inside-out

Malaysian Christians and politics

2012-01-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

I've written before about how the Christian struggle is not a political one and how we should not be motivated to even attempt to create a more "Christian" nation but in conversation with people, I've decided it is important to stress a separate point regarding the role of Christians as citizens of Malaysia.

The struggle to assert the rights of Christians has been primarily a struggle with the current political administration led by Barisan Nasional, hence it is easy for Christians, experiencing such difficulty, to turn their support toward the government-in-waiting, Pakatan Rakyat. Based on my experience, while most civil themed sermons, speeches and forums in churches have emphasized the importance of being non-partisan and a "third force" in politics, the frustrations that are expressed are almost always against the Barisan Nasional leadership, implying what most know is fact: Malaysian Christians are generally more opposition leaning in their political views.

While there is nothing wrong with a Christian supporting the opposition, it is important to make explicit the fact that as a religious entity, Malaysian Christians are not obligated to be loyal to Pakatan Rakyat, nor should the church, in encouraging Christians to be more engaged in civil and political matters, imply that such engagement be expressed through support for the opposition coalition. This may appear as a trivial fact, but it is one that must be stressed lest our situation degenerate to mirror the American tragedy, where Evangelical Christians are associated almost exclusively as loyal supporters of the Republican Party and it is common for churches to express support for political issues that favor the Republican Party.

In campaigning that Christians be more active participants in the political arena, the leadership of Malaysian churches must be more careful to ensure the message is non-partisan, primarily when they vent frustrations concerning matters that involve the religion. While honest frustration with the ruling authorities is innocent, it can and will be misconstrued by some as a message on which side one should fall in the political game.

Also of equal importance is the message that when Christians be more engaged with civil society, that they make voting decisions not solely on the Christian dimension but considering all other aspects concerning a political party's governing capacity. Government and Christianity overlap on very few platforms, most prominently in the controversial domain of religious freedom. Issues such as the economy, social concerns, education and the redistribution of wealth, however, are where the Bible very often does not suggest very definitively of how things should be executed. We should still apply Christian principles in this arena, but Christian principles may not speak resoundingly of a particular side. Hence, on many issues, being a Christian does not suggest voting a certain direction. Yet, these issues that lack a definitive Christian perspective are still issues that concern us as members of society, hence we must, as responsible Malaysians, make educated and informed decisions concerning these matters. Therefore, as responsible Christians and Malaysians, we must consider all things in casting our votes, not only the issues that identify with our religious concerns, nor should issues of religious concern take precedence over other matters of governance when deciding how to vote.

Just as Jesus' struggle was not a political one, neither is ours. Jesus came to earth to win hearts, not elections, hence our major religious struggle is not to get our way on the political stage or to be a "force to be reckoned with" that politicians have to pander to. In fact that may be one of our least important struggles, as it was very unimportant in the life of Jesus Christ.

resuscitating a dying blog

2012-01-08T16:16:00.001-08:00

After more than a month's break, I am finally updating this forsaken website. Unfortunately, I failed to provide updates about the most stressful and relaxing moments of my life, but I guess I wouldn't be fully stressed out or relaxed if I was paying attention to this blog.

My PhD candidacy oral exam was on the 2nd of December, and thankfully I passed. All the intense studying and build up to this one day was tiring not only mentally but physically as well.

Then, after 2 take home finals, it was a 24 or so hour flight home to Malaysia from Los Angeles via Shanghai. The flight was routine though service was by far below par but that should be expected flying with China Eastern Airlines.

Being home was excellent, there was plenty of time to relax with family in Ipoh and Taiping, with attempts to meet up with people I hadn't seen in ages, not to mention meeting plenty of new peeps at youth camp. Who doesn't love Christmas with it's great food and presents, and nothing beats a 3 day vacation following Christmas on one of the most beautiful beaches (beaches, not resorts) on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia (alright, that is a lot of qualifying, I know, but it was still beautiful.)

Fast forward 4 weeks later and I am about to start my 5th quarter of graduate school. Break was phenomenal and while I am reluctant to return to reality, I am a little more positive about my academic career since the more stressful moments are over and I can now focus on researching topics of interest to me, which is hopefully a more rewarding activity. I am enrolled in 2 classes, which takes up just 6 hours a week, and attend mainly discussions and seminars on current research the rest of the time, as well as supplement instruction for an undergraduate level class. Tomorrow, reality begins.

I would love to return home soon, hopefully at the beginning of summer. Going back really is a great recharge for my batteries so after another 22 weeks of what is hopefully tiring but rewarding research, a trip home would be very satisfying. That has been the last month and a half in a nutshell. Onward 2012!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T09:38:00.001-08:00

It's finally Thanksgiving. We have Thursday and Friday off though it's hard to truly unwind since I have my candidacy exam next Friday. Nevertheless it's nice to be close to the end of the quarter and more importantly, closer to Christmas. Just two and a half weeks more of intense work.

Leave families alone

2011-10-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Najib's call to keep families out of politics is timely and much appreciated. The political arena should be a place where we debate policy not throw mud at opponents in an attempt to smear their moral reputation. It may be radical to say that the moral standing of politicians is irrelevant to their positions, but it definitely should take a back seat to their governing capacity. Their families should be a even less relevant to leadership capacities. It is nice to hear that Najib is taking a stand quite opposite to that of Khairy and Muhyiddin recognizing the dirtiness of this attempt to discredit Lim Guan Eng.

Penang's Hero

2011-10-19T22:01:00.001-07:00

It seems like the media is quite in awe of the leadership that Lim Guan Eng has brought to the state. In August, there was a piece in The Economist that credited Penang's growth to Mr Lim and today Bloomberg publishes an extensive piece highlighting the economic expansion Penang enjoys under the help of the DAP star. Some of the tourism successes that are a result of the UNESCO recognition Penang should be credited to Dr. Koh, whose administration was responsible for getting the Island recognized, but much of the Bloomberg article is accurate. For a first time chief minister, his record has been pretty excellent.

Khairy! Get on the other side of the fence!

2011-10-18T22:51:00.001-07:00

Ever since the massive losses Barisan Nasional faced in 2008, Khairy Jamaluddin has played a tune that resonates more with the young voters the coalition lost on that fateful polling day. Prior to the election, his efforts focused on preserving the NEP and addressing the economic woes of the Malay community. Post election, he became outspoken about press freedom. Shifting his attention from the Malay community to the urban young, Khairy has been set on winning the support of the many who have swayed political power away from Barisan Nasional.

And while typically, he picks his battles well, this time around he hasn't. The Malaysian Insider reports that Khairy Jamaluddin told the opposition they were being critical over the rumors that Lim Guan Eng's son was involved in a sexual assault case since BN leaders had faced such personal attacks from the opposition for years. Khairy posted on twitter:

"Bro, what BN leaders & their families get from opposition is far worse. Don’t be hypocritical,”
"The prob with these ppl is BN leaders & family are fair game. But kena kat diaorang tak boleh."
"So, all the attacks on BN leaders and our families are now OK? That's very consistent."

If he's hoping to win over urban voters with statements that defend mud slinging scumbags, then he needs to think again. What the opposition has done in the past is irrelevant to this situation, or any situation in the future for that matter. When something is wrong, you should condemn it, regardless of which side it comes from. If the opposition throws dirt at the family of a government politician, they are just as wrong, and when it happens or happened, he had and has the right to condemn the action as should all of us

But the fact is, regardless of whether the allegation was true or false, it is not right for a child to be put in the spotlight over such an incident and Khairy should know better than not to defend that child's right. His point that he feels there are double standards is well taken, now maybe it's time he show more concern for the people being slammed unfairly.

Do we shame children publicly when they do wrong? Latest evidence seems to indicate that the story was fabricated making the incident a double negative, and no this isn't mathematics, a double negative isn't a positive.

We're looking for politicians who defend right universally and condemn wrong universally, not someone who tells the wronged to quit whining. I wouldn't be so infuriated if not for the fact that Khairy couldn't come up with a better response to the issue, being a public figure himself and having children we all know he would shield from such negative press in a heartbeat. Yet, not a word of concern, just yapping on double standards. Quit playing politics and be an ethical human being for once.

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen

2011-10-17T23:05:00.002-07:00

Steve Ells, founder of one of one of the most popular fast food chains in the US, Chipotle Mexican Grill, has launched his latest restaurant venture, Shophouse Southeast Asian Kitchen which resembles a urban fast food version of the good ol' Malaysian Economy Rice Stall. Recognizing the growing appeal of Asian flavors among the American public, Steve Ells is marketing green curry, satay, long beans, assam and rice noodles as a cheap and better alternative to the many other fast food joints across the nation. The reality is, he is bringing what has been a very unoriginal Malaysian idea to his country and cashing in on the quick food concept that Malaysians have known for decades.

Malaysian (and Southeast Asian) food really is a cash cow waiting to be slaughtered. No one can deny that our food tastes great and carry depth and complexity. The key to making it big with Malaysian food is to create a global brand, much like the way Airasia and Singapore Airlines make their presence felt in the airline industry. The current pockets of Malaysian restaurants that dot the globe will not make the same kind of impact a trendy, urban eatery like Shophouse will but it really doesn't take too much to take the concept Shophouse has started and make it succeed. Economy rice really is a Malaysian concept to begin with.

Similar concepts? No?

Is there a Malaysian CEO/Entrepreneur out there who will leverage on Malaysian cuisine to create an international brand out of our food? I really think it's a low hanging fruit waiting to be taken. There is plenty of money to be made in taking our cuisine global. If a Malaysian doesn't take advantage of the opportunity, an American will cash in on our culinary heritage and it'll just be too bad for Malaysia. We cannot complain about economic dominance by the west if they are better at seeing potential in our ideas and lifestyles than we are.

Guan Eng's blunder

2011-10-04T21:25:00.001-07:00

I think that Lim Guan Eng isn't fully adjusted to being Chief Minister of Penang yet. It was highly unprofessional of him to promote Penang at the expense of Johor when among Singaporeans. Many may argue that what he said was true, Penang is probably, in the eyes of most, safer than Johor in many ways but he should have just let the successes of his leadership do the talking and stayed away from stepping on other people to get to the top. The general consensus is that he has done well, extremely well for a first timer in administration, and he needs to learn to rest on his laurels.

That being said, he also needs to buck up and get some simple things straight. The parking structure fiasco at the foot of Penang Hill needs to be addressed openly. His administration had plenty of time since they took charge to make sure such mistakes, often thought of as Barisan mistakes, didn't happen yet this one got by and as an opposition leader he would have hounded the government for such mistakes. He must be ready to live up to the standards he set for people when he was on the other side of the fence. His administration is not addressing the problems of Batu Ferringhi either and the chaos is really gaining the DAP's leadership skills bad press. They've been in power for three and a half years and the problem has been in existence for three and a half years. There has to be a solution to the problem and he better hurry up and figure it out before someone dies on that beach and everyone puts the blood on his hands.

He's done well, but that is no excuse to sit back and relax, we still expect more of Lim Guan Eng's leadership in Penang and there is plenty of room for the Penang government to do better.

Accesible but elite

2011-10-04T21:14:00.002-07:00

Rockybru argues that our prime ministers are accessible. They do not engage in excessive and expensive security procedures, they don't arrive places in massive entourages, portraying self-centeredness and personal elevation. Mahathir, Pak Lah and Najib have managed to remain fairly modest in their public persona (besides attempts to portray Rosnah Mansor, for some reason probably the Malaysian public's least favorite PM's wife, as extravagant and one to splurge.)

I think it is important that we keep the spending of our Prime Minister's in check. I agree with Singapore, that it is important to pay national leaders well to attract the best people to the position and alleviate corruption, and what the Prime Minister does with his personal paycheck is his prerogative but what he does on our paycheck is not his prerogative. Excessive security measures and extravagant spending on large entourages accompanying the Prime Minister on his visits is an unnecessary waste of public money. Sure it mirrors the ways of the US and the UK but the leaders there are in actual risk of being harmed because they represent nations that bomb the middle east on a daily basis. I'm not implying that our leaders do away with security or not take security measures seriously, but that they be careful in making such decisions as they travel that they not incur unnecessary costs.

One unnecessary cost is the private Airbus A319 for travel by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. They spent RM9 million to lease the plane from GLC Penerbangan Malaysia for official use, something that has been done since 2007, under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership. I think our leader's can and should settle for Malaysia Airlines' First Class with the world's best cabin crew. If the argument is security, then well, they need to think long and hard about the threat our leaders face on commercial airlines in this day and age. I am not the most informed person on the issue, I admit, but I'd argue, people aren't rushing to blow up planes carrying our nation's leaders. If the argument is time and scheduling, then I say RM9 million suggests that our leaders' time is worth a hell of a lot of money. They'd better be delivering on every promise they make us!

Funny thing is that Rocky was all the fuss about Pak Lah's decision to rent the plane, but has been silent about Najib's decision to continue using the plane.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Najib boarded a bus to meet people in Perak. He said he wanted to do away with protocol and relate to the people. Ironically, his bus was everything but a symbol of relating to the people. It was more like a pimped out ride that symbolized elite and special standing. Who knows how much that cost. If he wanted to relate better, a Proton Saga or a ticket to board the KTM ETS may have been a better idea.

I understand this issue is petty, I'll be the first to admit that it isn't large enough an amount of spending to make a significant difference to our nation's budget. But one learns many things from the small things a politician does and private jets and pimped out buses send the wrong signals to me. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, maybe I'm underestimating the importance of security for our nation's leaders in promoting and sustaining stabilized governance, but in all honestly, I want my Prime Minister to be reasonable in everything, even the small things like how much he spends to travel for point A to point B.

Proverbs 30:7-9

2011-10-02T13:25:00.001-07:00

⁷ “Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: ⁸ Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. ⁹ Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Proverbs 30:7-9

update

2011-10-01T22:22:00.002-07:00

Just under 9 weeks to go. The first week of school has been hectic and busy, but I hope that if I can keep up the current pace, by week 4 or 5, I will have knocked out all that I need to do for one of my classes leaving me with just two classes and studying for my comprehensive oral exam.

It's been very tiring, long days all week but it's just something I need to get accustomed to. Fingers crossed, 9 weeks of intense work will mean a following 3 1/2 years of less hectic scrambling and pressure.

It's honestly been an uneventful couple of days. I expect the rest of the quarter to be much the same so I won't bore you with unnecessary details. That's it!

No Hope for Panglima Lane

2011-09-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

t is unfortunate that Dr. Mah Hang Soon, on behalf of the Perak Government has announced that they will not provide funds to help repair damaged properties along the famed Panglima Lane, also known as "Concubine Lane," in Ipoh. Dr Mah argues that it would be unfair to channel public funds towards the repairs of private property.

What needs to change is our perception of heritage buildings. The government clearly thinks of these buildings as privately owned and hence wield little authority and influence over the future of the many heritage buildings that are scattered across this once lively and booming city. This is why Ipoh-ites have to watch helplessly as shophouses rich in history and architecture are torn down and replaced by boring and cost effective designs that reflect more accurately the lacklustre this city is now known for. These buildings are privately owned and hence, private owners can do as they please. If Ipoh were a wealthy metropolis like Singapore or a world renowned tourist destination like Penang, this approach would do just fine as people would restore shophouses to their original form to rake in profits from tourism. Boutique Hotels in shophouses are more than common in Georgetown and Singapore. Ipoh is, unfortunately, just not one of those cities yet.

With Visit Perak Year 2012 just around the corner, the state government is trying to help transform the city so it is more like Georgetown and Singapore. It is leveraging on the glory days of Ipoh's past to attract tourists to the state capital. Yet, it is a shame that while it pays lip service to the intent to preserve Ipoh's past, it is unwilling to break away from the perspective that heritage properties that are privately owned are not their responsibility. Heritage properties like shophouses along Panglima Lane cannot be viewed wholly as private property because the heritage that they carry belong to everyone in Ipoh, not just the owners of the shophouses. The state is trying to promote Panglima Lane for the benefit of tourism in the entire city and state , hence it should not expect the private owners of these properties to bear all the costs for maintenance of these heritage buildings.

The buildings on Panglima Lane have visual and historical appeal and if the owners of these buildings cannot afford to maintain such valued architecture, then these buildings will be replaced by ugly and unexciting renovations that the owners can afford, or worse, they will continue to decay until they have to be demolished. It is certainly not the fault of the owners for having insufficient funds but it should not be the case that we allow a lack of funds to hinder the preservation of our past. If the government won't look at shophouses on Panglima Lane as part of their responsibility then hopefully there are NGOs out there that will step in and try and raise the money to maintain and improve the buildings in this famed area. If we want to preserve heritage then we must be willing to put our money where are mouths are. Panglima Lane tells a story that belongs to all Ipoh-ites, it is unfair to put all the costs of such preservation entirely on the owners of these sites.

I do believe the solution to Ipoh's heritage restoration woes lies in a concerted effort to provide financial aid and opportunities so that we do not lose the many beautiful old structures around the city. If the state government, with the aid of NGOs like the Kinta Heritage Group can identify buildings of historical value and then create a fund that will help private owners fund the restoration of these properties, we could see more buildings being restored which will help Ipoh create a tourist industry centered around its colorful and wealthy past. If we want to stimulate the local economy via tourism, then we must consider the rehabilitation of historical buildings as an investment that will hopefully pay off for us in the future. If we can help private owners restore the many shophouses in Ipoh to their original designs, there will be so much worth seeing in Ipoh that tourists will flock to see the city that tin built.

Let's hope that a lack of financial support isn't a reason that will see us lose another historic area in Ipoh. We've lost many historically valuable buildings already, if nothing is done, we will lose many more.

and the year begins

2011-09-16T00:24:00.001-07:00

The summer has come to an end. I start school again next week, it'll be a twelve week sprint til Christmas. Today is my last day in my current apartment. I move for the third time in a year tomorrow. Most of my new apartment is put together, at least my room is, It came unfurnished so there is some work to be done to get the living room together, but thanks to craigslist it should be pretty affordable to furnish the place nicely.

Nothing too interesting has been going on. I'm working on my replication paper as usual, trying to get as much of it done as possible. Besides that, I've been packing and getting ready for the move.

On another note, Happy Malaysia Day. I think the government's announcement of the repeal of the ISA and a bunch of other laws and acts is long overdue and a step in the right direction. It's good to see the government trying to appease the demands of a society more conscious of its civil liberties. What is ironic that not too long ago, many in BN were still defending the ISA, there was no indication that this move was to come, which reveals the disconnect between Najib and the rest of the leaders in his coalition, or the sincerity of Najib's decision to repeal the ISA. That being said, I admit I may be reading too much into the whole ordeal; we should be thankful that progressive change is coming to this country. Najib's administration is showing that it is capable of leaving behind old ways as times change and credit must be given where it is due.

summer is almost over!

2011-08-30T21:17:00.003-07:00

It's almost the end of summer. In 3 weeks, I start my first quarter as a second year graduate student at UCI and in 14 weeks I will finally be on a jet plane home. I still have a good amount of replicating to do; ideally I'd have it done in the next 3 weeks though as the days pass that is looking less and less like a possibility.

I have resigned from my position as a CA because of visa issues. I found out I can't both CA and TA during the academic year so I let go of the lower paying position. I'm not too upset about it because I quickly found a way to keep myself busy; I'm picking up an extra class for the quarter because it may not be offered again in the 5 years that I'll be here. I'm moving right across the street to an unfurnished apartment, a spot I was offered very timely. It's really cheap rent, the cheapest you can get around these parts so I'm happy and furniture is cheap when you rely on craigslist and ikea.

I'm sorta ready for the summer to end, and for the quarter to get going. Mostly because I'm ready to be home for Christmas and be done with all the work I have to do. In the next 15 weeks or so I have to pass two classes, finish my replication paper and pass my oral comprehensive exams. If I can do that, I will receive my masters and be on a plane home for what will be the best Christmas break of my life.

Just got to make it there....

Berkeley and San Francisco

2011-08-24T20:56:00.016-07:00

UC Berkeley campus

San Francisco Street Car
The Fed at San Francisco
Russian Sailboat at the pier
Lombard Street, the crookedest street in San Francisco
The view from Sausalito

The view from above the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge

Palace of the Fine Arts

august update

2011-08-23T19:57:00.002-07:00

Since my last post, I've been busy with all sorts of stuff. We moved old residents out of the apartment complex, oversaw the cleaning and maintenance of the apartments across the span of a week, then moved a whole load of new residents in the following week. I spent many many hours working but everything was timely because I took off to Berkeley for an Energy and Environmental Economics conference for a week.

Berkeley was a great time, the city carries a strong and unique culture, it has a lot of interesting little stores, plenty of great food at cheap prices, and much to see and do. I spent all 5 week days in conference in the morning and afternoon but had the rest of the day to myself to roam around the streets and try out the many great restaurants and hole-in-the-wall joints serving cheap eats.

The conference ended Friday and I headed over to Hsien Shoong's place in Pleasant Hill. He was a very skilled tour guide the next two days as I visited the many tourist attractions San Francisco has to offer. I'll post pictures of the many places I visited in my next post. I got back Monday and spent all of that day getting life back together. There was plenty of laundry, grocery shopping, catching up with sleep and cleaning to do.

The goal is to kick it into gear and pump out this replication paper I have been putting off all summer. I made significant progress this afternoon and plan to continue such productivity over the weeks to come. I decided to sign up for an extra class for the fall quarter in the economics of aviation and that means I will be busier than I thought in the fall which is giving me a bit more motivation to pump out this replication paper ahead of schedule.

I've mentioned Crazy Love, by Francis Chan in a previous post, but I haven't talked up the book and done in justice here. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND anyone to get a hold of the book and read it, slowly and thoughtfully; then, to take positive action in the direction the book compels. I've been reading it with my bible study and it took me a while to get into the groove of the book, but once Chapter Three hit, it was hard to ignore the points he was making. Read it with friends, read it alone, but in the end, think about how you can be apart of what the book highlights as what we've been called to do.

update

2011-08-09T20:54:00.005-07:00

So the summer has been moving along. Not too much has been going on. For the last week and this week, I've been working a lot with the apartment complex. Last week, we moved out a lot of residents whose leases with us ended and this week we are prepping to move in a bunch of residents so there has been a lot to do and plenty of hours to put in.

I leave for Berkeley on Monday for a Environmental Economics "summer school
program for a week. I stay on for the weekend to visit the San Francisco area. It'll be a nice change of pace from here and a great all-expense paid vacation.

When I get back, there will be just a month left of the summer before school starts up again for the year. Hopefully getting closer to the end will give me greater motivation to do a lot more with my replication paper. I've been stuck for a long while and was finally given more to work with tonight. This means that, if all goes well, I'll have a fair amount to work on up until school starts. Ideally I'd like to be done replicating the data before the school year begins though I am far from motivated to make that happen.

Here are a couple of pictures from the Farmer's Classic at UCLA a couple of weeks ago:

A very poor shot of Del Potro in training:

Nations Divided

2011-07-30T15:14:00.003-07:00

As of the time of writing, the US Congress cannot come to an agreement that will raise the debt ceiling to allow the US government to continue to meet its financial obligations. The country has never defaulted on payments in its history yet is coming remarkably close to doing so for the first time because of a political divide in Congress which seems insistent on avoiding compromise. John Boehner's bill was rejected in the Senate yesterday and Harry Reid's proposal turned down by the House today. This means, come August 2nd, there will not be enough money in the US Treasury to write out checks to the people they need to pay.

Nassim Taleb in Black Swan talks about how more information is not always a good thing. Sometimes more information clutters and confusing making us less able to see and understand reality. He suggests that as humans we find it comfortable and positive to expose ourselves to self affirming perspectives and information. We are not comfortable with information that challenges us or attempts to show us wrong. We like to read things that reinforce our existing opinions, hence cementing and strengthening our assurance in such opinions.

It would make sense then, that with greater exposure to information, Americans have become more engrossed in their political positions and unwilling to compromise on the beliefs they hold which is probably why the Republican led House of Representatives and the Democrat led Senate are unable to agree on a bill that would lead to a solution that would raise the debt limit. Even John Boehner has been unable to round up his Republican mates to back his bill suggesting individuals are so firm in their ideology and values that they are choosing not to work even with the people they are most closely aligned to - fellow Republicans.

I wonder if the emergence of the internet and uncensored sources of information will cause the same situation in Malaysia. Are Malaysians becoming further ingrained into political positions because of expose to excessive amounts of information that reaffirm their ideas and beliefs. There is no denying the strengthening of support for opposition parties since the rise of political blogs and news portals, most of which are anti-establishment and bear an opposition slant in news reporting (Malaysiakini.) Will Malaysians, today blessed with a multitude of news and political sources be capable of discerning biased from honest news reporting, or will they choose to accept those sources that are in accordance with their preconceived notions, ignoring truth simply because they are too comfortable to face facts that challenge their existing positions.

Are we talking ourselves down a road where eventually, we will be a nation divided, so stubbornly confident that our way is the only right way that we are incapable of living out the kindergarten lesson of working with others. Will we be so divided that we risk driving the nation to the ground the way Congress is driving America to the ground? Let's hope that we aren't. Let's hope that as a nation we will remain open minded politically and be humble enough to accept that we are not always right. Let's hope that as a nation, we will question all that we hear and read and see, even if it means questioning information that affirms our thoughts and comforts our hearts. The greatest deceit disguises itself as truth by appealing to human nature and not to the mind.

summer readings

2011-07-23T19:50:00.005-07:00

I had more ambitious reading plans for the summer but time seems to be flying by a little faster than I planned so I will probably accomplish less than I'd have initially intended.

I've read The Big Short by Michael Lewis. Anyone wanting to understand why the Great Recession of 2008 happened just needs to pick this up. Michael Lewis is a financial journalist who retells important stories of people central to the financial meltdown that brought the largest financial and insurance giants to their knees.

I enjoyed reading it despite having a quite strong disregard for the financial system and it's works which says a lot.

I'm now reading Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb which was a lot more philosophical than I expected. I was expecting a critique of statistical methods but the book takes on a lot more. So far it's been pretty good. Hopefully I can finish it by mid-week. It's enlightening but not the most engaging read so I'm looking forward to moving on to something else.

At the same time, I'm reading a chapter a week of Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It's a really really good book and written in a way that makes one uncomfortable which is always a powerful ability. I've got 5 chapters to go. So far it's been great.

Najib on CNN

2011-07-14T22:18:00.003-07:00

The Singapore Strait Times shares a CNN clip of an interview with Najib in England. I have to say he side steps most of the questions and provides very general Sarah Palin like answers. It comes across like he doesn't know how to answer any of the questions or understand the details of the European and American financial problems and how they relate to Malaysia. Oh Well.

A Barisan Blunder

2011-07-10T22:08:00.003-07:00

The police messed up. Anticipating chaos, they overreacted and responded with unnecessary roughness and forcefulness shaming both the country and the federal government they serve. Video footage shows Bersih 2.0 participants were peaceful, calm and hardly threatening but that police effort to stop them from congregating was excessive and aggressive. The use of water cannons and tear gas on a crowd that was walking peacefully portrayed the police and federal government as autocratic and intolerant of dissent and will definitely see Najib's ratings plummet.

On the political front, Barisan Nasional made a terrible move while Pakatan Rakyat played their cards right. BN's stubborn attitude,refusing to acknowledge Bersih, choosing to oppose their every move, from declaring them illegal to denying them a permit to use Stadium Merdeka further alienated urban voters whom they need most if they are to wrestle back the states of Penang and Selangor as well as win back parliamentary seats in Kuala Lumpur. Their decision to align themselves with the Election Commission instead of Bersih has washed away the support they had regained when Najib took to power and showed greater authority and competency than his predecessor.

BN was hoping PR's support for Bersih 2.0 would taint its neutrality and deem it partisan. The public is sick of party line bickering and want results. BN figured they would not be drawn to Bersih since Anwar and gang decided to jump on the bandwagon. Yet, though to an extent hijacked by Pakatan Rakyat, Bersih managed to maintain a non-partisan position, enough so that they drew the crowds like they did the last time around. It helped that figures like Marina Mahathir and A Samad Said took to the streets. They are hardly political and lent credibility to Ambiga's cause. Even Matthias Chang was critical of the BN approach to Bersih and seemed to lend support to the organization.

The campaign has once again shown how politically savvy Anwar Ibrahim is and how capable he is of stirring up support. Not to long ago, sentiment seemed to be swaying away from Anwar, especially with the lack of success PKR has had in leading the state government of Selangor. Yet, Anwar was smart to align himself and his affiliates with Bersih 2.0. The worst case scenario was that BN supported the event too and there was electoral reform (which would probably work in his favor) and the best case scenario was that BN opposed it in full force and drove the "rakyat's" support to PKR which is exactly what happened.

BN is probably sitting at some table now figuring out what to do next. Damage control to win back urban support would be to acknowledge that some police force was excessive, get a couple of fall guys in PDRM and have them bear the blame. But blind support for the police force will see the country polarized further between urban and rural, those working for government institutions and those working in the private sector.

Hishammuddin Hussein has to bear some of the responsibility here and work fast to do damage control. The police force comes under his watch and much of this is his fault. Najib needs to realize Hishammuddin is not helping his cause and reassign him, or at the very least address his cousin's approach to the Home Ministry. Otherwise, Najib may want to put off elections til the end of 2013 to give him more time to win back support

On another note, the lack of support Perkasa attracted suggests that few really care about their opinions and that the newspapers are giving Ibrahim Ali more attention than he deserves. Surprisingly, The Star, known for its MCA slants, is one of those culprits. They need to realize he is a voice that speaks very alone, and therefore warrants little attention. We don't publicize the thoughts of a single crazy man on the street, likewise we should give Ibrahim Ali the same treatment.

update

2011-07-08T14:17:00.002-07:00

Things have been moving slowly and fairly uneventfully the last couple of weeks. I'm supposed to be slaving away at my replication paper but I've been procrastinating and lacking the discipline to stick to my schedule and hence little has been done on that front. I will need to make myself work much harder in the next couple of weeks to get it done. The problem is I have more than enough time if I start working at a heavy pace now so there is little motivation to be working hard.

Besides that I've been working the desk at my apartment complex a fair amount. I have most of my hours front loaded in July giving me flexibility to plan things for later in the summer. I've been running and swimming a lot too and the plan is to cook more and try out new recipes. Mexican food is the project of the moment. I've also started reading "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis. I've been told it will be a good read.

That has been my summer in a nutshell. I really need to buckle down and get to business, otherwise the next year or so will be more difficult than it should be.

Bersih 2.0

2011-07-03T10:24:00.004-07:00

It seems inevitable that a post regarding Bersih 2.0 be made since the event has grown to epic proportions. I am pretty neutral about the situation and here's why:

The public has a right to public demonstrations. Freedom of speech is foundational to democracy and if we outlaw demonstrations we infringe on this freedom. The continual argument that street demonstrations are not the "Malaysian way" is contradictory to the fact that we won independence largely because of street demonstrations. The Malayan Union was stopped by the Malays because of the demonstrations they put on. Taking their emotions and passion to the street, they stopped what they felt was the formation of an institution contrary to their intentions. Street demonstrations are part of Malaysian culture and to deny that is to be ignorant of where we came from and how we have come to be this nation. Therefore such arguments are no grounds to make illegal Bersih 2.0 and the Barisan Nasional government is wrong in taking such action.

That being said, the argument that the demonstration is non-partisan is difficult to defend because of Pakatan Rakyat's prominence in the event. Pakatan Rakyat leaders have been talking about Bersih 2.0 all week and their voice has become even more pronounce making me wonder if it isn't just about the campaign for free and fair elections but it has become an opportunity to look good and make Barisan Nasional look bad. Unlike many, I question the sincerity of Pakatan Rakyat. Many times they seem to stand for the rakyat, but there are reasons to suggest that they are in it for themselves as well. Failing miserably to meet the NGO quota for local councilors is an example of this. The purpose of the NGO quota was to provide a stronger non-partisan voice in administration therefore NGO reps that are also members of Pakatan Rakyat do not serve that purpose. Bersih 2.0 has very noble purposes but the fact that it is supported by one party and not another creates the risk that it will be converted into an anti-government campaign rather than a non partisan effort to clean up the polling system.

The feasibility of getting polls cleaned up through a street demonstration is a questionable issue. No one likes being challenged in such an aggressive manner, so the likelihood that the Election Commission is going to respond favorably to a campaign like Bersih 2.0 is close to zero. Then again, one can make the argument that this is a last resort tactic. There are serious issues with how our polls are run. The urban voter is highly underrepresented in parliament and it is clear that seats are allocated to favor certain parties more than others. The things the demonstration is trying to achieve are indeed necessary demands and the fact that they have not been addressed in years despite how obvious they are suggests that maybe something radical needs to be done for attention to be called to it.

I'm glad that the King has intervened because UMNO Youth and Perkasa's decision to protest the protest continues to fan the flame of discontent and divide within the country. May 13th 1969 was because two parties took to the streets; why one would do that again is beyond my understanding, then again Perkasa stands for ideas that are so behind the times and most often beyond my understanding, so their irrational behavior should be expected. You can't fight fire with fire so the anti-Bersih campaign is a sign of stupidity. It doesn't help the situation in anyway and is merely reactionary and emotional with no backing substance. At least Bersih 2.0 is backed by solid arguments that want to be heard. Protesting someone else's protest is hardly profound or intelligent. The members of Perkasa and UMNO Youth will listen to the King and that he is asking for negotiations might help simmer things a little (though I thought the King's address was a little too partisan but that is not something I want to get into)

All in all I think that I wouldn't walk for Bersih 2.0 if I was in Malaysia even though I agree with the principles the march stands for and the demands the campaign is making for a more democratic nation. I think Pakatan Rakyat has hijacked the campaign for its own political gain and that the Election Commission is too arrogant and comfortable with its closeness to the Barisan Nasional government to be concerned with changing anything in a dramatic fashion. Plus the escalations brought upon by the anti-Bersih campaign makes the whole thing ridiculous and to an extent dangerous. Regardless, Bersih has made its point whether they march this next weekend or not. Hopefully Najib knows now that there is much to do to win over the urban votes he needs to stay in power and will allow reform of the polling system so that things are a little more fair.

Hiking in Malibu

2011-07-01T20:56:00.006-07:00

A couple of friends and I went hiking up a trail in Malibu where the end was a pretty nice waterfall. To get there we had to pass some pretty wealthy homes. Malibu is supposedly home to celebrities like Tom Hanks, Robert Downing Jr, Sean Penn, Leonardo Di Caprio, Jennifer Aniston and a host of other famous people. Here's a home with its own tennic court and vineyard among other things.
It was about a 2 mile hike up which was well worth it because this awaits you at the end.

Vernacular Schools in a Plural Malaysia

2011-06-27T12:13:00.003-07:00

The Malaysian Insider reports that Tony Pua defends the decision by Chinese parents to send their children to vernacular schools claiming that national schools have seen a deterioration in quality and this has caused Chinese parents to send their children to Chinese schools which provide better quality education. Tony Pua's argument is that the Chinese are not trying to maintain segregation they just want their children to receive good quality education. He suggests that we improve national type schools (by resolving the layers of separation that take the top Malay students out of public schools to more elite boarding schools) and by restoring the quality of students that attend national type schools, the Chinese will be more keen to sent their children to national schools.

