offset package while also being at a reasonable price..

“Eurocopter also offered a system that was proven which also fulfilled the army’s specifications,” he said, adding that the Government had no influence on prices that were offered by the company as bidding was done via an international open tender process.

Does it?

I dont have the answer.. Hopefully it is not another ‘First class facilities but with third world mentality’..

post note {18/10/2008}: this article is a must read..

I woke up about half an hour ago and found out it was not only RPK, but also Tan Hoon Cheng of Sin Chiew Daily and Teresa Kok too.. Is it gonna be Ops Lalang II?

There’s also a couple of shout from the here and there for cabinet minister who is not happy with PM to step down or face the music..

Hmmm.. is it sign of the Beginning or is the (BE) end?

Some ‘brilliant’ people up there decided to ban Malaysians access to Malaysia Today.. their reason, abusive against Islam and prophet.. yadaa.. yadaa..

Yesterday.. I was looking on one issue reported by mainstream media.. about MB Selangor’s statement on visiting the disaster victims.. Worst still if you read it here.. Hmmm.. what a ‘cocky’ leader some of you might say..

Oh wait.. lets crosscheck it first with Malaysia Today before you make an easy conclusion..

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today defended his action of not going down to the field to visit storm victims in Selat Klang and Rantau Panjang on Monday because he felt that coming merely to show his face was not an effective move.

For him it was better to make detailed plans so that when he visited the victims, the programmes planned out would run smoothly and the help given would reach the right target.

Abdul Khalid said this today after handing over foodstuff to some of the 1,107 storm victims from Selat Klang.

“I don’t need to get to the ground, it is not effective,” he added. “That is why I want to change this concept, but politicians like to show off. I’m not from that school, I come with all the things.” Meanwhile, Welfare, Women Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation executive councillor Rodziah Ismail told reporters that other than the Selat Klang victims, some 500 victims from Rantau Panjang also received the aid today.

Besides contributions of foodstuff, she said the government had appointed contractors to rebuild the destroyed houses with a total cost of RM25,000 per house.

She added that the construction of the 20 housing units in the Kapar parliamentary area would begin during the fasting month and expected to be completed after Hari Raya.

- Bernama

You can also read it here..

For me, I could see some parts of the news are missing from the mainstream media.. how come?

I dunno.. You make the call..

edit 20080910 : More view from Selangor MB Political Secretary here

Clinton proposes $5,000 “baby bonds”

With this, she got my vote!

Think about it, every parent goes to the JPN to get their kids MyKid nowadays, and with that, they should go to PNB too, to get Government funded “baby bond”; Amanah Saham Ku (???), which maybe say least would be around RM100 to RM500. That should be in the Yearly Budget. Every Malaysian baby with Malaysian parents, get to have that initial fund, in which they can only take out say when they are 21 perhaps. With that, meaning to say, primary, secondary and matriculation schools/colleges are government funded. If not 21, then perhaps 18 (the least) - if taking out at 18, has to be only for education purposes perhaps, if 21 full ownership ie you can whatever you want with it. This fund can also be monthly added by the parents, automatically via EPF, and later on when maturity dated can be channeled to other funds; Amanah Saham Nasional or others.

I think this is brilliant of Clinton. Even if you are a dropout, you might get some for a kickstart on your business. Even if you are basically just plain dumb, you could always use the money for your daily necessities. And of course, if the child died along the way, the other siblings should get the share. Would the government lose out in this deal? Nope, I don’t think so. The government would have 18 - 21 years of cash funded into them. But of course, duit rakyat untuk rakyat.

Let’s do some calculation:
At RM100 per baby,
250,000 (babies born per year) * RM100 = RM25 million per year
500,000 (babies born per year) * RM100 = RM50 million per year
RM100 * 12 * 18 * 12% = RM2,592
RM100 * 12 * 21 * 12% = RM3,092

At RM500 per baby,
250,000 (babies born per year) * RM500 = RM125 million per year
500,000 (babies born per year) * RM500 = RM 250 million per year
RM500 * 12 * 18 * 12% = RM12,960
RM500 * 12 * 21 * 12% = RM15,120
I am just roughly calculating here. Of course, if the dividend rate is higher say around 38%, then it would be even better. Or if parents continue to chip in monthly, min of RM100, that would even help. And of course, what I calculated is just a fixed dividend rate, not the accumulative one (which I hope I got it right, maybe you financial people can help me out here).

So anyway…
This will definitely help! Absolutely brilliant! Well…Pak Lah or even Datuk Seri Shahrizat what say you?

Nowadays it is difficult to maintain the relationship between parents and their kids. There are just too much expectation. Parents expect their kids to know this and that. Kids expect parents to do this and that. Some parents give up. Some kids just got more distant.  It’s not easy. Especially nowadays. Technology may help in certain ways, but then may even make it even worse for most.

Hope no one I know would have this happen to them.

He said his daughter was neither close to him nor her mother.

He being the father of the 33-year-old woman detained in the body parts-in-fridge case. The father admitted that he only knew about the case when he read about it in the newspapers.

Read full here.

Although it is not known whether she actually do it, I just hope no parents would suddenly read the newspaper to know about their kids. I know it happens. But I just wish it wouldn’t. I hope mine wouldn’t. InsyaAllah.

Opt-out, opt-in being studied

By IZATUN SHARI

KUALA LUMPUR: Take a break to give birth and raise your baby. And when the child’s big enough, come back to work.

Read more…

This is a very interesting thing. Have been waiting for this; but which employer is flexible anyway? Well, at least, if not working out, we would still work in but work from home perhaps. Some employers don’t just give a damn actually. They don’t seem to think that family is the most important thing; for the nation. Wrong guidance, lack of lookout etc. That brings down almost everything, to a halt perhaps. No more future leaders, no more future skilled ethical employees.

And hey, it’s not easy being a mother, or a wife. And then an employee. And if you think women shouldn’t work, look at the statistics. There are more women nowadays, capable ones mind you, than men. So who drives the nation’s productivity? Biologically? Physically and Mentally?

Good effort in bringing this up, and studying about it. Perhaps then we could see some change.

Read this from HMetro:

Ular sawa bawah cadar

ALOR STAR: Seorang lelaki tidak menyangka objek sejuk yang disentuhnya ketika memilih cadar di sebuah kedai pakaian terpakai di sini, adalah seekor ular sawa yang sedang berlingkar di bawah timbunan cadar terbabit.

Read More

Heh.. somehow I read this as :

Ulaq sawa bawah cadaq

ALOQ STAQ: Seorang lelaki tidak menyangka objek sejuk yang disentuhnya ketika memilih cadaq di sebuah kedai pakaian terpakai di sini, adalah seekor ulaq sawa yang sedang berlingkaq di bawah timbunan cadaq terbabit.

Heheh.. no offence..

My friend Meq from Melaka would read it as “Ulau Sawa Bawah Cadau” and Hasrul from Muo (sic: read Muar) would read it as “Ulor Sawa Bawah Cador”

Airport lights still out, King’s flight postponed 

KUALA TERENGGANU: A special flight scheduled to take Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin back to Kuala Lumpur had to be cancelled last night as the runway lights were still not operating due to damaged power cables.

..

On Saturday night, about 300 passengers were stranded at the airport after the runway lights failed to function, forcing all three night flights to be cancelled. 

Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said in a statement last night that repair works on the cables were to have been completed yesterday morning.

Read more

We are flying off to KT end of this month on a night flight to attend a best friend’s wedding. Hopefully everything’s ok by then..