星期五, 9月 30, 2005

Malaysian fear factors

The first Asian production centre of Fear Factor will be housed in Malaysia. The local version of FF will be aired on ntv7 on 11 Nov.

Fear Factor is one of the greatest reality show on TV. In each episode, the contestants are required to go through all sorts of stunts and some "odd-food" eating session challenging their phobias.

But is that really the REALITY that everyone of us will be facing in our daily lives? How many of us will be walking on a 3-inch wide walkway hanging 20 feets from the ground at the same time collecting the flags in our daily works? How many of us will be eating bun full of cockroach, say, in our breakfast?

That is not very realistic after all. For Malaysian there are much more REAL fears in our daily lives. Here are some suggestions of stunt for the shooting crews of the local FF if they really want to challenge our Malaysian guts:

1. Rising-petrol-price-phobia
Announcing petrol price will increase another 10 cents at 8pm. Contestants who can stay longest time in their vehicles which having the petrol indicator pointing to "E" before they rush to nearby petrol station and queue up for petrol, will advance to next round, else they are eliminated.

2. Toll-phobia
Contestants are asked to drive 10 roundtrips from JB to P.Penang on North-South Highway, using their own money. The one who can pay the toll without a frown and without heart-ache, will advance to next round.

3. ISA-phobia
Contestants are to enrol as a member of one of the Opposition Party in Malaysia, followed by criticizing the government or Barisan National in public. The one who can do it the longest before being put into jail by ISA will advance to next round, else, obviously will not be freed in the near future, is eliminated. [Note: the stunt is closely monitored by experts and lawyers. The contestants MUST sign No-safety-guaranteed Agreement as no safety could definitely be assured.]

4. National-car-phobia
Contestants are required to drive a 3-year-old Proton car, which having broken dashboard meter, failed power window, leaking gearbox oil, hot-air-conditioning system, and a body made of Milo container, on the road. The one who could drive the longest distance without having to stop for cool air or having the car break down or accident, will advance to next round. [Note: the stunt is closely monitored by experts for contestants' safety.]

5. Street-night-walk-phobia
Contestants are to walk on the street after 9pm alone carrying a bag. The fastest their bag being snatched, or the fastest they are being robbed, they are qualified to next round. [Note: the stunt is closely monitored by experts for contestants' safety.]

6. Traffic-jam-phobia
Contestants will be driving within KL center between 5.30pm and 8.30pm. The longest they could stay calm in the traffic jam, without performing over-taking, driving on emergency lane, honking, showing vulgarly body sign, or making illegal turn, will qualify to next round. [Note: the stunt is closely monitored by experts for any behavioural fault.]

7. Stolen-car-phobia
Contestants are required to park provided vehicles at the road side within Klang Valley. The one with the most vehicles being stolen, will advance to next round. [Note: no cheating allowed like not locking the vehicle, etc. All procedures are inspected by experts.]

* All the stunts are designed by stunt experts. DO try this at home.

All these are REAL stunt that could be a challenge for Malaysians.

But, one of the stunt in FF that most of Malaysians will not be afraid of, is driving at 200km/h without seatbelt in a car with no airbag. Fear is not a factor to you, Malaysian.

Adjust lifestyle

Adjust lifestyle = Tighten the waist belt ?

Hmm... I have a bad feeling about that...

Another not-my-fault statement from Dr M

Today's quote on AP issue [theStar]:
... when he(Dr M) was prime minister, he had asked Rafidah’s ministry to check why the duties on imported cars were under-declared, “but I was told they were not responsible for it.”
“I trusted my ministers to handle the APs. There was no necessity for me to be informed of everything,” he said. ...
Did Dr M just admit that he didn't do a good job in monitoring his subordinates' work during the 22 years of tenure? Or I interpreted it wrongly?

You can always TRUST your subordinates, only if you understand what their tasks are, how they are going to perform the tasks and what is their progress. All these, are called MONITORING!

Only the lousy manager will play taichi and say something like "I trusted him on the project that's why if the project failed not my fault but his".

06’财政预算案

又是派糖果的时间。但,还有糖果派吗?

希望不是派苦药。。。

星期四, 9月 29, 2005

Brushing bosses' shoe

Don't you just hate seeing some people always suck up to their bosses?