To an extent, Tony Pua is right. The Chinese are pragmatic, and their priority is quality education, not the preservation of the Chinese language and culture. That being said, it is still fair to place blame for lack of national integration on the racial segregation in our education system. The existence of Chinese schools is a barrier to racial integration in society, there is no way we can hide that fact.

The fact that hundreds of thousands of Chinese students go through 17 years of their life never ever making friends that are of races other than their own at school is clearly problematic. How can the Chinese understand the ways of the Malays and Indians if they don't have friends who are Malays or Indians, and if they do it isn't many, especially considering the fact that the majority of the Malaysian population is Malay and not Chinese. Vernacular schools, especially Chinese ones are producing citizens who do not understand the culture and values of the majority race of the nation. Most of them don't even speak the language of the majority race well. These people then become voters responsible for policy and administration of a nation they do not understand. It is no surprise voting patterns are as racially influenced as they are.

Tony Pua's argument for better Malay schools is fair. We need to do all we can to attract the pragmatic Chinese to attend national type schools. But the issue is two-pronged. While we improve national type schools, as true Malaysians, the Chinese should think, what can we do to improve national type schools. What can we do to make the education system more wholistic and less racially divided. The removal of vernacular schools will do exactly this. I don't mean to imply we shut down Chinese schools, but that we make them less Chinese. Conduct day to day activities in Malay, not Chinese. the school can still teach Chinese and maintain the many extra-curricular activities that Chinese schools excel in like the Chinese orchestra, Chinese language societies, etc, but at the same time, these schools need to be more welcoming to the non-Chinese population as well.

The fact is that vernacular schools are a tremendous obstacle to national unity. We cannot fully blame the Chinese for sending their children to these schools, but we can blame the Chinese for their hardened insistence on the existence of these schools in spite of the harm they do to our culture as a nation. Let us not forget that a united nation is one where the citizens fully understand the diverse cultures and practices of others who live around them. Vernacular schools make no effort to realize such an important element of education. The value is key to the sustenance of democracy in plural societes. If we continue to insist on being separatists, then we continue to undermind the ability for democracy to work within our nation. If we want our voice to be heard, we have to know and consider the voices of others also.

summer update

2011-06-27T12:05:00.002-07:00

It is week 3 of the summer. I spent all of last week in CA training which was long hours and pretty boring though it is nice to have the bulk of my responsibilities for that job done. I have weekly meetings and 9 days of duty but nothing else. The greatest perk was probably free lunches since I don't eat out ever and all our meals were taken care of, either at restaurants or catered to the site.

I'm taking this week off, using the time to enjoy Wimbledon, run some errands and just relax.

Next week I'll start work on my replication paper which should take at least a month, most likely two or three to complete.

new apartment

2011-06-20T22:52:00.006-07:00

I moved into a studio since I started work this Monday as a Community Assistant in a different apartment complex. I can't complain about the living conditions. Though the apartment is smaller than my old place it is also more efficient since there is less to clean. My only complaint, no more balcony with a great view and the kitchen is a smaller than what I used to have.

summer 2011

2011-06-15T21:02:00.002-07:00

I'm a week into summer vacation but haven't had the time to update since I've been real busy. I got done with finals last Thursday and a couple of friends from Missouri flew in as I finished my last final. I've been living the tourist life from then until today when they left back for Kansas City.

We packed a lot into this one week kicking it off with a taping of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" where we were given front row seats and got to high five Leno himself, earning ourselves a couple of seconds of international TV fame. We also checked out the Hollywood sign and the Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre, Kodak Theatre, Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Balboa Island and Peninsular and caught an Angels-Royals game in Anaheim.

Since then it's been a lot of laundry and cleaning. I move into my new apartment sometime this week I imagine. I have not heard a word about moving in dates but I start training on Monday and figure they want me moved in by then. I've started packing some and will try to get most of it done by tomorrow in case I get a surprise request to move in Friday.

The summer is going well. There is still plenty to do, after I'm done with training, I have work and my replication paper to accomplish. Hoping it's a good summer.

4 days away!

2011-06-05T22:45:00.002-07:00

Come Thursday I will be done with what has been the most academically challenging period of my life. I will survive and live to tell the stories of the first year of a phd in Economics. I am very very ready to be done and am very excited to be done with the year's course material.

My friend's get in from Missouri this Thursday, at about the same time I finish my last final. They will be here for a week after which I will move to my new apartment and start work as a Community Assistant in that apartment complex. Through most of July I plan to complete my replication paper that is a program requirement and hopefully do the necessary extensions to the paper in August. I am also attending a week long environmental economics program at UC Berkeley in August and may try to squeeze in a visit back to Missouri at the end of August or in early September.

Right now my focus should be on the three finals ahead but I can't help looking forward to what comes after Thursday. It's been 9 months since I first began this crazy program and thousands of work hours later, it is finally reaching its end. Summer 2011 here I come.

update

2011-05-22T13:47:00.002-07:00

Three weeks away from the end of the first year. I cannot wait to be done and it can't come soon enough. It's been a long nine and a half months and a period of relaxation is long over due.

A couple of friends are coming in from Missouri the day of my last final which will be a good time. I'll get to do all the tourist-y stuff around here and in LA that I've not had time to do since I got here.

Lately its been a lot of studying and homework. The quarter has been easier than the others but it still is harder than most other things I could be doing with my life. Since finals are getting close, there is a lot of material to go over and remember. Life hasn't been too interesting and outside of studying and homework I have nothing to report. The weather is fair but not warm like you'd expect from Southern California. Hopefully the sun comes out a bit more over the next couple of weeks.

I start work as a CA June 20th which means sometime before that I will be moving to a new apartment complex. Besides that I don't have concrete plans for much during the summer. A trip back to Missouri would be nice but depending on ticket prices that may or may not happen.

A "Christian" Malaysia?

2011-05-16T21:33:00.003-07:00

Christianity seems have taken a more aggressive position in the nation's headlines lately, from the case of Lina Joy to the Allah controversy to the alleged attempt to make Malaysia a "Christian" nation, whatever that means.

That the forefront Christian authorities have stepped up and taken a more prominent presence in the country is both a good and a bad thing. There are certain issues where Christians should stand up and be counted. Personally, I think the use of the word "Allah" is one of those issues. But at the same time, a more distinct presence publicly leads to a more political and nationalistic image, one Christianity in our country should do without. The last thing we want is for people, both Christians and non-Christians to think that the struggles of Christianity have a political dimension. Jesus said to turn the other cheek. The last thing we want to be is a religious entity that constantly demands for its rights. It is hardly the gracious example Jesus set for us.

Jesus made it a point to emphasize that his struggle was not a political one and that God's struggle wasn't political either. Jesus came to save his people not from the oppression of external political forces. He came not to free them from the Romans but to free his people from the oppression and tyranny that came from within themselves. The mission of Christ isn't to create a utopian political structure here on earth; yes it is to bring a piece of heaven to earth (Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven) but that means he wants individuals to act as they would in heaven, not for us to influence or transform governmental institutions such that they behave in a "Christian" manner.

The stronger presence of the Roman Catholic Church, the Council of Churches of Malaysia and the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship needs to be supported by a concerted effort to emphasize that no attempt is being made to redirect the Christian struggle into a nationalistic mission. As Christians, we are called to live as Jesus did and to allow his story to be a testimony to others. We are not called to make the country more "Christian" or force others to behave as "Christians." We are not called to make laws more "Christian" or place more Christians in governmental positions so that the country is more "Christian." We should be less obsessed with how everyone and everything else can be more "Christian" and more obsessed with how we can be more like Christ.

Our prayers should not be for a Christian nation or a Christian Prime Minister. It should be for more courage that we as individuals behave more like Christ. Personally, I don't think the religion of the Prime Minister of Malaysia affects God's agenda in any way and the idea of a Christian nation is just confusing. How is a nation Christian? By replacing its laws with only those specified in the Bible? By forcing everyone in the country to be Christian or to adhere to Christian principles?

The world is a better place when we live according to His word, when we live the example he set for us. He healed, he cared and he forgave.

apartment complex

2011-05-15T14:20:00.015-07:00

This is where I live. This brick road runs through the entire complex with apartments to the left and right.
This is the graduate villa, with the office, lounges, study rooms mailboxes and other facilities:

This is the view of my apartment building from the brick road
One of 4 pools in the vicinity:
And these are the undergraduate apartments. Everyone lives in luxury in the OC

This is the view from my apartment balcony of another housing community across the street which houses undergrads. It's brand new and even more posh than the one I live in.

my apartment

2011-05-14T10:49:00.009-07:00

I finally bought batteries for my camera and so I took pictures of my apartment. Later, I'll post more pictures of the surrounding area.

The kitchen

Living Room

Bathroom

Bedroom

extending the olive branch

2011-05-13T23:09:00.002-07:00

Though I wish The Malaysian Insider worked on a more comprehensive survey before churning out this article, they hit home at a point worth mentioning and highlighting. The Malaysian Chinese community give little regard for Bahasa Malaysia and many in the community do not speak it well and have no urge to learn it well.

The Chinese have always been a practical race. They emphasize utility over aesthetics, art, culture and history. Hence the Malay language, which carries little business and international value is of no practical use to the Chinese and given little to no weight. It's the reason why Chinese families insist on the existence of sending their children to Chinese schools. Mandarin has business and international value and hence takes priority over Malay. I know plenty of people who have recited this exact repertoire repeatedly.

The Chinese community has a point, though it is a narrow minded and ignorant one. Mandarin is important and a useful language, there is no doubt to that fact but that Malay isn't important is an assessment that reflects the lack of dimension inherent in Malaysian Chinese (and possibly,more generally, Chinese immigrant) culture. The disregard for the Malay language can be attributed to the inability of the Chinese community to understand the social expectations and virtues of other communities; despite more than 50 years of co-existance with other races, many among the class of "strong ethnically Chinese" have failed to realize the vast diversity of culture that surrounds them.

To almost any culture, a foreigner's grasp of the local language is an expression of goodwill, the extension of an olive branch, a sign of cooperation and respect. American's are filled with disrespect for people who settle in America but refuse to learn to speak English. The French have always been snooty about people who don't try to speak French in France. It probably isn't too unfair to claim that the Chinese have the same view of the subject. Yet, more than 50 years after being extended the rights to citizenship, the Malaysian Chinese community still strongly resents the learning of Malay and finds it a necessary evil to living in Malaysia. It is viewed a chore and obstacle to success to have to learn a language that is of little practical use. It is easy to understand why Malays are skeptical and distrust the Chinese community. The Chinese don't even respect their language, how can they be expected to respect their culture and ways of life.

The argument that this land is our land too is a message will not resonate with the Malay community if the Chinese insist to hold tightly to their "Chinese" ways of emphasizing languages of "utility" over the language of solidarity and peacemaking. Learning and mastering Malay will show the Malay community that the Chinese appreciate the Malay community and are willing to work with the Malay community. Language is to many cultures and extension of the people group themselves. To master the Malay language requires understanding the culture of the Malay people. To respect the Malay language is a sign of respect for their culture also. We want all Malaysians to be treated equally, yet the Chinese insist on existing as a separate entity, with their own schools, language and housing areas, showing a total disregard for the Malay race.

That we don't think it important to master Malay shows how inept the Chinese are at understanding human relations. We are a race that does not know how to make friends. In 50 years we still haven't shown the Malays that we are their friend. No wonder they hold tight to the NEP and Malay/Muslim rights. They don't trust us and rightly so, because we lack the ability to show that we are trustworthy. We don't give in yet expect them to give in to us.

Don't get me wrong, I don't support the NEP and think that affirmative action policies should be geared towards any individual regardless of race or nationality for that matter. It is the 21st century and we cannot be making decisions based on skin color anymore. That being said, I can see why communities are wary of each other and reluctant to treat everyone equally. The Chinese are arrogant and hard to work with. They don't give in and don't know how to respect others. The shallowness of Chinese values is in part to blame for the fractions that divide the nation today.

If we tear down some of the walls, a.k.a private Chinese schools, public Chinese schools, Chinese educationist groups, Chinese political parties and attempt to understand the Malay community, then maybe it will be easier for them to treat us as equals

Pakatan States

2011-05-08T20:26:00.003-07:00

Pakatan Rakyat was been given the mandate to govern 4 new states, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor. It was quite an achievement that a contiguous part of the West Coast voted for the very first time for a new party to take control of government. While we all know how Perak was eventually grabbed by UMNO, Pakatan Rakyat has had the chance to prove the people that they are a serious force and worthy contender to Barisan Nasional but haven't performed to excellently over the past 3 years.

Penang, led by the DAP is probably the proudest success of Pakatan Rakyat but it is true that the real star is Lim Guan Eng and his immediate team. It remains unclear how well everyone else in his administration is contributing to the success he has brought to the state. If they are to progress further, he needs to bring together a stronger team and highlight the capabilities of everyone else running the state with him. The state and many of its municipal councils are doing much better financially but much of this is because of higher quit rent rates and not more prudent spending. Guan Eng has not been able to answer the critics on this one. If he wants to gain true respect, he'll need to show how his spending and not revenues have been impressive and better than when the state was led by Koh.

Selangor led by PKR has done alright, they're good enough in my books but many seem to disagree. At least they've been leaps and bounds better than the previous administration but Khir Toyo and his extravagant spending on holidays for his family and houses for his fellow assemblymen was not hard to beat. The main stars of Selangor are Khalid Ibrahim and Elizabeth Wong. There are a few in the PKR team that know what they are doing but PKR was a last minute assembly job and if they are to keep the state for another term it is crucial that they do more than just manage sand and pass a freedom of information act. They need more good people like Hannah Yeoh who will go to the ground and get things done. As the richest state in the country, they need to try and keep pace with Najib in announcing improvements and drastic changes to policy and approaches. Otherwise they will be outshone.

Kedah led by PAS is a lost cause for Pakatan in the next general election. They've not made a ripple since 2008 and now the UUM fiasco is just an embarrassment to their governing capacities. There is no reason why a public university should have its quit rent raised so quickly and so high that they are on the verge of bankruptcy. There is no reason why the state government should extort the federal government for funds through a university. The fact that they are not budging on the issue embarrasses them further. They've done little to impress in 3 years and now they are doing all they can to confirm their inabilities.

Pakatan Rakyat really needs to buckle up if they want to keep the states they won in 2008. Najib's administration has gone all out to impress and while it's been basically a one man show by Najib alone, and his department is spending outrageous amounts of money, he is bringing some change and improvement to the country.

Pakatan needs to outshine Najib if they want to see themselves remaining relevant and popular. Sure they cannot match the financial muscle of the federal government but they can make procedural and policy changes that matter. State administration needs to be revamped further, there are a million and one things that can be reorganized to make the 3 states more efficient that won't cost millions. From traffic congestion and public transportation to rubbish collection and drain cleaning, these are the things that can win over votes in Malaysia and shouldn't be too hard of processes to improve upon. Make your cities look like Singapore and you'll have the votes you need. If Pakatan can push harder and impress they might see their contract with the rakyat renewed come the next elections. Otherwise there are many in Barisan Nasional ready to warm the seats they've missed for the last 3 years.

5 weeks to summer

2011-05-04T22:37:00.002-07:00

Midterms finished Tuesday and I took an early weekend to recover from the stress and long hours of studying for midterms so the rest of Tuesday and all of Wednesday have been nice recovery time for me. I relaxed and watched tv all day yesterday and today got to see the Dalai Lama, which was a highly overrated experience. It took two hours just to get into the stadium because of the crowd and security checks and we were seated so far away it was hard to hear or see him. He provided hardly any enlightening information which we couldn't hear anyway since the sound system was really bad. Nevertheless it was at least interesting to hear him talk about his everyday life. It was nice to know that he's an average joe in many ways and deals with things just as we do. He made it a point to highlight his conversations with friends and struggles with anger. I was hoping for more, but I guess what I got out of it was reasonable.

I went swimming later in the day; the weather has been really warm so a swim was very refreshing, and then went shopping for groceries to stock up for the week. I've been relaxing at home since but have to hit the books hard tomorrow again to catch up on readings I have put off studying for midterms. Still going to try to take it somewhat slow just so that I don't stress out. It's the last leg of the year and I need to enjoy it as much as I can because next year will be very different and I won't get this year's experience (both good and bad) back.

MCA

2011-05-01T13:34:00.002-07:00

Ideally, I'd like UMNO to openly protect my interests too. As a member of a generation that has grown up with no affiliation to the land of my forefathers, and no ability to communicate in the language of my forefathers, I bear no sense of patriotism toward China and no sense of privilege being part of the Chinese community. That my predecessors came from China carries little weight to me, it is important only in that I still receive 'ang pows' during Chinese New Year and inherited a wealth of cuisine that I still thoroughly enjoy. But that I view myself as 99% Malaysian and 1% Chinese is negligible since 1)others like me don't view themselves this way, 2) other races do not view me this way.

Therefore I have to surrender to the positions and perspectives of the majority in my homeland and submit to the political arena that plays out based on such positions. If I am to be represented in the Federal Cabinet by MCA, by virtue of its half a century partnership with UMNO, that it is my responsibility to urge to party to do better or let the DAP take its position in the Barisan Nasional. (While the DAP is ideologically multiracial, it cannot be denied that it is primarily a Chinese party)

Dr Chua Soi Lek has made the party's stand known, don't vote MCA and the Chinese will not have representation in the Federal Government. It is interesting how he is playing his cards. The Chinese parties have failed to maintain the support of their own community and instead of a drastic revamp to be a better voice they are staking a claim that they are the only voice and if people don't want their voice there won't be any voice for them. Our nation's forefathers wouldn't be impressed. The Alliance was successful because it brought the major races together to cooperate. Now MCA is saying if it is does not gain support, it will not cooperate on behalf of its community, a certain recipe for racial divide and polarization.

What the MCA should be doing is working harder. They have a terrible track record. The Port Klang Free Trade Zone being the biggest eyesore of all eyesores. The party is constantly ridden with power struggles and cannot get their act together. They have had many failed and corrupt leaders. That they claim they are the only passage for representation for the Chinese is arrogant and un-Malaysian. It is even un-BN like to take such a path. The Chinese community has very high expectations for their leaders. It is easy for them to look to Singapore for comparisons. Their Singapore counterparts were Malaysians 40 years ago and look how well the Chinese have governed there. There is no reason why Chinese politicians not do the same for Malaysians also. The MCA has failed miserably compared to the Singapore PAP government. The MCA has no one but themselves to blame for their lack of support. They have no right to play games with the Chinese community in hope of votes. If they don't get their act right, someone will take their place.

UMNO and the rest of Barisan Nasional needs to think long and hard about their affiliation with a party that is ready to pull out and not work towards racial cooperation. MCA IS dispensable and the Malaysian public have already expressed that DAP is a more respectable choice. If MCA cannot get support, than BN has to look elsewhere for a voice for the Chinese. MCA's failures should not mean punishment for the entire Chinese community.

That being said, all is not lost for MCA. They can definitely turn things around just as how DAP turned things around after their defeat in 1999. The MCA needs to recruit great leaders with quality education backgrounds and successful experiences in business. The Chinese community views these things as important and will respect and trust leaders with such capabilities. The Chinese are highly pragmatic people. They care about results, not the past. If MCA can deliver by washing out the old and bringing in the new, then Barisan Nasional may be able to restore some unity to itself and to the country.

Personally, I doubt the capacity for governance by Pakatan Rakyat. They can do well in some states like Penang but federal power is a long ways away from them. It is more viable that we revamp the existing parties in the BN coalition, demand more from them and hope they do better. It is nice that we can always threaten their positions with votes to PKR, PAS and DAP. Things are set up very well for the Malaysian public. (As long as MCA decides to take a lack for support as a signal for change and not an opportunity to counter threaten the Malaysian people)

update

2011-04-29T23:34:00.002-07:00

I'm done with week 5 and am just 6 weeks away from summer break. Done with one midterm and getting ready for another on Tuesday. I did fairly alright on my econometrics test, I felt like I knew more than I showed on the test and made some dumb mistakes I shouldn't have made but its over with and I learnt the material and that is all that really should matter so I gotta let the mistakes slide.

The weekend will be especially uneventful since I have another midterm that I really need to buckle down and study for. I've not been too inspired to study for this one since I just got done with the other but I'll need to motivate myself tomorrow to get down to business.

I'm so ready for the quarter to be over. I've gotten so used to long crazy hours, its going to be weird going back to normalcy but I am looking forward to it for sure

update

2011-04-24T12:28:00.002-07:00

7 weeks left to the end of the first year. It's hard to believe I've made it through 26 weeks already and survived it all. It's been tough and will continue to be difficult over the next couple of weeks, but knowing I've survived 26 weeks makes it a little more manageable to face the last 7. Midterms are this week and next, which has been difficult to study for so far, both because motivation is low and I'm ready for the summer and also because the classes have been set up so that they are hard to study for. There's not been a lot of busy work to do to get things ingrained. Hopefully the time spent reading will be enough.

Apart from that, nothing is new, I was at church this morning for a pancake breakfast and service for Easter. A few of us have been invited to the pastor's house for lunch here in a bit. Probably try to get some studying done in the afternoon, and get some teaching material figured out for the class I am TA-ing. Nothing to exciting has been/will be happening. Hopefully once midterms are done, things will be more interesting.

I bought my flight home for Christmas since I've been able to confirm dates. I'll arrive at KLIA on Dec 12th and leave Jan 4th. I already can't wait to be back. The hope is to be a Master in Economics by Dec 9th so if all goes well, Dec 12th will be a great day.

update

2011-04-16T10:28:00.003-07:00

Week of the quarter has passed and thankfully, things have not picked up too much still so it's been a nice month or so. I'm going to start studying a little harder this week and things will definitely get crazy again next week because week 5 is midterms season again.

On a more interesting note, the Dalai Lama is coming to speak at my school in two weeks and I bought a ticket to see him. I've read excerpts of his writings which have been good. I guess I don't expect too much from the speech, but it'll be a nice thing to do outside of my routine.

I move to a new apartment mid June. Since I'll be a Community Assistant, they've assigned me to a studio apartment which will be considerably smaller than the one bedroom I'm in now. I guess I can't complain since I'll be paying no rent but I'll sure miss the great amount of space I have now and in unit washer and dryer that I will not have at my new place.Then again, my new place is in a much better location and technically worth a lot more so I am sorta getting an upgrade. Oh, and if you want to know what my new place will look like, here's a gallery of pictures.

That's it for now. Hope all is well with you.

update

2011-04-09T11:19:00.003-07:00

Week 3 of the new quarter is about to begin. So far things have been moving slowly enough that things haven't been too stressful. Recruiting day was last Monday and I hosted a student and enjoyed some good free food on the department, something I've not gotten to enjoy as long as I've been out here. We had dinner Sunday night out at Newport Beach and dinner Monday night at a brewery close to campus. It was great to be treated to good food.

The rest of the week went well. Homework is getting harder and more time consuming but things are still much better than last quarter, which was the hardest academic term I've ever been through.

On Saturday, I went with a couple of friends to Venice Beach (pic) and Santa Monica for the day. Venice Beach has quite the personality, it's a hot spot for the skateboarding community and a main supplier of medical marijuana. There are plenty of stores and stalls selling trinkets and weird knick-knacks. The place is altogether weird. It was nice to visit it once, but I have no intention of returning except to bring others on a tourist excursion. We also walked up to Santa Monica pier which is a very nice tourist area and the end of Route 66 . There's an amusement park and many street performers all along the pier, that area was really nice.

9 weeks until the end of the first year. I'm looking forward to being done, though beginning the summer will be an interesting new challenge in itself. I am trying my best to stay composed despite how crazy things have been and are going to be. I'm looking forward to my trip home for Christmas which is almost confirmed. Just one last thing I need to check with the department about before I seal the deal by purchasing tickets.

MACC: hits and misses

2011-04-08T22:02:00.003-07:00

When the MACC was formed a couple of years ago, the hope was that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had set in motion a commission that would make radical steps towards eradicating corruption. People were hoping for an "American Gangster" kind of sweep aimed at politicians and government agencies but for years nothing major was done. Only a couple of big names (Tun Ling Liong Sik, Kasitah Gaddam,) had been hauled to court, a hardly convincing battle against corruption in the eyes of the Malaysian public.

Finally, the MACC has struck gold with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department. 62 officials have been detained for investigation of money laundering and other illegal activities involving up to RM108 billion. This was the kind of bite the public was hoping MACC would have. We all know that corruption still permeates many levels of our institutions, something big like this actually indicates that there can be efforts to eradicate such systematic crimes.

Yet, in the midst of all this comes another death within MACC premises. First it was Teoh Beng Hock, now it is Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed. One would have thought that after Teoh Beng Hock's case, that the MACC would have started locking windows or renovating to cover up gaping holes considering the bad press they've had ever since. If people are falling out the building under your watch, the priority should be that it never happens again. But lightning can strike the same place twice and so can a second person can fall out of an MACC building and die. You can't control things like lightning, and the MACC seems to suggest you can't control the security of their building either.

Hits and misses, all around MACC. You seem to never end up in a win-win situation. Tough luck or ineptness?

one last hurrah

2011-03-30T21:08:00.002-07:00

Following up from my last update, I did take the job offer to be a Community Assistant for all of next year. The position begins in June and I don't get to go home for the summer which is the downside. I will however be back for Christmas as soon as my boss gives me the green light to buy my ticket home. I also did pretty well with grades for last quarter. I'm satisfied with what I got.

Spring Break ended last week, way too quickly too. Thankfully the first week of school has been slow to pick up. This quarter, I have classes only on Tuesday and Thursday with a 50 minute lab on Wednesday. I would have a 4 day weekend every week if not for the fact that I have to teach two classes on Friday. Still a 3 day weekend is nice though it will be tough to get myself out of bed and into the office early to get a start on studying when things get hard again.

So far this week, one class was cancelled because my professor was ill. I've only had two classes and both were introductory so things aren't too tough yet. I've had plenty of time to swim, work out, relax and watch tv. Today I got an early morning grocery run in, then went swimming and hit up the beach with some friends for the afternoon. It was definitely a nice last hurrah before school work starts piling on again.

Already one homework assignment has been posted which I'll have to start working on tomorrow. There should be plenty more heading our way in the next week or so.

This weekend the department is holding a recruiting day. A bunch of students who were accepted into the program for next year have been invited to visit, meet professors and check out the school. I'm hosting a students for one or two nights depending on where he is coming in from. It doesn't entail much, possible a tour of campus and answering questions, otherwise I just join them for dinner and lunches and breakfast as long as they are here, a nice perk since they are being treated to some pretty good food. It'll be especially nice since I wasn't given this treatment last year, in fact I probably don't know too much about the program and research centers I could possibly work with in the future. It'll be nice to learn about these things too.

I am not excited for the quarter looming upon me. It's hard to find the motivation to keep going so soon after finals. Hopefully things don't get too intense too seriously. I intend to keep things calm for as long as I can. I only need Bs this quarter to maintain the GPA required of me although a higher GPA boosts chances of passing candidacy in December, so I have to try my best to keep it high too but there isn't a make or break feeling about classes anymore.

3rd quarter, here I come....

Signalling with Education

2011-03-26T12:17:00.003-07:00

My microeconomic theory class covered a section on education as a signal of one's ability. There are incentives for high ability workers to obtain high levels of education to signal their type to employers and distinguish themselves from other players in the field so as to earn a higher wage.

This article in The Star caught my eye because if education serves the signalling function strongly then Singapore is definitely signalling its high abilities. The PAP has always supplied leaders with noteworthy education credentials. Lee Kuan Yew graduated with First Class Honors from Cambridge where he studied law. Lee Hsien Loong has a degree in mathematics from Imperial College in London, graduating with First Class Honors, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. His Deputy, Teo Chee Hean has a Masters in Computing Science from Imperial and an MPA from Harvard too. The Minister of Foreign Affairs graduated from Cambridge, the Minister of Finance has degrees from LSE, Cambridge and Harvard, just about everyone in the cabinet has a degree from Cambridge or some Ivy League institution, or both.

The article talks about how the opposition parties are stepping up their game with many candidates holding PhDs from schools like Stanford and Imperial.

Let's make a quick comparison to Singapore's good ol' neighbour, Malaysia. Every minister in the Malaysian cabinet has a college degree, the Prime Minister has a degree in Industrial Economics from Nottingham University, his deputy is an economics graduate from Universiti Malaya. Koh Tsu Koon is the highest flier in the Malaysian Cabinet by a mile. He obtained his bachelors from Princeton in physics and has a PhD from the University of Chicago in Economics and Sociology of Education. Rais Yatim has his PhD in law from King's College, London, Hishamuddin Hussein has a Master of Law from LSE, most of the rest have their degrees from Universiti Malaya or less well known foreign universities like East London (Bernard Dompok), Staffordshire (Shafie Apdal) and Indiana (Shaziman Abu Mansor). The Malaysian Cabinet isn't stacked with academic heavyweights but is average in academic accomplishment.

The Malaysian opposition fairs equally as well as their governing counterparts. Anwar Ibrahim has a degree in Malay Studies from UM, Lim Guan Eng, a bachelors in Economics from Monash, Hadi Awang has a degree from Al-Azhar University. Khalid Ibrahim has degrees from UM and Queensland, Azmin Ali studied Economics and Mathematics at Minnesota. Interestingly, Charles Santiago has a degree in economics from The New School, NY. The star for the opposition is obviously Tony Pua who graduated from Oxford and is a self-made millionaire.

If we stick to the theory that education is a true signal of quality, then it makes sense why Singapore is the country that they are and we are the country that we are. We lack the educational powerhouses Singapore has and therefore will probably always run behind them in most aspects (except sports). Even their opposition members are have better education credentials than our Prime Minister and Deputy and that says a lot since the Singapore opposition has little hope of making in-roads to parliament. That being said, education doesn't always signal right. Idris Jala is arguably the most successful member of the Malaysian Cabinet and he graduated from USM and Wales, not Princeton and Chicago or King's College like Koh and Rais. Rais has actually not been too impressive considering his educational background and Koh is a pure intellectual, his political capabilities have always been in question. If degrees were given out based on political savvy, Anwar would hold diplomas from Yale and Harvard while Koh would have his given to him by Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.

Just thought it would be interesting to consider the educational background of those in governance in Singapore and Malaysia. What it actually means, I won't draw too many conclusions about. Obviously it takes brains to graduate from Cambridge and Harvard so I can at least say that, but it doesn't have to mean that if you're not from there that you aren't a smart one yourself. Goh Chok Tong graduated from NUS, a good school for sure but not a number 1 ranked institution like Harvard. There is a level of consistency though, and a correlation between the governance standard of Singapore and the educational abilities of their leaders, that would be foolish to deny.

urban ideas: Ipoh (Part 2)

2011-03-25T14:12:00.007-07:00

I think it is sad that Ipoh decayed the way it has. From being one of the richest cities in the world, this "City of
Millionaires" has lost economic power and viability. Clearly, the riches of the tin mining boom in the 60s were not used to diversify and the cost is that when the industry collapsed the city went down with it too. What the city should have done was invested that money in education. Thousands still head abroad to pursue tertiary education today and Ipoh being a smaller, richer version of Kuala Lumpur back then would have been an ideal location for the setting up of universities, it had the infrastructure ideal for the hosting of thousands of students, an attempt to diversify into that industry 30 years ago may have taken Ipoh down a much different path than it has taken today.

The federal government should have done the same 20 years ago when it began to allow the privatization of colleges and universities. Every institution that was created focused itself within the Klang Valley. Why the country didn't direct these institutions to branch out and begin their operations in other viable cities like Penang, Johor Bahru and Ipoh is just pure oversight. Such a move would have ensured that these cities had viable sources of human capital and would have

helped decongest Kuala Lumpur and create more balanced urban growth across the country. The concentration of higher education opportunities in the Klang Valley has meant that secondary cities have had a harder time sustaining growth while the Klang Valley has been embarrassing in its attempt to manage urban growth.

Hindsight is 20-20 so it is easy to comment on what should have been now that we have seen what has been. It is more pertinent now, to talk about what can be for the city of Ipoh and the opportunities that lie in store for this city. Probably one of the most urgent issues to be addressed is the need to preserve the city's history and heritage. Ipoh's great stories are worth keeping and the urban structure behind these tales will play a major role in maintaining our history as a city and community.

The only way to preserve heritage is to incorporate it into the mainstream values of today, which is capitalism. Thanks to the tourism industry, our local heritage has a shot at preservation as long as it is marketed and sold to tourists and generates income for people. W

hat we need to do is holistically develop and integrate the many structures that tell the stories of our past such that they are engaging and appealing to the average capitalist joe on the street. If they are willing to put their money into observing our history, then the stories will continue being told. A great example is Old Town White Coffee, where Ipoh Heritage and money making opportunities have collided. Thanks to the business venture, our culinary past has been given a boost of life.

The best place to get this industry going is by capitalizing on the advantages we already have. the ETS train service brings opportunity right to our doorstep. The Ipoh Railway Station is a beautiful reflection of our colonial past and the train service can bring tourists right to it. The closure of Majestic Hotel above the station may have been a blessing in disguise. It was an old unattractive hotel, hardly befitting of the beautiful building it was housed within. If KTM can get the hotel restored and reopened in style(possibly run by YTL or the management of Indulgence Living?) then the area could be given a tourist boost. Heritage tours and segway tours of old town where stories of the past are told would provide these tourists something to do, and of course a food tour of the city is a must too. We have much to learn from Georgetown where heritage tourism projects have mushroomed since winning its UNESCO heritage status. The area surrounding the railway station is beautiful and has great historical value. Many more hospitality projects in the area may see our city rejuvenated and restored.

The great thing about making cities tourist friendly is that they become a whole lot friendlier for their citizens also. Public transportation in Ipoh is miserable and a city isn't tourist friendly until navigation and transportation is convenient for them. Our bus routes aren't terrible, just that our buses are old and the schedule isn't reliable. Like most cities our routes are not published and remain secret for some unknown reason. If we can get bus routes to be consistent, if we publish bus routes making easily information available and upgrade our buses and bus stops, we'll already have made leaps and bounds of progress. Cleanliness of the city is another issue that shouldn't be hard to solve. It doesn't cost much to hire more street cleaners and is necessary if the city is to appeal to tourists. Little things like these make big differences. Sure, Ipoh may take a while to be a long stopover tourist destination, but with the train service from KL Sentral and flights from Singapore, we should market ourselves as an attractive stopover and short visit location. We have plenty of heritage and food to offer.

urban ideas: Ipoh (Part 1)

2011-03-25T13:22:00.007-07:00

I've always taken a keen interest in urban affairs, our cities characterize the environments of our living and I think there are incredibly engaging issues pertaining to urban management and architecture. Our identities as individuals and communities are reflected in the way we lives our lives and the physical manifestation of our values, traditions and methods takes center stage in our urban environment. From our buildings to our transportation system to our parks and recreational facilities, everything within out city reflects who we are as people.

That's why it is particularly interesting to watch how the

city I grew up in, Ipoh shapes up and develops with time. Like many other cities, Ipoh enjoys a colorful history, rising because of the tin mining industry and collapsing just as quickly as it came to be. The city enjoyed both a strong colonial influence as well as the presence of local culture, both of which have eroded with time, overtaken by the impact of capitalism of the global age. Drive down Tasek Road (Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah Utara) today and the presence of hypermarket Tesco as well as Burger King and McDonalds drive-thru's will make you feel like you were in any ol' city in England or the US. Thankfully, not all of our past is lost, and while it is inevitable that with time, we lose things from our past, I think it is of both aesthetic and social value that some of these historical icons be preserved, that they stand to tell the stories of their time.

This social value I speak of lies in the fact that historical icons like the Ipoh Town Hall, St Michael's Institution and the Railway Station tell of a history that is truly ours; the story of McDonalds and Burger

King is hardly our own; both have a historical past that is American and at most, relate to us as representations of the impact of globalization on our community. (I'm not saying get rid of these fast food burger joints, just don't get rid of our local history either)

Our local structures and businesses, however, reflect stories centuries old of our way of life. The development of rail transport in Malaysia, the impact of colonial administration of the country, the influence of western missionaries on our education system and religious make up today, there are many urban symbols of these stories that need to be kept, that these stories not be forgotten. We can only be proud of who we are if we understand where we came from, and if we are proud of the things that make us the society we are today.

That some buildings of historical value are demolished is inevitable. The old must make way for the new and it would be unreasonable to suggest that all things old be maintained forever. Old traditions make way for new ones, and similarly old buildings make way for new ones too. But a total neglect and disregard for the urban structure of the past seems to suggest that the citizens of Ipoh lack a sensitivity and consciousness of their past and the values of the history they came from. (They probably also lack an aesthetic dimension, but the local Chinese have never been anything more than practical so it is not surprising that beautiful structures have been torn down replaced with ugly but money generating ventures) We need to make a concerted effort to try and preserve the few historical buildings of Ipoh Old Town that were built more than a century ago, because they speak of who we are and where we came from. Not many are left and much needs to be done if we are to maintain these stories. Sadly owners of these historical buildings seem more interested in modern day capitalist ventures and lack appreciation for architectural detail hence we're losing more of our past day by day.

Justice can wait? 13 years apparently

2011-03-22T16:42:00.004-07:00

She's known about sex videos involving a politician and prostitutes for 13 years but it wasn't the right time to come public. Businesswoman Umi Hafilda Ali suggests that there was no good time in the last 13 years to reveal these videos but now it is the right time. How does one justify the logic behind such rationale? I am confused because I figure that if these sex videos existed 13 years ago, the acts were most probably illegal 13 years ago and that little has changed with regard to the moral standing of such acts today. How these things are time sensitive is beyond me. If they've been wrong for 13 years, why does this lady have to wait until now? What is it about today that wasn't the case for the last 13 years that she has had to wait until this "right time" to make her revelations.

If her argument is distrust in the court system, then she could have come public 4-5 years ago when Pak Lah loosened the executive grip on the judiciary. Maybe the timing is right because the Sarawak elections are coming up.

Bernama reporters not capable of writing in English

2011-03-22T00:43:00.007-07:00

I've been editing college papers for years now and so, to come across an article as poorly written as this one brought great amusement to my heart. It is much worst than anything I've ever seen, and trust me, I've seen some really bad stuff. That Bernama is capable of publishing an article which displays a lack of comprehension of the English language is simply hilarious. A national news agency should hold itself to higher standards than this. It makes you wonder how trustworthy the agency is if this sort of writing can pass edits and make its to their website. The people in charge can't be the sharpest knife in the drawer if you allowed the mistakes in this article. You have to read it for yourself to fully appreciate how bad it is.

That this organization is supposed to be a mouthpiece for the nation is just a joke. We shoudl take active steps to shut them down before they convince the world we're a nation of idiots. Come on Bernama, get your act together! You already blatantly present biased partisan perspectives in all your articles, at least try to maintain the pride of having writers that are able to grasp the language they are writing in. I am really close to starting a movement to SHUT DOWN BERNAMA just because this article was released. We're paying these people with taxpayer dollars for reasons that are unclear to me. Bernama has always been a waste of time, now their one step below that, they publish unimportant and unfair information, now they also do it with grammatical errors! What a potent combination for destruction. For your enjoyment, I provide the article below:

(I started putting in bold everything that was wrong, but I ended up just making the entire article bold so I undid that, you'll catch the many errors. Their not too hard to find, actually their not hard to find at all)

Water - The Unsung Hero

By Melati Mohd Ariff

This series of features look into water issues particularly that in Malaysia, in conjunction with the World Water Day on March 22, 2011. The theme is 'Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge'.

The following feature is the second of four.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- "Looks like teh tarik!". That was the description over the colour of some of the raw water supplied to Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) treatment plants.

(Teh tarik is a favourite hot beverage among Malaysians. Its colour is light brown due to the blend of tea powder and condensed milk).

Occassionally, take a glance at the rivers around you. Some of these 'lazy but trusted' rivers have not failed in supplying the raw water for treatment plants.

The water which had been reduced its quality due to pollution, needs to be treated before it is ready for consumption. And the cost of treating raw water is not cheap.

Not only the water is of 'teh tarik' in colour, but in some rivers the water is murky with sediments and even emits foul odour!.

It is a bitter fact but at the same time it is the truth!. The river which gets its water from rainfall should be giving us clean water but what happens is the otherwise.

Are we concerned that rivers, which are mother nature's gift to us, are being continuously abused and neglected?

For instance in Selangor, it has been reported out of the 37 rivers in the state, water from only 32 rivers can be treated for consumption!.

A HUGE GARBAGE BIN

Nowadays,a river is treated like a huge garbage bin!. How could a 'civilised' society allows this to happen?.

Despite being supplied garbage bins by the local authorities, there are those who preferred to take the easy way out by turning the rivers into huge garbage disposal bins and heaping various 'refuse' on the riverbanks.

In Selangor alone, 990 tonnes of garbage were fished out from rivers in a month with Penang and Johor 'contributing' 300 tonnes and 240 tonnes respectively.

The irresponsible act (of garbage dumping into rivers) as well as agriculture and industrial activities have not only polluted the water but destroyed the ecosystem there. To the extent that if the activities are left unchecked, the water quality in the rivers would deteriorate into that beyond treatment and no longer fit for human consumption.

Studies revealed that water in some rivers contain heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead that are not only harmful to humans but also hazardous to the rivers' habitat.

And worse still, there are some who not only dump garbage into rivers, but turn them into watery graves for child born out of wedlock.

UNSUNG HERO

The story does not end with polluted river water. Even treated water is not given the concerns despite being priceless to life.

Abdul Halem Mat Som, Syabas Executive Director (Corporate Affairs) said some quarters of the Malaysian society do not view water as a priceless commodity.

To them, being supplied with water is 'an easy job' and water serves not more than a mere neccessity.

"They only want to see water gushing out from their taps. If there is no water (out), then they will be making noise. When there is water, they don't care much. Some are even reluctant to pay their water bill even though the charge is low. This is among the things that have happened.

"The people in rural areas are more concerned if their water supply was stopped if they failed to pay the water bill unlike those in the urban zones. That is why more urban dwellers had their water supply stopped even though they are in the middle income group.

"Most of the times the public see water as having no value, similar to the fate of the unsung hero, even though water is a major need in our life," he told Bernama in an interview at his office in Jalan Pantai Baharu here recently.

CHEAP

Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) Prof Dr Chan Ngai Weng has similar views in that Malaysians do not appreciate the importance of water.

Why is that so?

Prof Chan believes that there are a number of reasons to this issue with the price of water being the primary factor.

The geography professor said the water tariff in most states is being heavily subsidised.

"The domestic users are not paying the cost price (of water treatment and supply). For example in Penang, the cost of water production is about 65 sen for a cubic metre but the domestic users are only paying for only 31 sen for each cubic metre.

"Hence it is clear that the government is subsidising 34 sen per each cubic metre of the water supplied to domestic users.

"When water gets (so) cheap, people will not bother to save or conserve water. It is time to penalise those who waste water by increasing the tariff," said Prof Chan who is also the president of Water Watch Penang (WWP).

Established in November 1997, this non-governmental organisation aims to create awareness on the importance of water conservation among the society.

Prof Chan suggests that the existing tariff is retained for the first 20 cubic metres used but for the next 10 cubic metres, the tariff should be increased five times and for the subsequent 10 cubic metres, the tariff should be increased 10 fold.

MISCONCEPTION

"There is a lot of water in Malaysia! Floods occur frequently, right?"

This is the wrong impression imprinted in the minds of many, making them not to appreciate water, Prof Chan told Bernama.

"Even some politicians think that our country has a lot of water. This is wrong as not all states have this luxury. Some of the states like Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Perlis lack water," said the don.

The professor also lamented the absence of the subject on environment in the school curriculum that could educate students to care for the natural environment and, water.

"Now can we create responsible citizens who do not simply waste water?" queried Prof Chan.

REDUCE CONSUMPTION

When water shortage happened, among the calls were for more dams to be constructed.

According to Prof Chan, the idea is no longer feasible now due to the maximum capacity of most of the rivers in the country.

What the professor implies is if a river has the capacity for only three dams then a fourth one is out of the question.

"Almost all of our rivers already have the maximum number of dams. Where can we get the water for extra supply?

"Do we desalinate (sea water) like in Singapore? The cost is 10 times more than what we are paying now. Or treat recycled water like Singapore's Newater", said the professor, adding that these alternatives are not the way out.

The only way to resolve water shortage is for the people to reduce their usage.

USE A LOT OF WATER

Malaysians in general do use a lot of water. The average daily per capita consumption is 300 litres as against 150 litres consumed by Singaporeans.

Prof Chan admits to using about 130 litres to 150 litres per capita a day and his water bill never exceeds RM2.50 a month.

"If Malaysians conserve water like I do, then we can solve the water problem. Domestic users should reduce water consumption. Hotels, business premises, factories among others should have recycling plants as well as rainwater harvesting facilities where the water can be used for the toilets, general cleaning and gardening.

"If Malaysians can reduce their water consumption by 10 to 20 per cent, then the country does not need to build a dam at least for the next 10 years," added the professor.

-- BERNAMA

spring break update

2011-03-18T09:52:00.002-07:00

I'm glad to report that I physically completed second quarter and am just awaiting results if i passed my classes. So far I know that I passed one class, no thanks to a killer final exam which I failed but a strong midterm performance saw me through. I did better in my other two finals so hopefully I pass those classes.

It's a huge relief having these classes out of the way. It was the hardest academic challenge I've ever faced and the most hours I've ever had to put into anything ever in life. The plans for now is to catch up on everything else I've forsaken because of finals. I had two loads of laundry done last night, cooked some corned beef and cabbage for dinner in St Patrick's Day spirit, filled out a job offer I have and graded the 460 finals I have to complete by Monday. I have got about a quarter out of the way. Much more to be done.

Today I have to decide on whether to accept that job offer, which I am heavily leaning on the side that I do. I also have a bunch of things I need to mail off, taxes to file, a drivers licence complication to iron out, get groceries, etc.

It'll be a good week of sleeping in, watching movies, swimming, hopefully. I can't wait for my responsibilities to be done with so I can fully enjoy break.

Port Klang Free Zone for votes

2011-03-06T19:37:00.002-08:00

So BN has won the last two by-elections with gains which must be comforting since Sarawak's state elections are just around the corner. That being said, I thought it was funny that Dr. Chua Soi Lek said that DAP was fishing for votes by raising the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

The management of PKFZ was led by MCA and has lost the country billions of ringgit in mismanagement. Even the attorney general and Malaysian Anti Corruption Atgency agrees and has hauled up two big guns from MCA up to court, Dr Ling Liong Sik and Chang Kong Choy.

These facts seem to suggest that the DAP has every right to milk all the votes they can get from the failures MCA have shown with PKFZ. I would think billions of ringgit in losses would be a good reason for one to decide to vote one way or another. The DAP is just doing what every party should, it is pointing out a governance flaw in the MCA and hoping voters would take their platform seriously instead.

It would be an issue of controversy if the DAP was attacking a personal flaw in Dr Chua or some other party leader but I think the PKFZ is fair game. Kudos to DAP for bringing up an issue that is relevant to the country's development. They've played by the rules.

Excessive Living

2011-03-06T13:56:00.004-08:00

Granted the initial reaction of many to the grandiose of the Seri Perdana Complex, residence of the Prime Minister of Malaysia in Putrajaya is that of disgust at the excessiveness of federal government spending on megaprojects that serve the elite, it isn't unusual for countries to have grand residences for their principal political leaders.

From the Brunei's Istana Nurul Iman, to the United States' White House to the UK's 10 Downing Street to Australia's 'The Lodge', country's have provided princely homes for their leaders so to pass judgement on Seri Perdana without making any statement about other similar residences around the globe would be a practice of double standards. That being said, I shall focus my critique on the Seri Perdana Complex not because I want to single out the Barisan Nasional administration, but because as a Malaysian the arguments I shall make are value laden make historical references specific to Malaysia's past. Hence I feel more confident limiting my critique to that of my own nation though similar arguments can be made against the existence of other government palaces around the world.

First of all, I'm not against the construction of state homes. There is nothing wrong with the construction of a residence for the Prime Minister of Malaysia close to the federal administration building. It makes life a little more convenient for the Prime Minister, and to an extent serves as a symbol of governance and democratic institution though that should not be the primary reason for the construction of Seri Perdana.

However, the excessiveness of the Seri Perdana Complex, the Istana Melawati and the upcoming Istana Negara at Jalan Duta seem to reflect values and attitudes that I feel contradict the values of Malaysian society. We come from humble roots. It wasn't too long ago that our ancestors were farmers and impoverished immigrants from China and India who roughed it out to put a roof over their families heads and food on the table for the many mouths they had to feed. Life was frugal and financial responsibility was crucial. We've all heard of stories of our ancestors who saved their earnings for years before they ever enjoyed any level of comfort. Our government was incredibly frugal in its foundation. Tunku Abdul Rahman had to collect donations to pay for ticket to get his team to fly to London to ask for independence. Our Parliament House, Universiti Malaya and the Subang Airport were all built in modesty. That now we build homes for our leaders that would have fed our ancestors families many lifetimes over should strike some level of perplexity within us.

"It's good for the economy, so it is financially responsible. We have tourist coming in because of it and all that construction was money spent that grew the economy" Sure, that argument can be made about any sort of expenditure. GDP grows as long as we spend on anything. Tear it down and build it again, that's good for our GDP too. There are other things we could spend on that would be better for the economy that grand palatial homes. Better schools, higher paid teachers, better universities, public transportation amenities, low cost housing, rural clinics. Urban poverty is still a huge issue, there is little access to quality public education in Malaysia still. Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan and Terengganu have some of the most pressing needs regarding rural poverty where people still lack access to health, sanitation, energy and education, I could go on and on. These opportunities will fuel the economy too.

The crux of the issue is that these big and new buildings are not morally responsible decisions. When we build these complexes, we do it at the expense of other needs. It isn't like us to make such decisions. I do not know where such impulses come from. The United States is known for its lack of fiscal responsibility so their megaprojects at least can be justified away by their spending habits but Malaysians, of all people, should know better. We are not a people from a history of abundance so we shouldn't live like we are. We've all come from a past that had to strive to enjoy life and it is a virtue to cherish. Hard work gives you a better life and makes you a better person. I'm not saying we live a life that is lacking, but that we apply restraint to our lifestyle. Restraint is the last thing that comes to mind when one mentiones The Seri Perdana Complex and most of Putrajaya for that matter of fact.

The issue isn't just about the Seri Perdana Complex. Lack of fiscal responsibility is one thing but it is mirrored by lack of personal financial responsibility. We are just as excessive with our spending as the government is. As the country moves up the ranks, making money is becoming an easier task in Malaysia. Sure, many of you will speak of how Malaysia is such a horrible place to work in. We are so much poorer than Singapore and Australia. First, I ask you to put your iphone or blackberry in front of you. Then turn the air conditioning on. 20 years ago, you wouldn't have these things; air conditioning was too expensive and so were most technologial products. We complain that we're worse off than Singapore and Australia but the matter of fact is that we're worst off only in the sense that our internet is slower, we have to own less branded goods, eat less "fancy" food, go on less expensive holidays and drive less fancy cars. We're pretty lucky that that is all we have to complain about.

The point is, as Malaysian's many of us are richer than we realize and more ungrateful than we realize. We're already at first world standards of living, many of us are. We live beyond our means and enjoy luxuries some would only imagine to taste on occasion in their lifetime. That we complain it isn't good enough is incredibly complicated judging from where we come from. How did we lose the values of contentment and modesty that came with living in poverty and simplicity? Why do we live on more than most, spend more than most, yet complain about how we have less than a few.

Should we be wanting more? Are we living in pursuit of more? When I saw that picture of the giant Seri Perdana complex, my first thought was, how did a modest nation become so excessive. It forgot where it came from. In politics, we need to re-remember our political roots. We were a modest nation. Now we build extravagant structures that are beyond necessary. But aren't we all like that too. We have portable computers, phones with internet, we attend churches with large scale construction projects and grand new facilities, we live in air conditioned homes and eat food from not only Malaysia, but America, Germany, Japan, Korea and other corners of the globe. We live lives of abundance and extravagance, yet we complain we're not rich enough. We've forgotten our modest roots.

As our government continues its megaproject plans, with plans for a 100 floor tower called Warisan Merdeka (which ironically is a symbol of anything but the values of that era) and on-going construction on a massive Istana Negara, it neglects the people the institution was set up to serve. Government isn't a vehicle to serve those in power, it is there to serve its people, expecially those in need .As we continue our pursuit of wealth, with plans for spending on the latest technological gadget, we forget the people we were created to serve. Our money isn't for us, it's for others. Ironic, huh? We complain about our government spending habits sometimes forgetting that they are just a reflection of us.

update

2011-02-20T23:12:00.003-08:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. We are three weeks away from finals and so the final study rush begins. Being under the quarter system, everything feels like a mad rush. Instead of the typical two sixteen week semesters, we have three eleven week long quarters and the shorter term means that everything comes a lot quicker. It feels like midterms just passed, which they did, two weeks ago and now everyone is starting to get ready to take finals. The semester has been so much harder than the last and incredibly tiring too. We have a lot more work to do on top of harder material which has all translated into much longer hours studying and working and much fewer hours of leisure.

I'm definitely ready for this quarter to be over. I can't wait for spring break to get here and plan to rest and relax as much as possible when the time comes. I still have no idea what the plans are for the summer but given I have another quarter before that time comes, there's time for things to start working out. The goal is to get some kind of paying position for a couple of weeks/months and complete my replication paper over the summer. I'd also like to be able to go home for at least a month if possible. We'll have to see how all that plays out.

Life gets better in just about under a month. I'm so close

we can change our politicians

2011-02-08T22:01:00.005-08:00

The time is upon us again when our nation's leaders put their worst foot forward with political attacks against opposing parties in attempt to solidify their standing among the country's voting population. Maybe it's because of a recent by-election, maybe its because of upcoming elections, yet there is always a period of time where badmouthing news articles spike. My problem with politicians is that they are too calculative about the political game. They spend just as much time figuring out the best time to say the worst thing about their opponents to ensure they stay in power or come to power. Democracy was installed to provide people with a governing institution that had the interest of the general public at heart. It is a system constructed to allow the people's voices and needs to take centre stage. Politicians need to remain focused on such goals rather than engage in mudslinging activities.

To get my point across, here's a list of recently published newspaper articles surrounding mud and slinging:

The Star: PKR is falling apart, says PM

Bernama: Something is nor right with PKR, says Najib

The Star: Anwar will soon be the last one standing, says Muhyiddin

Bernama: PKR Leaders leaving because of Anwar's deceitful ways - Muhyiddin

The Star: Chua: Don't risk it on PAS

(I was going to be less biased by posting comments by the opposition parties too but haven't found any. The recent blitz has definitely been by BN machinery but that doesn't exempt Pakatan Rakyat from my critique. We all know Anwar Ibrahim is a star at ripping into his political foes for their shortcomings.)

The point I am trying to make is this. The democratic principles our nation is founded upon ultimately provides us as citizens the final say. We decide who governs and we place leaders in the seats they now have. If we want to see less mudslinging than we need to pay less attention to such comments and focus our attention more on the tangible results of the governing capacities of those in power.

That Kosmo! is one of the most read newspapers in the country suggest that sensationalist journalism is something that works. We enjoy the rumors and attacks. That we are obsessed with nonsense emails with the "latest scoop" about dirty politicians suggests that we enjoy the rumors of politics. That we believe such rumors suggest we are gullible and shallow. We actually pay attention to the dirt but if we are to see better leaders and a better media than it is a habit we need to get rid off. It annoys me to no end that people take as truth all that they read via email when sources of such information are at the very least questionable.

The nation will do a lot better if we pay attention to the things that actually matter. How are the poor doing in your city/town/neighborhood? How good are public services in your area? How well is your tax money being spent? What kind of educational opportunities have been provided for those who don't make it to university? How good are your public schools? What do you think of the country's position on foreign policy? religion? education?

There is so much to talk about that actually is of importance yet the fact that we are obsessed with and buy into unrelated nonsense leads papers to cover news stories about nonsense and politicians to talk nonsense. No one needs to tell us about how bad the other side is. That, we can observe and cast judgement for ourselves without their help. What they need to show us is how good their side is and that comes not with words but with action.

If we all spent a little more time focusing on things that matter, if we demanded not words, not gossip, not attacks and insults about the other side, but action, productivity and results, then maybe we'd see better politicians and more interesting news. We'd see constructive campaigns centered around delivery and efficiency. We can change our politicians and we can change our news sources too. Their careers are in our hands. Whether we choose to be the change is up to us.

midterm update

2011-02-06T22:59:00.002-08:00

I'm glad to report that I survived midterm season and came up on top. I've only got one paper back and I did well on it and the other two went well too which was great.

I took the chance this weekend to catch up on all other things related to life. Got a swim in Friday and a run in today. Cleaned the apartment thoroughly, did laundry washed my sheets, reorganized the kitchen, went grocery shopping, cooked, attempted baking brownies (which failed), bought a new TV and even had the afternoon off today to enjoy the Super bowl with friends from my program.

I had to get a TV because the last one in my apartment belonged to my roommate and he moved out last week because he didn't make grades in his program. I have the place to myself now which is kinda nice. It's a huge apartment for one person. I got a 32 inch vizio tv. I'm pretty happy with my purchase. It's the first big item to my name.

I had an interview Friday for a Community Assistant position for next year. It isn't the number one thing I'd like to do with my time though it would provide a job for the summer as well as as a lot of extra money. Having more money isn't the main incentive though, since I'm surviving just fine on what I make right now, but having a summer position would be really nice plus the job would be an easy transition since I've done it before for three years. I've also sent resumes to a couple of places but not heard back yet. Working on plans for the summer while handling all thing school related is tough but do-able. I'd like to go home too for some of the 3 and 1/2 month break but that will all depend on how things work out.

I hit the road hard again tomorrow. There is plenty of homework to get done and assignments galore. Good news is I'm already half way through this term and half way through my first year of graduate school. Just 6 weeks and my hardest quarter of graduate school is over. Just 16 weeks and the entire first year is done with. Exciting times for sure.

Sarawak Deforestation

2011-01-31T22:42:00.002-08:00

According to the Netherlands, Sarawak is uprooting its forests at a rate faster than the rest of Asia combined. Nearly 10% of tropical rain forest within the state has been deforested in the last 5 years to make way for palm oil plantations. I understand the need to provide livelihoods for the people of Sarawak but maybe it's time the government provided information about the size of plantations, the ownership of plantations and the amount of rain forest left within the country. It's been long rumored, even by Joseph Stigliz (in Making Globalization Work) and Jared Diamond (in Collapse), that the leader of Sarawak has been engaged in billions of dollars worth of illegal logging activities. True or not true, the fact is that as a country we need to be honest about deforestation for development. We are entitled to provide for ourselves and at times deforestation is necessary but we need to be transparent about the rate at which we are doing so.

Maybe it's time our government provided an annual report about plantation size and clearing of jungle and rain forests for agriculture. As Malaysians we should be informed about the state of our environment.

update

2011-01-24T20:56:00.003-08:00

We've reached week 4 of the new term which is certainly a good feeling. By the end of next week, I will be half way through my first year. Things are getting pretty intense as I ready myself for one of the hardest stretches of graduate school. I have three midterms and a ton of assignments over the next two weeks all of it beginning Friday.

I'm trying my best not to stress out, constantly reminding myself that there's more to life than these tests and that it would be the end of the world if I do badly on any of them. At the same time, I'm putting in hours on end studying. I've dedicated my next two weeks to pure devotion to books and I sure hope it pays off. Given that I've noticed a significant deterioration in my eyesight over the last ten weeks, I really hope that I get something return for that sacrifice.

Other than that, life is good. Keep me in prayer. I definitely need it. I'm also looking for summer jobs/internships to gain experience/money and it will be nice when things fall into place.

update

2011-01-16T20:51:00.002-08:00

Just a short and quick update. I get a second 3 day weekend because Monday is Martin Luther King Jr Day. Last Monday was off because my professor cancelled class though I do expect tomorrow to run as any other day since I have plenty of studying to do since midterms are only two weeks away. The quarter system definitely works fast. I've only been in school for 2 weeks and already it's midterm season. Hopefully all of it flies by fast too.

I was hoping to get a lot done this weekend but so far it's been a very unproductive process. I've been slightly under the weather all week but I hit bottom today and have been bed bound for a lot of it. I'm running a bit of a fever and had a really really bad sore throat. It isn't the best situation when all that is on your mind is how you could be studying since it involves little physical effort but at the same time your body is just not up for any sort of concentration. I really hope I feel better tomorrow because I need to be absolutely down to business.

The Shi'ite Controversy Revisited

2011-01-14T23:20:00.004-08:00

I was happy to see the Associated Press cover the issue of intolerance of Shiites in Malaysia. Reports that suggest religious persecution are of high importance and require immediate attention. It is important that the press cover the issue, at least so that a response is made by the Malaysian authorities. Haven't we learnt enough from Serbia, Nazi Germany and the American civil war of the evils of such acts to warrant urgency to respond when such reports arise?

As a Christian, I cannot speak extensively about the issue but I do know that since we've internationally recognized the Amman Message that we thus recognize the legitimacy of the movement. That they are being detained and their homes raided is a violation of the right to practice of free religion upheld in the Malaysian constitution. As a Christian I oppose the persecution of my religion and will hold the same standard for others.

At the very least, if I am misled and misunderstood as I may be because of my lack of full understanding of Islam, it would be nice for the government or Islamic authorities to address the issue once and for all. They should explain the official position on Shia Islam and the Amman Message the reasons behind the position they so take, so that we know where they stand and the appropriate response to make. The silence by the government and the media is disturbing and does not allow the truth to come forth.

The way information has presented itself, it seems to imply that Shiites are being persecuted within a country that openly promotes freedom of religion and harmony in cultural pluracy. Statements like "We don't want any religious differences. They are a threat to Muslim unity in Malaysia" by Harussani Zakaria, a member of the National Fatwa Council suggest that maybe Malaysians aren't as accepting of different religious thoughts as we seem to preach. Even Minister of Islamic Affairs, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom says that Malaysia recognized the Shia faith practiced by Iran but has banned it in Malaysia because of fear of "bloodshed." Pretty contradictory in my opinion. If you ban it you don't recognize it. How will an Iranian practice his faith in Malaysia? The country recognizes his religion but bans it! It's hard not to take their side the way things are sounding, huh.

Will someone of significance like the Prime Minister, or a member of the Royal House speak up once and for all?

A Malaysian Peace Corps

2011-01-14T21:02:00.003-08:00

So I've been intrigued and excited about the proposal for the US to bring their Peace Corps program back to Malaysian shores to teach English to areas in need. The Peace Corps is a great tool for international relations, though some would consider small in impact. It's really important for the US to get their people out to serve those in need and foster positive relations with the rest of the world. At the same time, so many areas across the globe need the help, it's great to see a country invest in others.

The idea brewing in my head is the start up for a Malaysian Peace Corps unit. We're an incredibly unequal country in terms of income distribution and some would argue, divided as a nation. a Peace Corp unit that gives young Malaysians from more privileged backgrounds the opportunity to serve more rural and impoverished communities would do the country good.

Funding could be an issue, but if we scale back our useless National Service program, we could use some of that money to start a small program and test the waters. If the program works, we could continue to scale the National Service program back in favor of the Malaysian Peace Corps unit. To start with, our volunteers could work side by side with the American Peace Corps volunteers; they could serve as intermediaries and at the same time, it would give us a solid and reliable starting block. The American Peace Corps program has been in existence for decades, the program is strict and successful. A close relationship between our program and theirs would be a good start.

The announcement that universities will start the academic year in September provides STPM students with an 8 month break after exams. If we could tap into this pool and mobilize the best of these students to join the program, then the 8 months won't be idle time for these students. I don't know if the timing could be any better. Those who want to stay longer than 8 months could take an extra year off to make a lasting impact on the community they are stationed at.

If we can mobilize the youth in our country to serve meaningful roles in the growth of the nation, then maybe they won't be so quick to pick up and leave

The Republic of Malaysia

2011-01-09T12:58:00.002-08:00

According to Utusan Malaysia, Malaysia's royalty is doomed if Pakatan Rakyat takes over the federal government because DAP has an agenda to turn the country into a republic. I read the article which honestly doesn't harp as much about republicanism as it does about Pakatan Rakyat's lack of respect for he royal institution. Nevertheless, it is hilarious that Utusan made the claim that it did. DAP would never succeed in bringing down the royal house no matter how hard they tried. This is assuming they have this secret crazy dream of a Malaysian Republic in the first place. That the idea is even mentioned is a clear attempt by Utusan to position DAP as a threat to the Malay community.

I have nothing against the media providing partisan positions. It is important that every view is accounted for an made accessible to the public. I am glad that I have the access that I do to Utusan's articles because it reaffirms my political convictions against the sentiments they air. At the same time, there needs to be a fair playing field where everyone gets to speak their mind freely. If Utusan can make crazy claims against the DAP then Aliran and The Rocket has to be allowed to take off on tangents like that too. I've been impressed with Najib's leadership on many levels thus far. He's doing a decent job, but if he can realize and address the blatant double standards practiced in the media (which I highly doubt he can), then I will sincerely believe in his administration and give him a vote. He's managed to stay apolitical in leading the country but if he allows these unfair games to take place behind the scenes, then his passivity is equivalent to active political mudslinging. That you don't do it but allow it is but the same stand just on a more subtle level.

As for the royal institution and politics, it is an interesting time. It is clear that the royal house favors UMNO over Pakatan Rakyat and has enjoyed working with UMNO since 1957 and before. They don't have problems with UMNO leadership and have confidence in UMNO's ability to take the country where it needs to go. They don't make these claims explicit, but the relationship UMNO has with the Council of Malay Rulers doesn't need to be made explicit, and for obvious reasons can't be made explicit.

The question is, what role will Malaysian Royalty play in politics and how far can they carry their weight around? Malay support is undivided behind the Malay Sultanate so if they continue to make subtle indications of support towards BN, they could sway Malay voters in that direction. Yet, should they, the answer is probably no. I am no expert in constitutional law and don't know the details of the role of the Sultans in the political process, but I think they are required to remain as apolitical as possible. Their current expressions seem to suggest a loss of such a position but is it possible for a Sultan to engage in his duties without being partisan in any way, shape or form? It is his role to protect Islam and the Malay race and if a certain coalition acts more in favor with his role, he's obligated to support those actions. Maybe Pakatan needs to be playing the royalty game too if they want to get anywhere. A closer rapport with the palace may serve them favorable and their current decisions are not looking good for them.

IIUM condones terrorism?

2011-01-08T11:11:00.002-08:00

A Bangladeshi student who grew up in Frisco, Texas alleges that while a student at the International Islamic University of Malaysia, he attended classes where professors condoned terrorist activities. He also claims there is a strong Al Qaeda presence on campus and that when he revealed he had Jewish friends that he was labelled "pro-Israel" and shoved out of the group.

The news and video article here provides details about these allegations. True or false, such claims deserve thorough investigation. If our universities are sheltered from the arena of politics, then such comments and sentiments concerning international politics are surely in violation of such a policy. Even if we allowed our students to engage in political discourse, as they should, professors with pro-terrorism agendas are in violation of basic human ethics while social groups that ostracize based on national/racial affiliation are clearly racist. If the allegations are true, the university is in violation of laws and ethics left, right and center but will a small story like this have any impact? Probably not.

update

2011-01-07T21:12:00.002-08:00

So the first of ten weeks of the term has come and gone. It's actually a good feeling to be one tenth of the way through. It's already starting to show that this quarter will be significantly harder than the last. We have a lot more material to cover and a lot harder material to know so the term will be pretty rough. I had a moment of anxiety earlier this week but I've come to terms with the workload and accepted the reality of it all. My goal is to survive and pass all my classes and will allow myself one fail at most.

I do get to enjoy a "four" day weekend. Classes were cancelled for today and Monday for various reasons so I've technically had the days off although I still did homework most of today and have to teach Monday, though at least it lightens the burden a little bit.

I'm looking forward to March getting here as soon as possible. June would be an even better feeling and January 2011 will probably be the best.

Also, I'm looking for opportunities for the summer. I need to find some source of funding to help out with rent payments and food consumption so do pray I find something that will get me through June, July and August.

update

2011-01-02T16:56:00.003-08:00

I start classes again tomorrow with mixed feelings. I've had a good three weeks of rest and part of me is ready to finish up these challenging terms of material so I don't have to worry about it anymore but the other part of me is dreading the hard work and long hours that will be required of me for the next 11 weeks.

Winter/Christmas break was definitely nice. There were boring times occasionally but it was still nice to even have boring times. I've got the chance to relax, sleep in, watch tv, read for pleasure, and I definitely appreciated every second of it. Crazy how one term of madness can make you appreciate something as little as sitting in front of a television and not feeling guilty.

Once again, not much to report, as will be the case for most of 2011, apart from that I am alive and kicking. I'm bracing for it to be a draining and challenging year, not the most optimistic outlook, I know, although the New Year's wishes promising and hoping for the best year ahead has been really nice.

Happy New Year and may your 2011 be filled with the best gifts God has in store for you

UUM wants to be a shopping haven

2011-01-01T13:50:00.002-08:00

So, I've personally not thought that it should be too difficult to improve the quality of our public universities. Sure, it may take time and money but the organizational structure is already out there. From an administrative point of view, we need just to look to the National University of Singapore and Chulalongkorn University to see how things should be run and how incentives should be set up to promote excellence in teaching and research. Sure it will cost money to make the necessary changes and time to rid the system of the old way of doing things but at least charting a plan of success isn't an uphill task. The answers are already out there.

However, it appears that the government has the wrong people in charge of some of these institutions. I think it is absolutely hilarious that Vice Chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia, Prof Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak wants the government to make UUM's campus duty free so that it becomes more attractive to students. The primary goal of these universities are to become centres of excellence in learning and research and that should be the platform on which UUM attempts to attract students to enrol in their university. That they want to be a shopping haven demonstrates the shallow understanding of the leadership of the institution. It's not that difficult if you have average intellect, to get these things right. Clearly some people are lacking such faculties.

The Shi'ite Controversy

2010-12-28T22:34:00.006-08:00

I think it is really exciting how multiple stories are enfolding at once and all are related to each other closely and best of all, the issue is taking on an international perspective making matters even more complicated

First, was the announcement by Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) Head Muhammad Khusrin Munawi that there was to be no tolerance of the Shia sect teachings of Islam because of the instability it would cause the nation. 200 Shi'ite Muslims were then arrested by the authority because they were "threats to national security."

While this garnered some attention, nothing really came about it apart from Marina Mahathir's blog that brought attention to the Amman Message, a document that seeks to declare what is and is not Islam; a document that recognizes the Shia sect; a document that is recognized by the Malaysian government, signed by Tan Sri Hamid Othman in 2004.

Then just recently, Muhammad Khusrin Munawi was transferrred from JAIS to be the Selangor State Secretary, right hand man to Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, this transfer being approved by the Sultan of Selangor but not accepted by the Selangor State Government which has now stimulated talk about Tan Sri Khalid disrespecting the Selangor palace.

That being said, The Star explains that the Sultan of Selangor has an interest in the position because of his responsibility to protect Islam and Malay rights within the state and has been unhappy with the way the Pakatan Rakyat government has handled and addressed these issues. His endorsement of Khusrin Munawi is suggested to be an attempt to provide some direction he feels is needed.

However, Muhammad Khusrin Munawi's actions at JAIS against Shi'ites is attracting web attention with AFP and Washington Post picking up the story. That 10-20% of Muslims are Shi'ites and Shia Muslims make up the majority in Iran suggest that an international light on Khusrin Munawi's perspective on Shia Islam may not be the best thing for him right now or for the Sultan of Selangor.

What will come of all this? Probably nothing if this isn't picked up further by international media. The Palace will get its way, Khalid Ibrahim will back down and Malaysia will reaffirm its position in favor of Sunni Islam. But if the story does get picked up and international persecution follows, then our country may have a lot of people to answer to and will have to think quick about the statements published and positions endorsed. That would be a thrilling story to follow.

A time for forgiveness

2010-12-26T21:29:00.004-08:00

I guess UMNO has forgiven one of it's own. It has been announced that Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad has been appointed Chairman of FELDA. This former school teacher and Chief Minister of Negeri Sembilan was suspended from politics from 2005 until 2008 for engaging in money politics during the UMNO 2004 elections where he was made vice president of the party.

Clearly, UMNO has forgiven this man's corruptive decisions. The question that really matters is have we? At a deeper level, can and should we ever forgive a politician for corruption? One might be inclined to say that that is the unforgivable sin in public service or should we give people like Isa the chance to regain trust?

I'd say NO. Not like he's a Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi or Bill Gates, we can find some other person to do just as good of a job as he will and not have to worry about ethical lapses. We've forgiven BN leaders for more than 50 years, it's hard to justify any more.

APCO, 1Malaysia and One Israel

2010-12-19T16:30:00.002-08:00

So Anwar has been thrown out of Parliament along with 3 others for statements issued regarding Barisan's connection to Jews. If there is any race not to be accepted in 'Muhibbah Malaysia,' its definitely the Jews. It's funny how politics is capable of taking groups of everyday people like you and me and making them symbols that stand for evil and bad. The Americans have done it with Muslims, and our country's leaders on both sides of the fence do the same with Jews.

That however, isn't the point of this blog post. Politicians, we should all agree, are idiots; products of the democratic system, they live to gain approval and votes. The problem with democracy is the need for nation wide support, making the only successful leaders the ones who lack a personal identity and have instead a willingness to be whoever they need to be. Interestingly enough, that isn't the point of this blog post either. Najib, Anwar, their all one and the same, they are competing in a popularity contest. They do not have the sincerity of the nation's interest at heart. At least I don't think either one of them do. We all championed the change that the electoral process brought is in 2008. It was good to break the dominion of a corrupt and cheating Barisan Nasional. The problem that has arisen from the stronger opposition is the increase in redundant debate, this recent link to Israel being the a prime example.

Can anyone on either side of the political divide explain to me the importance of APCO, 1Malaysia and One Israel to the growth of our nation as a whole? I really don't care for the slogan 1Malaysia. It's a political gimmick like Malaysia Boleh and is in place as a vote generating engine for Najib. That we name it 1Malaysia or 2Malaysia or 3Malaysia has no impact on the actual policies and decisions implemented to grow this nation. Following that, it doesn't matter who came up with the dumb phrase 1Malaysia. A seven year old could have and is more than capable of creating such a slogan or it could have been created by an Israeli advertising firm. Why does it matter? Once again, the whole thing is at most peripheral to the actual implementation of growth strategies for the country. Even if there is a link to Israel, sure I guess there are political implications, but in all honesty, how does that effect the everyday man on the street. It doesn't.

We make is seem like our foreign relations with Israel and the Middle East are defining characteristics of our political leadership and yes, we should have a strong position on the longest crises in human history, but how much of an effect does that really have on the country. That Anwar chose to play it up like it is a big deal has no real impact on you, me or any other Ah Beng and Ahmad on the street.

It bugs me that Anwar brought it up and bugs me that they suspended 5 people for a statement they could have brushed aside and ignored (like they have the Wikileaks comments on Najib) They've wasted my time, your time, and a lot of taxpayer money making decisions pertaining to a non-issue, something that doesn't matter.

Anyway, personally I think it would be nice if we had no opposition and just a strong one party system that lead with honesty and trust. If there was one upright coalition we could all trust, that led well, then we would have no need for an opposition party and no need for unnecessary debate. We could all get down to business and concentrate on the things that matter most, eradication of poverty, restoration of human rights, etc. I think post 1969, that was the goal, to create a strong one party system that led justly, but clearly, 2008 demonstrated that too much power causes breakdown and that a strong opposition is necessary to keep power wielding nut jobs from dominating Putrajaya. Oh well, we can all wishfully dream of ideals.

We're not failing everywhere

2010-12-15T20:23:00.002-08:00

Recent conversation has led me to write about something more positive about our country. While I feel compelled, more times than not, to critique the many inefficiencies that plague the nation's growth, today is a day for different sentiments. In fact, while I find gaping problems with the current status and plans for our education system, today is a day to set those errors aside and give the system credit where it is due. There are some things good about our education system and failure to acknowledge such qualities may cause us to lose them in the future.

First of all, at its foundations, the system encourages hard work. Sure, there are many elements of inequality and questions of meritocracy, but students are aware that hard work is rewarded, and many put in the effort to be successful. The emphasis on standardized testing removes elements of impartiality and subjectivity provides students with sufficient motivation to study hard. I think of the many students who have gone through the system. Many have worked hard to get good results in their PMR, SPM and STPM examinations. Even the greatest skeptic can't deny that the system has been successful at getting people to work hard.

Overall, our science and mathematics curriculum at the secondary level are appropriate and sufficiently challenging. Sure, there will be arguments about deficiencies in teaching methods, creativity, application techniques, etc; but one should not make the argument that our sciences and mathematics at the SPM and STPM level are dumbed down and too easy. Sure, no one's learning nuclear fusion, but they aren't being taught their ABCs either. The best of the best may be held back, but that's an argument for streaming. The average student in any country would find our science and mathematics material appropriate.

Sure, there are major flaws that I've not addressed or alluded to. But maybe once in a while, we need to look at the brighter things in life. Not all is lost with the cause of Malaysian public education. In fact, I'd say a glimpse into our public schools would suggest that many know how to make lemonade out of lemons. We've had a really bad education system for two to three decades now and in spite of that we've still churned out Ivy League graduates, top law students and brilliant doctors. The best have survived regardless. We aren't failing in all departments, we could just do a lot better.

Winter Break

2010-12-11T13:13:00.002-08:00

It's nice to finally be done with my first quarter of graduate school. It was definitely tough but eleven weeks have come and gone and now I am just 22 weeks away from what hopefully is my hardest year of school. I have the next three weeks off but other than a couple of errands to run next week I plan to keep things low key: exercise, cook, rest and read so that I am ready for next quarter which many say is a lot harder than this one.

Common Ideology

2010-12-11T02:37:00.002-08:00

I have a bone to pick with Najib's attack on the opposition about a lack of common ideology. I will admit that there are some philosophical differences that need to be ironed out in Pakatan Rakyat, some of them really serious issues, but if an independent source were to point out this error, I would be fine, but that Najib is politically attacking the coalition for a lack of common ideology I find hypocritical and a pure political game which takes Najib down a couple of notches in my standing (he had been doing considerably well so far) simply because the pot should never call the kettle black.

Barisan Nasional has the same problem with a lack of common ideology. Gerakan is pushing what basically is the opposition cause, MCA is trying to get rid of the concept of "Ketuanan Melayu" while UMNO can't decide what Ketuanan Melayu even means. They have the same problems as the opposition so if anyone has the right to call out these glaring errors on both sides of the political front, it is the average joe on the street, not PR or BN.

Maybe each party just needs to focus on their own problems. If they start attacking each other for faults they both have, it might be time to vote "Konsensus Bebas" HAHA

Ban Facebook! Haha

2010-12-06T17:51:00.002-08:00

I applaud the initiatives PM Najib has made to bring back the glory days of BN. The fact that reform is a priority suggests an attempt by the ruling coalition to provide personalities that can govern the country and do better than they have in the past. While the past may still haunt them, (Khir Toyo's corruption charges serve as a timely reminder to Selangor that all was not well under his administration that was in power until just 3 years ago) there is a wave of optimism that the party is moving forward and will someday comprehensively represent the desires of it's people to provide excellent leadership and administration.

Yet, the fact of the matter is that the people like Najib, but the rest of the party has a lot of catch up to do. There has to be some revolutionary change in the mindset of leaders or the people in leadership if this party is to be taken seriously again.

The prime example I present today: Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim. His suggestion today is that we ban facebook because it was used to insult Islam, the prime minister and Dr Mahathir. Barisan Nasional needs to get rid of such dead weight that only brings them down. If we are to stick true and consistent to Dr Kassim's suggestion, then maybe we should get rid of keyboards, mouses and computer screens, all equally guilty in the process of defaming religion and national leadership. Also, lets remove paper and pencils, email accounts, microphones, speakers and any other instrument ever used to "insult" religion and politicians.

You'd think a leader of such experience would at the very least recognize the need to play to his audience. Malaysia is one of the world's top users of facebook and his statements aren't going to be the most popular around all those users. Even PM Najib has an account. What does Dr Kassim think of that? If you want to speak up in public, you should use your brain before you do it. Banning facebook is the dumbest thing ever suggested by a politician in all of 2010. Oh boy, now that I've insulted Dr Kassim, maybe he's going to ask that I get shut down.

Freedom of the press

2010-11-21T21:36:00.002-08:00

That we have not successfully demanded freedom of the press is an issue of major concern within the nation. I do not stand 100% confident in this Malaysian Insider article on political control of the media but it is hard to ignore the validity of the statements made by the writer.

We have come a long way in our fight for a more citizen driven democracy. Though, this type of open democracy is a slower process (The Americans often get no where with all the discussions back and forth that they hold in the name of democracy) it has allowed for greater levels of transparency and the alleviation of corruption and sheer evil and self serving politics (Istana Mat Deros, Cuti Khir Toyo ke Disneyland, AP King Naza, and the list goes on). Yet, the mouthpiece of civil society, the mainstream media, maintains a biased position within society.

MCA owns The Star directly, UMNO is linked to Media Prima (which owns TV3, 8TV, Channel 9, the New Straits Times, Berita Harian), MIC owns Tamil Nesan, RTM1 and 2 and numerous radio stations are run by the Ministry of Communication rather than a civil arm of government service. Barisan Nasional basically holds authority over what is said in newspapers. Sure, there is a limit to the power they have to manipulate the media. You can't tell a man on the street it isn't raining through the media and expect him not to look out his window to validate the truth but you can fudge and blur, you can emphasize one matter over another. You can word reports in a certain way instead of another. That these political lines and connections even exist, suggest that there is room for manipulation and as the rightful ears upon which news befalls, we have every right to demand that such room for manipulation be eliminated. Even if the men behind the reigns are trustworthy, we should not set them up with opportunities for dishonesty.

Why haven't we spoken up against the current affairs of media ownership and influence? or can we? Are we devoid of a voice when the institutions that are supposed to be our voice are not tours. Can we speak up against a lack of voice without one? All I have to say is thank goodness for the internet revolution.

Comments on Malaysian News

2010-11-19T19:28:00.002-08:00

I figure this week, I will provide my comments on a couple of things reported in the news:

Barisan Nasional's move to provide direct membership into the alliance may serve as a stepping stone toward diminishing the role of race based opinion within the political sphere. Evidently, the popularity of PKR around 2008 has suggested that at the very least, the idea of a multiracial party is tenable and a possibility. That Barisan Nasional move toward that direction see's it behaving in accordance to the ideals our forefathers had in mind for the nation. I think many urban Malaysians reminiscent positively about the days of Tunku Abdul Rahman, prior to the Islamic Revolution and prior to 1969, where there was less of an obsession about wealth allocation and more positive hope about the future. Barisan, if it does in fact enact a direct membership platform, will appeal to these groups that long for a Malaysia more united.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat on the other hand, seriously needs to get its act together. It has been perplexing how laissez faire Anwar Ibrahim has been about the management of his party's electoral process. I do no doubt his cunningness and am 100% sure he will bring his A game when the next general elections approach but it seriously confounds me that there is very little decisive action on his part to do damage control considering the poor voter turnout and the Zaid Ibrahim fiasco.

YTL is rolling out 4G in Malaysia which brings up another question about our economic direction and attitude. Why is it, that like just about every other nation in the world, our economy is dominated by conglomerates; big businesses that have diversified from initial dominance in one industry to dominance on every platform of the economy. YTL owns a huge energy business, has large real estate investments, is in the hospitality industry, and like any good Malaysian company, has a construction arm to help the government build palaces, politicians' houses, tall towers and government buildings in Putrajaya. (Disclaimer: I have no intent to suggest that YTL has been involved in building any failed government projects but stress that many make money from construction because the government has a track record of doling out money for white elephants) My point is this: why do we allocate business rights to the same people over and over again. Ananda Krishnan had gaming rights for horse racing, then he got rights to Astro and Maxis. YTL had one of very few energy producing rights, then they got many others (KLIA Express, 4G licence, etc) Berjaya has lottery rights (Sports ToTo) and cable TV rights, and , Genting got one of the most valuable rights of all, the only legal Casino in the country. Then there's the royal interest in Gamuda, that gets rights to construction of most Malaysian highways and Syed Mokhtar Albukhary got his big break in the rice market. There's nothing wrong in allocating rights to individuals to provide services. At times it is necessary to control markets to allow optimal allocation of resources. That being said, such rights are very often tickets to success. Sure rights don't guarantee wealth, but they definitely give one the upper hand. That there is no advantage attached to exclusive business rights is a false notion.

So, why aren't we giving out rights to others so as to diversify wealth and share money with more around the country? Because politicians are corrupt and serve their cronies? Because there aren't enough deserving candidates in the Malaysian business field to trust these rights too? Because the general public really doesn't care who gets these right? If it bothers you, or you think that something about the current system of distribution of wealth is problematic, then maybe you should say something about it. Speak up about it in conversation with others. No need to get on a podium or hold a placard. The strongest movement is the vehicle of civil society. If enough people demand change in everyday life, then change will happen.

MCA and Huaren Holdings

2010-11-12T20:06:00.002-08:00

Lately, MCA's financial stake in The Star and activity through it's investment arm, Huaren Holdings have surfaced in the media calling attention to what I think is a very interesting political situation within the country. We have a leading political party that engages in corporate and profit taking activity.

Political parties play a crucial role as vehicles that enable the implementation of democracy. With the sheer size and population of countries today, expecting democracy to take place on an individual basis is somewhat absurd of an idea to consider. The majority-rule philosophy that we adhere to requires the ability to mobilize a commanding majority of voters toward casting decisions in a similar vein and without political parties, much of this is impossible. Fragmentation and diversity of opinion would render the democratic process slow and somewhat paralyzed without the unification of ideas political parties provide.

That being said, the role of political parties, thus is, to create a "quasi-collective." Political parties agglomerate different yet compatible perspectives on a single platform. The existence of dissent and disagreement within a party is inevitable, because of the autonomy of individual thought, however, parties attempt to their best ability to stand united on as many issues that they can. It is the hope that such consensus is sufficient to hold the party together and is also representative of the opinions of a majority of the nation's citizens as a whole that through elections, they are chosen to lead the nation.

The role of finance in politics is inevitable. Democracy is, today, second only to capitalism as the fundamental macro system of human cooperation. The creation of collective representative entities requires money and this is where the issue of political parties and their investment arms come into play. For most parties, financial support come from the members of the party and those who support the stands of the party. It is obvious how this can quickly become problematic. Corporations have an interest in politics since policy regulates the actions they can and cannot make hence it may be quick and easy to see parties adjust their platform to make the most money. However, it can also be argued that corporations have a right to have their platforms represented politically, hence have every right to finance politics the way they please.

That MCA has an investment arm, and partakes actively in ownership of corporations and businesses suggesting they are in no attempt to hide their financial activities. They have attempted to appear impartial toward the investments they are a part off though it is and has always been ironic that they're money is invested in The Star, Nanyang Siang Pau, Guang Ming Daily, China Press and Sin Chew Jit Pao, all newspapers that provide the public with information that could have a bearing on voting behavior. To be fair, MCA's investments also include Tunku Abdul Rahman College and University (KTAR and UTAR) both some of the most affordable private higher education institutions within the country.

Should political parties have close relationships with corporate institutions? Should they have a financial stake in corporations? My answer is yes to the first and no to the second. As a developing third world nation, it is crucial that we mobilize the entire nation toward growth. Doing this requires a high level of cooperation between the corporate, civil and political sectors. Political parties must be aware of the interests of corporations and must take them into consideration fairly when discussing policy issues. They should not be swayed by the financial muscle that corporations possess but resolving such conflict within the relationship is beyond the scope of this blog post. At the same time, however, political parties, should uphold the ideals of perfect and fair competition, a concept crucial to Malaysia's attempt to abandon cronyism in favor of open and shared wealth. This means that there can be no bias towards one business entity over another.

MCA's stake in private businesses renders its ability to be impartial heavily paralyzed. Sure, it can take a stand of non-interference in the decisions of the management of these businesses, but what happens if these investments could be severely affected by policy changes. What if MCA's investment arm, Huaren, stands to lose significant financial ground because of government policy. Will the MCA still be a "quasi-collective" representative of Malaysian societal interest, or will it then be a voice for specific particular business interests whom they hold interest in? it gets ugly very quickly. If MCA is to transform itself into a party relevant to voters like it was 50 years ago, it will need to forget about investment because such controversial activity will only do harm to it's identity. As a political party, it has to remember its primary interest is to be a united platform that represents the genuine interests of the public in advancing this nation. Investing in corporations could cause conflict of interest and force MCA to make some very difficult ethical decisions in the name of survival. They should never compromise that they be forced into such a situation

Update

2010-11-12T19:59:00.002-08:00

Week 7 has passed and I'm getting closer to the end of my first quarter at UCI. I have to say I can't wait to have this quarter come to a close, not that the program is unbearable but three weeks of relaxation sound like heaven. Things have been taken down a notch for a while now but they will the next three weeks and finals will be the most intense weeks of the quarter. We will be getting into a lot of material in the weeks to come, most of which will be the material our finals will be over, so I'll have to be sure to bring my A game. Sadly, I have little to report apart from my studying activity. Life hasn't been too exciting outside of school work. I do have some political comments to make though, so anticipate a couple of blog posts on that this weekend

Update

2010-11-06T10:27:00.002-07:00

I am 4 weeks away from finals and 5 weeks from the end of the first quarter. Time seems to be moving faster for sure. I took a second midterm this week, in Micro and am pretty satisfied with how well I did. This weekend is definitely a less busy one since the tests just got over with. Just got to read ahead so that I'm not too overwhelmed when finals come.

The weather has been a considerable change from Missouri so far. It's been really warm, even now in November which is a nice change although i have a whole set of clothes that sit in my closet and will probably remain unused for most of the next 5 years.

I'll be getting batteries for my camera soon so pictures should be on the way

Week 6

2010-10-30T11:04:00.004-07:00

I'm half way through the term. Just another 5 weeks of class and one week of finals and I'm done with the first of three quarters of my first year in graduate school. I took my first midterm in Econometrics this week. It wasn't the hardest test but I didn't rock it out but I'm trying not to dwell on the issue too much. It's weird not being at the top, enjoying the security of not feeling in danger when it comes to tests and scores. It's definitely an unsettling feeling but probably good for me in some way.

I have another midterm this week, this time in Microeconomics. I'm trying to put as much of a focus on it as possible while at the same time not neglecting my other two classes. I sure hope to do better on this one. Apart from that not much is going on. I still spend most hours of the day in the office studying or working and it should remain that way for a little bit more.

midterms!

2010-10-22T22:14:00.002-07:00

I've finally approached the halfway mark for the term. Next week is week 5 which means after that, I am 6 weeks away form completion of my first term as a graduate student. I have a midterm next week in Econometrics and another in Microeconomics the week after.

Things continue to move at a ridiculous pace. I study about 40-50 hours a week and don't get too much of a break on weekends either though I'm trying my best to check myself. This is the easiest quarter of the year, so I don't want to run out of steam too fast. Also, I'm starting to realize that, while I'm not the most knowledgeable in the field, I think I'm one of those who work the hardest which is a good sign and a bad. It feels good to be working hard and putting above average effort in, but it also means I may be peaking too early. I decided to take tonight off so that I don't burn out too quick. It is both disheartening and leveling to realize that even with all the studying, I am still in the middle of the pack. A couple of people with their Masters in Economics and a few others from bigger and better undergraduate universities are definitely much better at the material than I am and don't have to work as hard. It gets annoying at times considering the amount of work I put in, but it's a challenge to keep up, and it's one I enjoy.

I'm thinking I need a hobby. Something I can do for a couple of hours on weekends and at the end of the day. I find myself watching TV or surfing the net when I'm not studying and figure if I can find something really relaxing to do I may be more efficient when it comes to studying. Hopefully something comes up. The goal is to gear everything towards making my life most efficient in absorbing, memorizing and learning material. I have a feeling a good hobby will help as a temporary diversion.

That's all to report for now. I feel like these updates are growing old fast. It isn't interesting reporting about the same stuff over and over again. Hopefully I get camera batteries soon and I can start posting pictures.

Insulting to be like Christmas

2010-10-20T23:56:00.003-07:00

I came across news that TV3 has been fined for airing a commercial during Hari Raya that was "insulting and humiliating" to Islam because of its contents that bore similarities to Christmas. A quick check on youtube provides the video:

I guess the man in the flying beca is too much like Santa Claus. TV3 immediately pulled the commercial from the air and aired this apology:

I won't comment too much on the sentiments of a religious and cultural group that isn't my own but do feel that from a Christian perspective, the parallels to Santa Claus are hardly Christian or Christmas-like since Santa is but a cultural and commercial addition to the holiday, some would even argue, a secular extension of the true celebration of Christmas. I feel like we should be obsessed with heavier and more pressing issues than a cultural parallel. While people in the country remain poor, and societies around the world lack food and basic infrastructure, there are better things to talk and fuss about instead of "petty" festive similarities that were created without intention of causing harm. TV3 is sorry and never intended to hurt any feelings. I think the commercial was pretty classy. We need to grow up and think about bigger things.

Week 3

2010-10-09T19:16:00.003-07:00

Next week is the 3rd official week of school and time couldn't be passing slower. There are 10 weeks in each quarter and I couldn't be more ready for these first ten to be over. The program has definitely shifted gears significantly. I've spent very long days at the office trying to understand the assigned homework problems. Overall, things are intense, not overwhelmingly difficult, though the material we are covering isn't just good old ABC's and 123's.

I attended church at RockHarbor last week which was pretty cool. It's one of those big mega churches in the area and the service I attended was just about 100% college students. I'm going back to a smaller church this week but might see what RockHarbor is like next week.

My teaching assignment has really been a blessing. So far it's been very laid back and relax, hardly demanding on my schedule which gives me more time to study and do figure out homework.

Overall, things are going pretty well. I'm still at times wishing I'd be somewhere else just because I'm not 100% comfortable with everything around me yet, but I enjoy my program even with all the crazy work that it involves. On some level I come home at the end of the day satisfied with all the hard work, though I can't wait for the next 9 months to be over so I get to study the fields I am really interested in. Right now it's just a more applied mathematical approach to the concepts I've known from my undergrad which is alright but I'd like to be studying more frontier and cutting edge stuff where I can explore new ideas and applications to real life.

update

2010-09-29T20:27:00.002-07:00

I am half way through my official first week of school. It's been busy with long hours but nothing intolerable or overwhelming yet. My classes got off to a slower start than expected but are beginning to pick up pace. Homework assignments have been fairly decent, tough but nothing unsolvable. My teaching assignments have not been bad at all. Overall things are being managed well. I finally got to attend church last week with a guy from my program which was nice and met the campus director for Campus Crusade there too so I'll probably attend that tomorrow night. There isn't too much to report other than that I am glad things have finally started moving, and weirdly enough, am looking forward to the challenge this first quarter will bring. They say that most people start excited but things get old by early next year so we'll see how long I last.

Update

2010-09-21T21:41:00.002-07:00

The "official" start of graduate school is drawing near. I've been through a day of orientation and a day of TA training so far, both being fairly irrelevant and inapplicable though I picked up nuggets of useful information here and there. At orientation, there was a lot of talk about research opportunities and things much further down the road which made me feel a little more excited about the program. I've tried to study a bit from my textbooks before the term begins and the stuff hasn't been too easy to understand or too engaging but the talks on research and cross departmental classes that I could take later on made the program a whole lot more appealing. I instantly started thinking of taking classes in transportation studies/urban development, political science, law, education and international relations.

Tomorrow is another half day of TA training and an afternoon meeting the people in the Econ department before I start class on Thursday. Class will be really light this week since I only have one class (Econometrics) on Thursday and Friday is off because our Econometrics lab doesn't start up til next week so generally things will still be going slow for a bit.

I'm guessing we'll kick into full gear Monday with both Macro and Micro as well as the first lecture of my TA assignment. I only have 10 hours of class a week and expect to put in at most, 10 hours for my TA responsibility but will probably spend another 20 hours or so a week outside of class studying and reviewing material I've learnt.

We're on a quarter system here instead of a semester system. How it works? We have 10 weeks of class ( this upcoming term if our Fall Quarter) followed by a week of finals. Then 3 weeks of winter break and we begin another 10+1 weeks of Winter Quarter. We get a week off for Spring Break in mid-March and then we have Spring Quarter which lasts until mid-June. I'm trying to relax as much as possible from now till next week since I have to make sure I last all the way through June 2011.

If you'd like to pray for me, then please pray that I survive and succeed this year. The first year is the hardest. Also, pray that I have some kind of employment for the summer. They have limited TA assignments for the summer and they are very competitive positions. I have the limitation of not being able to seek off campus employment, so a summer TA assignment would help out a lot since I still have to eat and pay rent throughout the summer. Finally, pray I find a good church to attend. I've had a lot of trouble lately just trying to find a church. They're all really far away and transportation is a problem in the OC when you don't own a car and I've found out from contacting churches that sometimes (or very often), Christians aren't always as welcoming as you'd expect them to be. (On a side note, I do have a bone to pick with the formula for "church activity" and "organized religion" as we practice it in today's society, something my experiences here have reaffirmed but that is another discussion for another blog post.)

Anyway, all is well in the OC. I'm excited to get started just because otherwise I can get quite bored here. I know it's going to be tough, especially for the next year, but I'm ready to give it my all and get it over with already so i can enjoy the more exciting parts of my program

Update

2010-09-17T23:20:00.003-07:00

This Sunday will mark my third full week in Irvine. So far things are looking pretty good. I'm getting more accustomed to the environment with each day.

We just finished "Math Camp," a two and a half week intensive program in Calculus and Linear Algebra. The class and material was not hard or overwhelming but the pace was definitely too fast and very tiring. We were in class from 10am to 430pm daily and by the time we were done with homework it was 6 or 7pm. It didn't help that the final we took today was pretty brutal but I'm glad it's over and done with

This will be the last free weekend for a long while. I have no intellectual responsibility for the last time in 5 years. I have orientation and TA training from Monday until Wednesday and start classes on Thursday. I am enrolled in Macroeconomic Theory, Microeconomic Theory and Econometrics which will be the same classes I take all year in every quarter. I'm also assigned to be a teaching assistant for Introduction to Economics which is a relief since it is the easiest Economics class offered which means I hopefully won't have to work too hard to teach undergraduates the material.

Overall, the incoming econ PhD class is pretty cool. I'm in a very intelligent cohort. A bunch of people already have their Masters in Economics or graduated from good schools like Cornell or U of Chicago or were double or triple majors in college with GRE scores through the roof. It definitely is a superior class, much more than I have ever been used to for sure. I'm actually quite surprised with how I got accepted into the program considering the others admitted in and their accomplishments. I do like the idea that I'll be working with very intelligent people though. I'm interested to see how well I will keep up with the competition but have to remind myself not to stress out or try to necessarily stay on top. There are some serious overachievers in my class and I definitely don't need to be raising stress levels beyond the manageable.

All in all, things are going pretty well. More updates soon

Liberal Arts in Asia

2010-09-13T20:01:00.002-07:00

I read today of a venture that we as Malaysian's should have but probably don't have the muscle to pull off. According to the NYT, Yale is planning a joint venture with NUS in Singapore to create a Yale-NUS college, which will be provide a liberal arts education to students in Asia, a first of its kind. Why should we have pulled it off? Because we have just about every form of education available in Malaysia.

Since the liberalization of private education in the mid 90s, just about every established route of education has planted it roots in Malaysia, albeit quite uncontrollably. After completing Form Five, you no longer have just the Matriculation and Form Six options, you also have A levels, Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT), South Australian Matriculation (SAM), the American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP) and an array of foundation courses offered by private universities and colleges (and university colleges). We have local public universities, local private universities, local campuses of Australian universities and local campuses of British universities.

What we don't have until today is a strong brand of American education. Probably one of the strongest trademark of American higher education is the presence of liberal arts institutions. They are smaller colleges that place and emphasis on undergraduate learning. They keep classes small and communities close knit to provide their undergraduates the attention necessary to maintain a quality environment for learning. Unlike oversized public universities in the US, (THE Ohio State University has 38,000 students) these small liberal arts colleges have greater control over quality and content of undergraduate classes enhancing the return of enrolling in such institutions. Though our higher education plan in Malaysia is a free for all, we've not been able to attract a single American university to set up camp here, let alone a liberal arts college. Now, Singapore, a much later entry into the field of private higher education, will surpass us once again.

There is a dire need for the country to create a quality liberal arts college that attracts the best of Malaysians to attend. Sure, the liberalization of private education significantly reduced the outflow of Malaysian Ringgit abroad as more chose to study locally; however, many still study abroad because of the understood inferior quality in local institutions (including all public, private and foreign campuses). Malaysians are, every year, getting into Williams College, Swarthmore Yale, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Oxford and Cambridge. The best of the best have no options at home and have to leave for greener pastures abroad if they want to maximize the abilities and capacities they posses. At times, it's hard to say we are experiencing a brain drain. We're really going through a brain flush. We voluntarily flush out of our system the best and the brightest because we provide no avenues for their intellectual development at home.

It's time we put decent effort into providing a Yale equivalent in Malaysia. We should have institutions that provide for the greatest minds of the country and attract the greatest minds to relocate to our country too.

University Rankings: To Care or Not to Care

2010-09-09T22:12:00.004-07:00

So Universiti Malaya (UM) fell out of the top 200 in the last world university rankings compiled by QS and the general media consensus is that it doesn't matter. While we trumpeted the rise that UM made last year, we play down the fall that occurred this year suggesting that the everything regarding the issue is purely political. Khaled Nordin seems to have provided some consistency through it all, showing a level of disregard for such rankings in favor of local ranking tables even during UM's rise of 50 spots last year from 230th to 180th.

The question is should we care or shouldn't we. Times Higher Education suggests that the QS rankings aren't all that. They have separated from QS in conducting these rankings indicating their lack of satisfaction with the methodology used by QS in rating institutions of higher learning. So, we shouldn't care, right?

Not quite. Every methodology is flawed, some more than others hence some rankings are more trustworthy than others less reliable. No methodology should be taken at Biblical value, however, even the QS ranking holds some degree of positive repute. They show a sufficient degree of consistency in acknowledging quality institutions, Harvard, MIT, Cambridge and Yale sit on top because they are the best of the best. NUS, UCLA, University of Melbourne and Kyoto University sit slightly below because they are great but not THE best. Sure, the rankings aren't perfect but they do suggest a certain level of discernment for quality, in a rough sense at the very worst.

So, with a skeptic eye, we should view the rankings in a rough sense. Don't look to deeply into the numbers and the positions, but roughly whom are the universities our Malaysian institutions are on par with. We're in the 200ish region with universities like University of Twente, Holland, and Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. This isn't great considering the fact that where we want to be is at the top, at least alongside name like the London School of Economics, University of Glasgow and Purdue University in the top 100.

So we can and should care about the rankings, maybe year to year fluctuations don't matter too much but we know where as a nation we want our institutions to sit. We want them on top, or at least have some of them somewhere near the top, not flirting around to 200 and 300 mark. If we're seeing ourselves slowly moving upwards, associating our quality with highly regarded schools then we should be happy, but if we continue to see movements up and down without a clear sign of improvement, then we need to be worried and as these rankings indicate, since the first set of rankings in 2005, we haven't made great progress so something drastic needs to be done to revamp our system that we are inviting quality and pushing limits constantly.

Hello From Sunny California

2010-09-06T15:35:00.002-07:00

I bring greetings from Orange County, California, home of the spoiled brats of Laguna Beach and The Hills. New beginnings are always an apt time for blog revivals hence this new start seems a good reason to resuscitate some life into a very abandoned and dead blog.

I moved out here a week ago, on August 30th and so far things have been bumpy and trying but on the way up. I arrived in the late afternoon on the 30th and was very blessed to have met Shelley on the plane. She was sitting next to me and asked what I was doing in California. I told her about my plans and she very generously offered to give me a lift to my apartment building and help with move in. When we touched down, her husband, Garry, picked us up and took me right to the doorstep of my apartment.

Since then, I've gotten moved in and started 3 days of "math camp," basically an intensive course in mathematical concepts that will be applicable to advanced economic theory later on. The class is awful as the professor is boring and the hours are long (10am-430pm) hence there is little excitement in attending class. Doesn't help that I'm already familiar with most concepts making it hard to stay interested. That is probably the biggest downer so far. Apart from that, things are going well. My roommate is nice and I've been privileged enough to meet his friends who are nice too. The 2015 Econ PhD class are a bunch of really friendly people too. The apartment I live in is pretty posh and new, it comes with all the facilities you could need and more, and though it's kinda far from class, there is a shuttle that takes me there to help save on walking. There is a grocery store somewhat near too though the most convenient way there is to stop by after class then grab the shuttle back. All in all things are going pretty well.

I'm slowly but surely overcoming the homesickness that comes with moving to a foreign place. I think a great deal of it has to do with feeling insecure about the lack of connections and availability of help around me. As I meet new people, I feel less anxious about being out here alone. