Write to Reflect

2011-07-19T22:10:00.001+08:00

DARI MATLAMAT MEWUJUDKAN NEGARA ISLAM KE NEGARA KEBAJIKAN

Jaguh Kampung, A Personal Perspective on Business Outside Malaysian Shores

2010-05-05T19:08:00.002+08:00

I found something quite inspiring and is worth sharing on the net. A speech by Tun Daim Zainuddin on his journey to success in life.

Since my second retirement in 2001, I have accepted only one invitation to speak in Malaysia and that was in 2004.

So to accept this invitation, it took some serious thinking on my part. I have spoken many times overseas but at home I think people may be tired of hearing me talk all the time so as a retiree I should just keep quiet!

“I accepted this invitation because I have great faith in our young people. For us as a nation to grow and succeed in the future we need good leaders and you here are our leaders of tomorrow.

So, thank you Tengku Zafrul Aziz for inviting me. The topic you chose is interesting – Jaguh Kampung, A Personal Perspective on Business Outside Malaysian Shores.

Nowadays, the term Jaguh Kampung seems to suggest our failures. It dismisses our achievements and local successes. It portrays us as a failure overseas. It looks down upon us. It used to refer to sports, now it encompasses business.

I do not see anything derogatory about being a Jaguh Kampung, for how can you succeed globally if you have not achieved success even at home. It is here that you hone your skills, know of your strengths and weakness, make your mistakes and learn from them; it is here that you plant the seed of your success overseas. It is only negative when you are successful at home yet not able to translate the same success abroad. Why?

It has been argued that Malaysians are far too comfortable at home and therefore cannot stand the competition outside. For the Malays particularly it is said that we do not have the history of migrants who came in junks and sampans to make a new life in a new land; that we have no history of doing business and that there is no NEP overseas.

I don’t subscribe to such an argument. Many non-Malays fail too. Many non-Malays who have succeeded here with Government help have failed overseas. It has nothing to do with race and everything to do with ourselves. We have to see our own strengths and weakness to know why we succeed and why we fail. I have no sociological or anthropological thesis on this but I can tell you of my personal experience to illustrate, if that is of any help.

So, I guess I shall start from the beginning. I come from a small place called Lorong Kampong Padang in Kota Tanah, Seberang Perak, Kedah. Growing up I was confused, we had no padang, no kota (fort), no perak (silver)! It was a small kampong where everyone knew everyone. Yet this village produced 3 doctors, 2 veterinary surgeons, a dentist and may top civil servants. As far as I knew, they were no lawyers, yet my father kept urging me “Grow up to be a lawyer”.

Two of the three doctors were Dr Mahathir who married another doctor, and Dr Bakar who married Tan Sri Dr Salmah, the first female Malay doctor in the country. Amongst my schoolmates and seniors were Tan Sri Hanafiah Ahmad of Tabung Haji, Tan Sri Hanafiah Hussein, the first Malay Chartered Accountant, and Tan Sri Bakar Hamid, Head of Income tax. The list goes on.

The late Tun Zahir (Speaker of Parliament) helped me with my admission to Lincoln’s Inn. In London I was friends with other students some of whom went on to become Judges, Chief Justices, President of the Ct. of Appeal, Lord Presidents, top Civil Servants etc. I learnt politics from the likes of Syed Albar and even when back in Kuala Lumpur he would come to my house weekends and drive me around Kuala Lumpur introducing me to the whos who of Malay politics. Hussein Onn would tell me Malayan political history.

When I moved to Kelantan I got to know the various political leaders in PAS like Asri, Zulkifli and Wan Mustapha. In fact PAS was the first to offer me to stand for election. When I joined the Legal Service, I served in Johor and Perak and built up further my network of friends.

When I was in private practice I represented the Governor of Sarawak in the case of Stephen Kalong Ningkan. I was in Allen & Gledhill then and a very junior lawyer too but the senior partner asked me to do it as he thought that I was able to handle it as he considered me well read and thorough in my work plus he knew that I was well versed in the politics of the day. It was during this case that I got to know Tun Razak, Tun Rahman Yakob and Tan Sri Taib Mahmmud. At 28, I attended my first Cabinet meeting to brief the Cabinet on the case. I never thought that 18 years later I would be attending it weekly.