Their talents are repeating every word after their bosses.

Another talent is talk 5 minutes of rubbish when being asked on the status of their task which they have been dragging for so long.

There should be a law stop company from hiring these category of worthless scums.

星期三, 9月 28, 2005

23个月的努力

人民救星阿都拉左顾右盼着,春风得意着。。。。。。

但在民间。。。

魔头一号“过路费”在民间作恶多年,有它主人三美在背后撑腰,它更是不客气。而且它 主人还大言不惭的告诉老百姓它将继续施虐至2038年,从中可收获得总共2千零95亿4千452万令吉的收入。2千零95亿4千452万有多少?大马有 2千万人口,摊分起来一人大约一万多令吉,既是说不分男女老少,在这33年中总共须付一万多令吉的“第二路税”!

魔头主人简化说:“不多啦,你看,每收取的1令吉过路费,其中34仙要缴付银行贷款、25仙用于管理费、18仙用于提升大道用途,余下的23仙要缴付给公司股东。”辛劳你了,三美,老百姓现在知道每个月的钱都去了哪里了。

魔 头二号“AP”亦不逊色,在它主人拉菲达的 照顾下,经过它口水碰过的入口车都身价百倍,当中是否有任何作弊贪污无法查知,旁人也不可以多问,否则它主人就来个 “一哭二闹三上吊”,要不就是来个“深居养病”或“国外出差”或索性“人间消失”。至于为何只有少数几人获得“照顾”而家财亿万,财源滚滚,则更是不可得 知了。

还是作官的好,犯错不须负责,连解释都不用。

魔头三号“五百万豪华欢送会”主角马来西亚皇家关税局也不癞,在其背后层层迭迭的官僚们预备“正常”的花费500万来为总监丹斯里阿都哈里尔饯别。并不多吧,你看,在一个星期内官员们心情受到影响就为税局少收700万的税额。所以最重要是让税局官员们恢复心情,心情愉快的话500万算得了什么嘛?两星期不就拿回了吗?而且还要来个反守为攻,告上几个旁人诽谤以示清白。

嘿,原来重重的苛捐杂税就是为了让作官的用来“吃喝玩乐”。税局可辛苦了!还真不知税收是属于老百姓的,还是作官的?这几年来到底又已有多少个“500万豪华欢送会”了?

还有几个小魔头“犯罪率高趾不下”、“百物齐声喊涨”、“不公平待遇华校”、“中国少年枉死”等等亦在民间兴风作浪,弄得老百姓民不聊生,生活在水深火热之中。。。。。。

。。。。。。

阿都拉听不到这些。

正直清廉阿都拉趾高气扬着,昂首阔步着。。。。。。

星期二, 9月 27, 2005

OMG, I am shrinking!

What happen to me?!

Why my surroundings become bigger?!!

I am shrinking...!

That's exactly how I feel every month end looking at the figure in my savings... sigh...

星期一, 9月 26, 2005

Nita is my idol

1.2 million out of 1.67 million vote cast have made the USM music undergraduate Daniel the MI-2 winner!

This surprised me, though. In all important aspects like singing skill and stage performance, Nita has out-performed Daniel, always.

But, what to say, like Roslan Aziz said, 1.2 million voters can't be wrong.

Yeah, they aren't, they're just blind!

So congratulation, Daniel. Please forgive me if next time I saw you on the street and I didn't recognize you, that's because you just look like Ah Seng selling pirated DVD in pasar malam, or tai ee long (loan shark) Ah Long whose picture on newspaper every now and then.

Bravo, Nita. You're good and you always be my idol.

And, Fauziah Latiff you still look beautiful. Wow!

星期三, 9月 21, 2005

Two Malaysian Accountants were detained in Indonesia

I used to work in a company who have some projects in Jakarta, Indonesia. Quite frequently the company would send employees there visiting Indonesian clients for requirement studies, management meetings or system supports. My colleagues were sometimes being given a short notice, like in morning telling them that they need to fly there in the afternoon. As far as I know, they normally went there without any working visa or anything like that. All they brought with them are just a passport, a luggage and a laptop, and off they go.

But it seems like it has changed. Indonesian government would like to play a not so friendly hard ball to Malaysian.

There's a news coming up in yesterday NST. There are two Malaysian accountants from KPMG were detained for the past one month for an alleged visa violation in South Sulawesi. The two Malaysian, Choo Yao Chin and Raimala Sivalingam, were on a business assignment did not have work visas.

From NST:
Malaysia abides by the Indonesian presidential decree dated 2003, which exempts citizens of certain countries, including Malaysia, from needing visas for the purpose of trade, among other activities.

And also, both Malaysian were already taken to court and cleared on Sept 9 — a decision which obviously meant nothing as far the local police are concerned.

Apparently both of them have not broken any law and are free to go. Yet, local police decided not to follow the court order and saying "needing more evidence".

Currently, Choo was still detained behind bars with hardcore criminals and terror suspects, while Raimala was remained in the women’s detention centre. I can imagine how worry their families are right now.

And then, again, we heard thing like "We want to solve this in a spirit of good neighbourliness" from Malaysia authorities. Aren't we just familiar with this type of "we do not want to piss our big neighbour off" attitude? Just deja vu, I think I've seen it happened during haze days.

More news on NST.

星期四, 9月 15, 2005

怒火

事实

马来西亚华裔学生占了不下21%,但教育局却只拨教育拨款的2.7%给华校。

------------UPDATED 15/9/2005 3.43pm--------------
根据南洋国内新闻华小拨款只有2.4%。我想我高估教育局了。
---------------------------------------------------------

请问,难道华人竟然沦落到只能够分得一块这么小,这么微小的“蛋糕”吗?这让我觉得只是一种施舍。

火。我感觉到一把怒火在脑袋里一直膨胀着。

冬眠的人民的代议士

听 着电台一位校长级的听众诉说着华小如何委曲求全,如何为了让学生能有个“还能用”的桌椅而向国小“讨取”国小他们用了三、四年就认为“旧”的桌椅,如何 时常向政府申请经费以换新学校硬、软体设备而不成;但政府却自发性的拨款给国小让国小得以更新一切,以及在教育制度里并没有的“全津贴”“半津贴”华小政 策却 让教育局官员“半公开性”的进行着,等等。

我们那自称“与华教共存亡”的马华(MALAYSIA CHINESE ASSOCIATION)在做什么?我们的“人民的代议士”又在哪里?在选举期间你们全都冬眠了吗?或许对你们来说华教并不能养饱你们的肚皮及钱包。或 许对你们来说华教只不过是个政治筹码,只是个你们用来呼弄华社的一个把戏而已?!

难道你们只是被别人扯着线的傀儡吗?你们的政治良心在哪?

莫非你们不知道这个根深蒂固的华教的结并不能再以“头痛医头,脚痛医脚”的方法来解了吗?

不要对我说什么“不要问国家为你做了什么,问问你为了国家做了什么”。BULL SHIT!少跟我来这一套!

SPEAK OUT!说你们应该说的话,应该为华族说的话,而非在事情发生并出现在大众媒体后才现身说些治标不治本的废话!只须你一点点的良心,否则,50年、100年我们的问题将永久存在着。

另一种税务--华教税

自 独立以来,为了维护我们的华教,我们华人除了各种税务,都一直掏腰包给着另一种税,“华教税”。为了让本身华小能够自给自足,有充分的资金给于各种开销, 各个华小时常组织筹款活动,向外界筹集资金。这已经是一个常年活动。各华小常疲于此类活动,多多少少给学校正常运作带来影响!况且华社又有多少的金钱得以 支持下去?

我们还要再制造出多少个孤儿寡妇?!

学生的安危呢?我们是否要看到另一场悲剧的发生我们才要去改变这一切?

马来西亚,你有听到吗?有听到华社的哭泣声吗?

**********

曾文珩老师,希望您是最后一个华教的牺牲品。您安息吧。

星期三, 9月 14, 2005

机车?

这几年来接触台湾的节目多了,认识的台湾艺人也多了,甚至于不太关我事的台湾政治人物及环境也知道一些些。

但有一样我还是不大明白的,就是他们常用的一些,嗯,俚语吧。譬如,“机车”。

机车就是我们Malaysia所说的motorbike啦。

如果这里老师叫我用机车造句,我会说,“今天我骑机车撞死了巫青团长希山目(不识)丁。”

但是让台湾人造句呢,可能会是:
凯(子)里那个人超机车的。”
或,
“机车咧,今天拉(屎)非达又没来开国会。”

很玄吧?

也因此在MSN问了个台湾大学生,syamp。经过他无厘头东南西北咸咸湿湿胡扯一番后,终于明白机车的用法。

解释:
1机车,形容词(adjective啦)。。“凯(子)里那个人超机车的”等于“凯(子)里那个人超”。

2机车,感叹词(interjection啦)。多用于负面的语句,妈的。“机车咧,今天拉(屎)非达又没来开国会”等于“妈的咧,今天拉(屎)非达又没来开国会”。

--------MSN---------
syamp says:
and, "TFB,你很機車耶" equal to "TFB,你很handsome耶"
----------------------

他妈的,syamp你当我是傻的啊?!!

*** 笑话***
他这人很机车。。。结果就被人骑走了。。。冷。。。

星期二, 9月 13, 2005

A tribute to DFK 6498

"DFK 6498"
"Strike Zone"

What these two titles of short film lead to is one brilliant person's name, Cameron Duncan.

The short film DFK 6498 was started with Cameron starring as an inmate living in a prison. "... The only prison which leaves the door unlocked, yet there's this punishment that you just can't escape..." this is how Cameron narrated. Cameron described himself as inmate who committed no crime yet being sentenced to imprisonment. And, everyday the head guard is so punctual and tied him to the room, "... like Kryptonite to Superman ..." he said.

At the beginning of the film, you might think it is about a prisoner's life. You are half right.

Cameron was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, at his left femur when he was 16. After that he is required to go for Chemotherapy. The film DFK 6498 was all about his experience during his chemo. "DFK 6498" is his patient number of sort. He made an amazing film on telling how was it like of people who facing devastating illnesses and undergoing treatment, the chemo which he described as like "teetering on the edge of the building" which make him wanted to "jump". But he didn't.

"I live my life for my parents, for the people I love. For when I die, it is not me who will be affected. It's the ones I leave behind"

Probably those weak souls who always want to end their lives, should watch the film and start to care about the people who love them!

"Freedom is taken so much for granted!"

He also said he loved dreaming, "... the hardest part about dreaming is to be awake, coz when I was awake I am still here..." in his room for his treatment.

Cameron Duncan is a young New Zealand filmmaker, who has won a number of film competitions. He started film making at 12 or 13. A talented young director.

His another film Strike Zone is about a young softball couch, starred by Cameron himself, who diagnosed with cancer. The film ending with his own death and his own funeral. The film tells a story of himself, a softball lover and sadly, a cancer diagnosed too. He wanted to show himself as a cancer battler, by showing how hard his team won the game, and his final game.

He made a wonderful film in Strike Zone, showing his talent and skill in directing. With all the war zone shots and plays in softball game have just showed one thing, he is not only a good story teller but a gifted director too!

In the film, at the end he died on the softball field. In real life, Cameron died a few months after the film was made, at age 17.

星期一, 9月 12, 2005

Moral value to next generation

I was having my lunch at ground floor cafeteria when I was introduced to a colleague who was transferred from Singapore office.

This guy is quite a good chatter. He was making joke by telling us why living in Singapore is so boring like everything is so organized, buses are so punctual (surprise if a bus being late for 8 minutes!), MRT arrangement is so flawless, and in one word, "no surprise in the life there". Ha!

Then after a few chats I realized his reason of moving back to Malaysia from Singapore is because of his family. Yeah, I thought, family should always being put in the top priority no matter what.

But then he continued and said mostly because of the future of his kid.

I thought he was talking about his kid's education. However I always think Singapore has the best education system in the South-East Asian region, albeit reluctantly. Hence I asked him.

Then he said although it is true that Singapore has a better education system but something missing in the system there. He was giving me an example of his cousin's son.

His nephew was brought up in Singapore and now goes to primary school. There were a few times that his nephew asked his dad, "Dad, why you are not driving Mercedes?" He asked because his classmates are those rich kid whose father are driving a Mercedes. He was getting all this influences from his surrounding friends. After a while, his cousin bought a Sonata probably because of the "pressure" from his own son. But, he added, although he's bought a new Sonata, in some school outing event those kids are more prefer to sit in those Mercedeses, including his own son!

A primary school students have already known how to judge one thing by its value of money? Say frankly, I didn't even know or care the model of the car my mother drove me to school everyday when I was 12! (Yeah, I grew up in moderate/low income family and my mum just drove a Nissan Sunny. But hey, I was happy that time!)

Apparently, it is the appropriate moral value the one that missing in their entire education system, if not entire society. They might have the best education system, but the kids are going to grow up with such values of what car is the more luxury one, or of what brand of the handphone is the latest, or whatever which are based on the value of money!

This guy is probably making a right decision of moving back to Malaysia, I'll say, though he had his pay cut by half because of the currency exchange difference!

星期四, 9月 08, 2005

富翁的屋簷

一个故事:
有位善心的富翁,蓋了一棟大房子,他特別的要求營造的師傅,把那四周的屋簷建加倍的長,以使窮苦無家的人,能在其下暫時躲避風雪。

房子建成了,果然有許多窮人聚集在屋簷下,他們甚至擺起攤子做買賣,並生火煮炊。嘈雜的人聲與油煙,使富翁不堪其擾,不悅的家人也常與寄居簷下者爭吵。

冬天,有個老人在簷下凍死了,大家交相罵富翁的不仁。

夏天,一場颶風,別人的房子都沒事,富翁的房子因為房簷特別的長,居然被掀了頂,村人都說是惡有惡報。

重修屋頂時,這次富翁只要求建小小的房簷,富翁把省下的錢捐給慈善機構,並另外蓋了一間小房子。這房子所能庇蔭的範圍遠比以前的房簷小,但四面有牆,是棟正式的房子。

許多無家可歸的人,也都在其中獲得暫時的庇護,並在臨走前,問這棟房子是哪位善人捐蓋的。

沒有幾年,富翁成了最受歡迎的人。即使在他死後,人們還繼續受他的恩澤而紀念他。

為甚麼同樣的善心,卻有那麼大的不同?故事中富翁的一片善心,從被認為是為富不仁、惡有惡報到變成是最受歡迎的人,這中間的變化是甚麼因素造成的呢?是大 房簷與小房子的差別嗎?還是其中的用心有甚麼不同?是甚麼原因讓富翁被責備為富不仁、惡有惡報?又是甚麼原因讓富翁被感激與紀念?

答案在--寄人簷下的感覺和生活在獨立房子中的感覺不同!你知道生活在富翁的大房簷下,那些窮苦的人們會得到哪些的感受?而生活在獨立受尊重沒有比較的房中,那些窮苦的人們又會有哪些感受?

在組織或團隊中,甚麼樣的狀況是等同於寄人簷下?

事事都要依靠你?不放心同仁處理事情?常常要看臉色辦事?以防弊為基礎設立的運作結構?還是……。

甚麼樣的狀況是有獨立的空間?

給予清楚的目標?規範內自主,給予做事的空間?還是以核心價值交付責任,啟發能力與成長?還是以願景、使命激發自覺與承擔?還是……。

媽媽甚麼事都安排好,小孩子無法獨立;主管甚麼事都能幹,部屬不負責任。「屋簷」伸太長,一片好心變成為富不仁,「獨立小房子,卻變成最受歡迎的人,這中間的差別值得我們深思。

為善的本質是甚麼?領導最終的目的是甚麼?為善與領導共通處又是甚麼?只是解決眼前的問題?還是協助人獨立站起來,讓他們可以為自己負責?

所以領導,不能只是注重事情表面的完成,也不止於問題的解決,更重要的責任是:啟發同仁夥伴的能力,還給同仁與夥伴一個真真實實的人來,要當教練不是當主管。啟發夥伴的自覺與負責任,是幫助組織與團體成長的絕對關鍵要素。

我 想,人是有惰性的。若一个人的每一件事都有旁人代为担心,代为安排,这人将认定其身边的一切都理所当然。久而久之,其惰性开始控制其大脑,对一切都不用 心。而当这一切的帮助被移去,这人就开始对身边的一切不得意不满,开始埋怨其所面对的“不公”,但是却忘记之前一切的“理所当然”其实也是对其他人的不 公!

也因此,帮一个人,不应该是扶持着他。而应是引导他,让他能够走自己的路,也让他有个机会,利用他所会的去帮助更多的人。