Tengku Razaleigh and Manan Othman for reasons known to themselves, recommended to Hussein Onn that I be appointed a Senator. Suddenly people wanted to find out who this Daim was. Manan when he was Minister of Public Enterprise, put me on Board of UDA as I was recognized as a successful property developer then and later made me chairman of Peremba. When Tun Mahathir became PM, he appointed me as Chairman of Fleet Group. Tan Sri Sanusi made me Chairman of Rakyat First Merchant Bank. In 1984, Tun Mahathir made me Minister of Finance.

It is from all these people that I learnt so much and who had in some way or the other helped me in my professional, business and political life.

I was also a busy body and had an opinion on everything. I was there when Tan Chee Koon, Lim Chong Eu and Syed Hussein formed Parti Gerakan. I took part in the debate on the issue of Bahasa Kebangsaan and had friends who alerted me that I was to be arrested under the ISA on the issue. I wrote letters to the Prime Ministers in office, offering them my 2 cents worth, the advice unasked and often ignored but that did not deter me.

I started my private practice with some savings and a RM60k loan from MARA. I furnished my office frugally and spent the rest on the stock market. When May 13 came I almost lost the shirt on my back. I learnt there and then that the stock market is not a casino for me to gamble in but that investment has to be made through informed choices. Later when I decided to go back to the market I only invested in quality and strategic stocks.

Before I could invest in these quality stocks I had to make money to pay off my debts. Luckily I had my practice; but the need to succeed was too strong for me to remain purely a lawyer. Not one to give up, I decided to go into business. I invested in a salt making business – everyone needs salt right? well, an unseasonal storm washed that away! I went into many businesses that didn’t do too well, until I decided to go into property development. I approached Dato Harun Idris then MB of Selangor for a piece of an abandoned, disused mining land. I paid the premium for it and finally was on the road to success. It was not easy going. It would have been easier if it was a piece of flat estate land, instead I had manylakes to be filled before I can build.

But if it had been easy then I’m not sure I would have learnt the lessons that failure teaches you. Failure is a great teacher if you are willing to learn. My tenacity was my strength. I never gave up. As Churchill said “Success is not final and failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts”. I stumbled, picked myself up and continued.

By the time I was in my mid thirties I was a millionaire. With the money I made I went looking for my strategic stakes not only in the stock market but also in properties. By the time I join the Cabinet I was the shareholder of Raleigh Bhd (a name famous worldwide for its bicycle, made since 1887) Raleigh had shares in Prudential and had landed properties and another listed company. I bought into UEP which had a 1,400 acre land bank which I later reversed into SIME for shares, making me the single largest shareholder of SIME then. I also had a Joint Venture with the State Government of Kedah to develop 2,000 acres of converted land. Maluri also JV’ed with PNB to develop 600 acres of land in Kajang. I had a housing estate in Malacca. My land bank was massive. I was also a founding shareholder and chairman of TV3. I was also the largest individual shareholder in Nestle, and in Jaya Jusco. I had 4 factories in Malacca producing cast iron, plastic, packaging and preserved foods. I also invested in a haulage company. I also had a stake in UMBC Bank. I’m telling you all this not to show off and impress you but to share with you my journey.

When I was asked by Dr Mahathir to join the Government I had to think very carefully. I knew it will be a sacrifice on my part to take the offer but then this would not be the first time I have been asked to sacrifice in the name of national interest. When I had the opportunity to increase my share in SIME to 30% Dr. Mahathir heard about it and asked me not to take it up as it would be better to be given to PNB. When UMNO youth objected to MCA buying shares in UMBC, MCA approached me to exchange my controlling shares in Malaysian French Bank for a non controlling stake in UMBC. I was not keen to give up control in one for non-controlling in another, further I had to borrow as I was buying into a bigger bank, but the government insisted on the exchange for economic and political stability. By the time the deal was completed I was made MoF and later had to sell my stake. The government insisted that I can only sell to a Bumi or Bumi company and at cost too! I had much higher offers from non Bumis and could have made money on this sale but I have no choice. On top of it all, I had to pay tax on the sale too!

As I said earlier, it was a sacrifice on my part. Joining the Government also meant that I would have to give up my business. I was rich and answered to no one. I was carefree and wanted to enjoy the fruits of my labour. I had my privacy which I value highly. It was a difficult decision to make. I took more than a month to think it over. Whilst I would sacrifice a life of greater wealth, there is more to life than making money and more money. At some point you have to look beyond material wealth and personal interest. In the end the call to serve was made, partially because growing up my father had always drummed it into my head that there was no better calling than to be serving the government. That to be of service is an honour. And he also thought that I should be Prime Minister. In fact when I was appointed MoF and I told him, he replied “bukan PM?”!! Obviously he thought very highly of me.

There has been bouquets and brickbats, but I did not take the job to win a popularity contest. National interest comes first and in the end, you have to do what you think is best for the nation. Joining the government has brought me immense satisfaction to see the economy succeed from an agrarian economy to an industrialised economy. If I had not joined the government I would have been far richer in wealth but so much poorer in experience. If there is any regret, it is regret for the loss of my privacy.

I couldn’t have done all this on my own. The friends I knew, the network I built was very useful. You cannot be successful if you are a hermit staying in your house watching TV after work. Whether its through school, work or sports, there is always an opportunity to meet people. Networking, building relationships, what the Chinese called “quan xi”, is important in business – you never know who you meet may be your guardian angel in disguise. Of course I’m not suggesting that you make friends for an ulterior motive – if you are not sincere, people can see through you. If you use people, it can only work once or twice before you lose your reputation and that, if once lost cannot be recovered.

Whenever I travel and meet people I would always write to them, to thank them, to keep in touch, to invite them over etc. So wherever I went I always knew someone or the other. But mix with like minded people. Your so called friends can lead you astray. As I have said earlier,networking is very important but is of no use when all you do with your network of friends is to “omong-omong kosong”.

Saudara, Saudari / Ladies and Gentlemen

After retirement I had no ministry and no company to run. All my life I have been active and staying home doing gardening and playing golf did not appeal to me. So I went to the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. I spent my time reading, meeting people, attending lectures. After a few months I was restless. I reassessed my situation – do I restart in Malaysia? If I did, and succeeded, my success would be questioned as I still had friends and contacts both in and out of Government. I had nothing to prove but I thought if I could succeed in Malaysia, maybe I could do so overseas. As I’ve said earlier Malays have been criticised that they can only succeed because of the NEP, I thought that I owe it to the Malays to prove otherwise.

In the course of my work as MoF I travelled and engaged with various people, government and non-government everywhere. I had visited Eastern Europe and was convinced that Russia could not hold on to them for very long.

In 1994 I started my banks in Republic of Czech and then Hungary, Albania, Bosnia. Whatever we may say of Russia, it left behind a very good education system and excellent infrastructure. Still, it was tough to do business there. There is the question of language and there was no experience of market economy. It was not easy to get Malaysians to work there and the locals were used to working for the government. We had to motivate them to work for profit, to understand that we go into business to make profit, profit to pay salaries, bonuses and to expand.

If Eastern Europe was tough, Africa was tougher. Why Africa? Its too long to go into but if you are interested I’ve given my reasons in a separate paper. Its with Tengku Zafrul. It was not easy for us to start in Africa. We were not Citibank or HSBC or Standard Chartered. Whilst most of the Governments in Africa knew me when I was MoF and I was involved in both the Smart Partnership and South-South Cooperation, nobody knew the Bank. Tun Dr. Mahathir’s name carries a lot of weight and Malaysia under him was held in high esteem. All these helped but we still had to prove ourselves and further we had to carry the burden of maintaining Malaysia’s good name. Failure was not an option.

Africa was tough. There was little discipline, most do not have the expertise nor the experience. The better ones had left and were in Europe or America. The pool to draw staff was small. If it was difficult to entice Malaysians to Eastern Europe, you can imagine what it was like to ask them to go to Africa!

We started from scratch. Fortunately for me, I had an excellent team who understood and shared my vision. The team you build is critical. You cannot do it alone.

My team were as determined as me to succeed. We had put our money there and our reputation and the country’s reputation were at stake. My team were motivated and prepared to sacrifice the comforts of home to blaze a trail there. It was pure team work and dedication that made it. Without a good team, no way would we be where we are today. Our banks have won many awards, particularly Euromoney’s Bank of the Year awards, some of them repeatedly. I am very proud of them. And I must add that we have a good reputation in Africa. Wherever I go and I meet Presidents, Prime Ministers, MoF, Governors of Central Bank of countries where we operate and where we don’t, they now know us and of us and are happy with us. They see that we have been fair and honest. We treat them as partners and equals. We train the locals and it is a measure of our success that our local staff are always in demand and poached by other financial institutions. We get a lot of requests to open up in their countries but we are limited by our resources. We cannot over-stretch ourselves and end up with quantity but not quality. Quality is of the utmost importance.

Today we have a presence in 10 countries in Africa and have also expanded our reach into Asia; Indonesia, Bangladesh, Laos, and are looking at other neighbouring countries. People must think that you have to be immensely rich to be in Europe, Africa and Asia, but that is not true. When we first started, the paid up for each bank was only US$2 million. Today a European bank’s paid up must be at least Euro 5 million, in Yemen for example, US$20 million, and in Nigeria US$100 million. With that kind of requirement, we had to reassess our business plans. We sold off Europe and with the proceeds decided to go to Asia.

In every business you start with a plan but the plan has to re evaluated, reassessed, and reconsidered at every turn. What works today may not necessarily work tomorrow. Facts change, operating conditions change and we must change with them. Business is not static and we cannot run on the spot.

I know I have gone on too much, boring you with my personal history. I should have just quoted my son’s one paragraph biography he wrote of me when he was in primary school: “My father was born in Kedah. He studied law and became a lawyer, then a businessman, then MoF twice. He is now retired and runs banks and does charitable work. He is a good father because he plays football with me.”

Seriously, though, what distinguish one who succeeds from one who fails? Everyone I’m sure starts out wanting success, but it has been said that success usually comes to those who were too busy to look for it. It is a sacrifice. You will have to defer immediate gratification and forgo leisure. You have to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. It really is hard work and nothing else. There is just no substitute for hard work. But you cannot work hard stupidly. You have to plan, execute the plan, change the plan when necessary to suit changing situations. As was said by Darwin – “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one that is most adaptable to change”. How do you know that the situation changes? You have to read, read and read. Read all the time. Be curious about the world around you. Try to keep up with the latest in technology and business, the latest trends and the geo political changes too. As an example, when I read that the French Government was nationalising its banks I realised that it would have to sell its bank in Malaysia as Malaysia then did not allow government owned banks to operate in Malaysia. I saw an opportunity here and decided to contact the French Government to take over the Indo-Suez Bank which I later renamed the Malaysian French Bank. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

It is also important that you take the opportunity to work in and learn from businesses that have been successful. It is no embarrassment to say you don’t know and to be aware of your own limitations. Never be too proud to learn from others. But on the other hand, do not follow blindly. If someone is successful at one thing it does not mean that you can too. You have to know yourself. It helps if you can do something that you love. As Confucius said “Choose a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”. You have to be hands-on. No one is interested in your success except you. Its your money, and in most cases, borrowed money. You have to ensure your own success. You are your own best asset and the master of your own destiny, to make your own future. You have a choice to either work hard, remain committed, diligent, determined and disciplined or just buy a lottery ticket and hope to get rich overnight!

For the Malays particularly I say this to you – do not be afraid of competition. We are used to competing – we have other races to measure against, so there is no reason why we can’t succeed. Don’t believe in handouts, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Handouts do not test you and when faced with adversity, the price of that handout is failure.

For the Non-Malays, I say this to you – Do not accept any discrimination or perceived discrimination as an excuse for failure. See it as an obstacle to overcome and an opportunity to strengthen your resolve.
Do not fear the fear of failure. Do not fear to take chances. Do not fear of making mistakes that will shatter your confidence and fill you with doubts. You have to take a chance on life. When one door closes another opens but you have to look for that open door and not remain fixated on the closed door. Move on, you have done what you can. Learn from it and that will give you confidence in the next venture.

In your quest for success, be wary of making compromises; your values and beliefs will be tested. Have a clear conscience in what you do as you have to face the mirror everyday. Do not let praise go to you head nor criticism weigh you down. Have faith in yourself and faith in God. He will not let you down.

When you have achieved material successes, live simply and shun extravagance and arrogance. Do not lose all that you have achieved because you were resting on your laurels. What happens when that laurel wilts? Be humble and reach out to those less fortunate than you. Your success is an obligation and a responsibility to your society and it is only when you give back to society that you are truly successful.

Ladies and Gentlemen/ Saudara, Saudari

Be brave to leave your ‘kampung’ and go anywhere in the world to claim your future. I wish you well.

Thank you.

So much for Malaysian first and race the next

2010-04-02T11:02:00.002+08:00

In recent exchange of words between Lim Kit Siang and DPM just clearly shown the hypocrisy at its best. Lim Kit Siang had asked the DPM whether he is Malay first or Malaysian first. DPM gave his honest answer by saying he is Malay first and Malaysian the next. If we would want to be politically correct, the answer should be Malaysian first. But honesty bites. LKS should ask himself back whether he is Chinese first or Malaysian first?. I am sure the answer is Malaysian first given the popularity and political mileage he would gain from it. We should ask him back whether his supporters by any chance are trying to assimilate with the Malay or they just do not care. I was mesmerized by MCA leaders who are able to speak Malay fluently and this trend is not happening in DAP. Something as simple as language can be an indicator whether you care to assimilate with the majority or otherwise. What a shame to be a Malaysian when you could not speak the language properly. Take an example how assimilation works really well by Chinese in Kelantan. They can speak very fluent Kelantanese dialect and in return the Malays give them trust. Language can be used as a tool to crush race barriers but no one could force you to speak any language. Assimilation comes from our inner will and sincerity not from Malaysian Malaysia, Middle Malaysia or even 1Malaysia.So much for Malaysian first ah?

Sodomy 2

2010-02-03T19:13:00.018+08:00

I feel like writing again after a long break from blogging. So much interesting topics to write but i prefer to focus on one to keep this blog going.

Latest developments on political scenarios in Malaysia are quite interesting to me. It's more like entertainment because it let people keep on guessing what's going to happen next. It's like watching thriller but with poor actors and props. The most interesting one is Anwar's second trial which had been postponed for 18 months.Finally kiss and tell story from Saiful in the court exposed in all kind of media yesterday. To me Anwar is at a loss right now because he is not up against Mahathir and Government where he had public support back then but a person who is trying to seek justice. Saiful comes out of nowhere only to tell what Anwar actually is. Even though it is up to the court to decide but one thing for sure homosexuality is always associated with Anwar. Maybe it is a conspiracy but why sodomy instead of something else?. Why the conspirators are so stupid to trap him with the same story when they know that almost everyone was behind Anwar in 1999. The latest case only involves one person who took oath by the Al-quran in a mosque to prove that he has no malice intention but to tell the truth about Anwar's shenanigan. But Anwar fails to do so with many reasons. Some people say it is unnecessary but a person would not think twice if there is a simple way to prove innocence unless we afraid of the wrath of god for not telling the truth. Anwar can easily gain public trust and political mileage especially with Malays or Muslims by taking oath by the holy quran. Unfortunately he does not dare to do it. After all the foes he stood up to in the past like Mahathir,Pak Lah and other big shots, he finally seems to be running away from one little man unknown to the public before named Saiful Bukhari. In 2008, he was dubbed as future Prime Minister. 'We have the numbers' and '16 September' are his forgotten battle cries. Now we must wait for his next battle cry.

Nama Allah

2010-01-12T22:15:00.004+08:00

I am not in favour of the use of "allah" by herald tribune.Period.
I am against the burning of churches which is very uncivilized.
I am disgusted by people who took advantage by gaining political mileage through blaming others.
I am looking forward with optimism to the future. A happy man will always feel contented about life. Thanks to a girl who always makes me smile.Diyana.

Welcome to 2010

2009-12-31T23:59:00.001+08:00

Bye-bye 2009

Penyokong Kelantan

2009-11-08T14:17:00.000+08:00

Apa yang ditunjukkan di TV semasa final.Itulah juga sikap mereka dalam berpolitik.Bukan semua tetapi ia ramai.Mungkin sikap orang yang berjiwa menentang yang sentiasa melawan arus.Fanatik adalah satu perkataan yang tepat untuk mereka.Sebagai orang Kelantan sendiri sikap begini sangatlah memalukan untuk negeri yang mahu dikenali sebagai Serambi Mekah dan Bandaraya Islam. Keislaman yang dicari adalah satu impian kosong barangkali.

Waypoint & PTD

2009-10-26T22:50:00.000+08:00

After a long break from blogging, I think it is the right time to write again. Waypoints are set of points used for navigation. As the name suggests, you wouldn’t get lost if you know your waypoints. You can either go back to your waypoint if you are lost or you can go to another waypoint using another waypoint.

It is quite interesting to relate waypoint with your life. You will soon arrive at a fork in the road which is as well can be your waypoint. You can only choose one and one to forgo. Definitely you can’t have both. Either way, you are not to be worried because you wouldn’t get lost. You can always comeback to your waypoint and march on to your final destination.

I have recently being offered to be PTD on 2 year contract basis. The offer is too good to let go. Not many were offered and I was one of the lucky few. At the same time I passed my professional exam which is as well too good to be ignored. Definitely you can’t have both ways. When it comes to stability and security, it must be PTD. Who would not want to be Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik given the current economic situation. But being professional is the only way to total freedom later in life. As what Steven Covey said, ‘Begin with the end in mind’. What is the exit plan for a government servant?Either you resign at young age or wait till retirement age. Exit in between is risky business. In private sector, you can enter or leave at anytime because it is open market. Nevertheless, this sector is vulnerable to changes in economic environment. Hence many would opt for government jobs at this moment in time.

I have to choose only one. I have chosen to stay in private sector and build up my career there. After all PTD is just another name for Management Trainee in any big corporations. The difference is you work for the Government. Probably I am going to miss easy access to housing and car loan given to Government servants. Anyhow I have to take some risks to find my footing in unforgiving private sectors. Hopefully I have made the right decision and many people say ‘the higher the stake is the higher the return would be’. I hope this statement doesn’t drive me to uncalculated risk. I think I have calculated enough;).

PTD: My humble advice

At least I can give some advices for those who want to be PTD at any point in their life. At the exam stage you will be fine if you are good at Maths and English. I think level of Maths and IQ tests are comparable to Form 5 Modern Maths. The IQ questions seemed to focus more on ratio and logic. As for General Knowledge paper, current news and history of Malaysia are something to focus on. English paper is where you can impress with your writing. I believe there is certain weightage between papers. So I can only advice to do your best in Maths and English papers.

Then come the second stage called PAC(Programme Assessment Centre). Here, ‘Speak up’ is the best policy. Try your best to get into discussion in English. Be the first to talk. This is my way to reduce nervousness. Then you will be automatically tuned into the discussion. As for Malay debate, have some good ideas and you are fine. The English discussion is to assess your language where you idea and knowledge come in second. But Malay debate is the opposite; they want to see your idea and knowledge first before your language. However don’t overdo things and wait for your turn. Trying too hard to impress is something to be avoided. Lastly the fitness test; jog 10 minutes a day about 1 week before going to this assessment will help you a lot.

The last stage is the interview. My only advice is to have an objective why do you want to be a PTD. They will keep questioning the same thing only in different sentences. Other than that, most questions are random. Keep your composure and be matured in answering questions. I think that is all from me. But remember one thing that luck is another factor or rezeki you want to call it. I am just lucky to get through in my first try. You can plan but god always has better plan than you do. In a nutshell, effort is a must but you don’t always get what you want in life. That’s life isn’t it?

Selamat Hari Raya Maaf Zahir Batin

2009-09-19T15:18:00.000+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Maaf Zahir Batin to all. The last month has been a good one.Truly a blessed month because in this very month i was called up for an interview and received the result for my exam.I was very grateful and happy.Thank god.I hope everyone will enjoy their 1st. Syawal with graciousness and happiness.

Ramadhan

2009-08-24T23:12:00.000+08:00

It has been three days of fasting.This month always a month to be remembered. The vibe and its atmosphere have given me the sense of fulfillment. Probably I am just full after breaking fast. Happy Ramadhan everyone.

ISA Demonstration

2009-08-04T16:02:00.001+08:00

What good does a demonstration would bring other than traffic jams and chaos?I dont agree with abolishing ISA or fully supporting current ISA either. Amending ISA is the way forward whereas abolishing it would be a step backward. Patriot Act 2001 of USA, Terrorism Act 2000 of UK and ISA of Singapore are the testimonies of how significant these laws are in this era.The main issue in Malaysia is the so called abuse of ISA.It is not the law who creates injustice but people do. Freedom means to let people do what they ought to do but not what they want to do. Freedom is just an illusion for it only lets you do what you ought to do as things you may do are wrong at given locations. Wearing baggy pants is wrong in a state in US, smoking pot is fine in Amsterdam and driving car in Saudi Arabia is illegal if you are a woman. In a nutshell, respect the LAW and you will be fine anywhere in the world.

As i see it, the demonstration is mainly to add political mileage of certain parties.Sincerity? I doubt it.

On another note, Alhamdulilah i passed the PAC for PTD.Interview is the final hurdle.

DAP VS MACC

2009-07-19T21:21:00.000+08:00

It is getting interesting now.It seems to me Pakatan Rakyat has become Pakatan DAP. All DAP's affair. Now vigil is not uncommon anymore.So much so the muslim Malay will follow suit the vigil to respect their friends in fighting tyranny and evil BN. BN will always the bad guy in their movies. Politic is for you to hate somebody and be cynical in everything depending where your view point is.This is as far as Malaysian politic is concerned.On another note MACC must be held accountable for the loss of one human being in their building. Slamming the government is none other than adding extra political mileage for the oppositions. Public inquiry is the most viable but Royal Comission will set the record straight.

PPSMI dimansuhkan sepenuhnya 2012

2009-07-08T18:51:00.000+08:00

So what now people?Another mistake by the Government?Hopefully this issue is no more to be politicized. A Samad Said can sleep well now.

DAP pulls out of Kedah gov.

2009-07-01T23:32:00.000+08:00

Now as predicted a coalition party who has no common manifesto, unclear objectives, holier than thou sort of leaders, and of course a lot of muppets will crumble easily.Kudos for PAS Kedah anyway for stern action on the pig abattoir.A party that is bolder than UMNO when it comes to a fork in the road whether to choose popularity or responsibility.Not so much when it comes to UNITY though.Too bad.

The Malaysian Insider

2009-06-30T14:01:00.000+08:00

If you would like to know the vendetta of non-bumi to bumi please feel free to go to The Malaysian Insider.Just pick any topic that relates to BN, NEP, Bumiputra, Scholarship and so on..Read the comments and be your own judge.Think holistically.

Politic

2009-06-23T21:26:00.000+08:00

Malaysian politic has fascinated me in many ways one of them is how divided the malays are in the midst of victory of PR and the misery of BN. All is not lost for BN and PR is not the true winner either. PR has inculcated cynical minded society who would slate the government no matter good a decision or a concept is. Can we just get along and bring this country into a better future. Politic of hatred is everywhere. You would hate a person because he happened to be contradict to your political view. I dont know which side started it first but for all i know the BN is always on defensive mode. The root cause of the problem is of course race politic. The non-bumi is never at ease as long as the title of non-bumi attached to them. The non-bumi was the decisive factor in the last election. It was total destruction for MCA,MIC and Gerakan but not really for UMNO which has the highest seats number per party in parliament. Yes umno is tainted with corruption but it is not beyond repair. The existence of PR is merely to crush BN which they almost did. The aftermath has shown how power would change individuals to become arrogant not to choose unity over power. The strong point of PR for non-malay to vote for them is their aim to bring fairness among all races which understandably to abolish the malay privileges. I would agree of such agenda if the non-malay willingly to abolish vernacular school and embrace indigenous culture like what you do when you are in UK or Australia.Apparently there is no indian or pakistani school there. It is disheartening when the third generation of their immigrant forefathers could not even speak proper malay. Or worse could not converse at all in Malay.Maybe it is too low standard to fraternize with the Malays or speak Malay. I am at all not a racist but i become one when somebody starts first. The other day somebody being racist so now i become one;)

BN not contesting

2009-05-18T23:23:00.000+08:00

A wise decision.Indeed.

The Perak Fiasco

2009-05-08T10:59:00.000+08:00

The art of perception is at best in Perak. PR is regarded as the hero and BN as the 'all bad words you can throw in'. If ADUN BN joins PR, he is hailed as hero but if you do the opposite, it is no other words but all the bad words. I say to myself if you 'sincerely' want to contribute to the society do stay way from politics be it PR or BN. If you are too sincere you will not go far and end up being at the bottom.You will feel betrayed and oppressed and then you become the dissident in your own party. This cycle will go on be it in PR or BN. Nobody is a saint/ulamak/pemikir/bijaksana in politic. You are what people see in you. So you need to become hypocrite sometimes so long it is what you want people to see in you. There is no certain bodies to recognize you as saint/ulamak/pemikir/bijaksana but the people will. At the end of days, does politic train you to become hypocrite?So that you look good and heroic in front of the masses.

Penanti

2009-05-01T12:06:00.000+08:00

I find it amusing amid confusion as far as Malaysian politic is concerned. The slandering , allegations and what not come falling upon everyone like endless monsoon in the east coast. I have come to realization that there are only two factions in Malaysia, Pakatan and Perikatan (now Barisan Nasional)which bears the same principles since independence.What an enlightenment!. After political tsunami in 2008, i have mixed feeling on the result. Quite indifferent in a way because there are advantages and disadvantages. The good thing about losing is about self-realization of how bad people disapprove certain decisions and actions by the government.Now we can see some changes are on the way when people have the power to decide on many issues.

The negative side of winning is too many incompetent leaders around when winning is not decided by critical thinking and good justification. Winning means more lies, conspiracy,accusations you name it.I had seen many good leaders crumbled in the wake of new era so called CHANGE. Is it true that PR is driving the 4 states to change?.
Yes and no. And the end of the day , they interested more in public stunts rather than sit down and doing wakil rakyat job. Resignation after resignation followed by Pilihan Raya Kecil. Ultimately people is in the losing side. It is the time for PR to work but not to show off if they really mean by their slogan 'vote for change'.

The decisive factor of winning now is in the non-malay votes. Both BN and PR work hard towards pacifying and accommodating those guys. But what malays could gain from that. Yes integration and racial harmony. What about economy and political power?. You have the answer. Vote wisely.

PTD Exam Result

2009-04-17T08:02:00.000+08:00

After a long break from blogging, i feel like writing again probably because of my excitement on passing the PTD Exam which i took in February. Everybody is happy with the result after i googled 'PTD Exam' or 'PTD Exam Result'. All the happiness is translated into virtual world of blogging. The way i see my performance in the exam is more towards benchmarking my ability to take any exam after 10 months leaving the university. Alhamdulilah, it turns out my brain is still working properly after so many things to achieve this year.

Exam is the last option for you to take after leaving university. But you can't help it because exam is the most important tool even in your career.Be it with government or private sectors. The infamous PTK is always there in the government system. As for private, exam is the gauge for you to pursue professionalism in your field. In another words, you've got to pass any exam organized by board of professional bodies i.e Board of Engineers, Architects or Surveyors. I am taking one professional exam next month which is very important to my progress on becoming a registered professional. That's the main goal in life, to be independent and being able to practise your skills under approval of the laws in Malaysia

It is wonderful to be PTD, having cool title and all the perks. After all, we are all end up being wage earners. I had met great people during PTD exam, executives, lawyers and engineers. Most of them are quite stable already but probably because of job's security and title, they dare to take up new path in life.Good luck to them.

I am for now want to pass my professional exam in the first attempt then I will be the happiest person in the world.

Nothing comes easy in life

Up and running

2009-02-14T21:06:00.000+08:00

I built my own computer at last. Thanks to the internet. You can virtually get any manual from it.

Comments on political turmoil in Perak

2009-02-08T18:58:00.000+08:00

1. Pakatan rakyat should be dismantled. They are what we called 'Mariage of Convenience'. The ideology between parties are very much contradictory. DAP in million years would not accept PAS agenda to create a so called 'Islamic state'.Are we not now a muslim country?. Besides, PKR has now lost its touch after the had achieved what they wanted to achieve. Power. Overwhelmed with greed , they want the power even more.Creating 16th September of fantasy.

2. MB is not chosen by Rakyat but the prerogative of Sultan ultimately. Yes 'wakil rakyat' is chosen by Rakyat. Dato' Seri Nizar was chosen by the Sultan but the truth is DAP has the majority, DAP should have been the MB then if you put aside Sultan prerogative and Undang-Undang Tubuh Perak.

3. Oppositions should exist regardless. DAP represents ultra-chinese. PKR for those who want medium approach. Pas for Islamic agenda. UMNO is pound for pound with the DAP . MIC,MCA and Gerakan for those who want to behold multiculturalism and live with current constitution. Communal politic is there to stay in Malaysia.

4. As cliche as it sounds, BN should do loads of reform.BN for now is the most competent to lead the country. Maybe not in next election. We never know.

5. All the above is my 2 cents. Do not be overzealous in political party frictions. Read history books of where were we before 1969. You may see the light.

Progress

2009-02-01T19:57:00.000+08:00

I've installed PSU, DVD-RW and extra chassis fan in the lower front panel. There is still a lot of things to come but not without trouble. I can assure of that as this is my first build.

A project

2009-01-27T11:52:00.000+08:00

Been dreaming to build my own computer for a long time.This project has finally begun with the purchase of a Cooler Master Elite 330. Now i still got a list of items to buy and more money to throw in. The target is to get a decent system for RM1500 and less.

This is the first step to translate my dream into reality ;P

Work

2009-01-26T10:04:00.000+08:00

After a while i feel like writing again.But i am not sure what to write as life is full of issues and i am not a person who keeps a diary. Problems may come and go. All you can do is sit back and enjoy your TV.

Now am focusing on passing my Land Law exam due in May. Passing rate is always low as to limit people to get into surveying profession. One is to maintain the standard of the profession and the second one is to maintain distribution of income among professional surveyors. The lesser surveyors the bigger the portion of jobs you would get. A cake that you do not want to share with many people. So far this profession remains unpopular among others. Hardly you hear people want to be land surveyor. At most you will hear people want to be quantity surveyor which is a world apart from land surveyor.

This is what i am doing now: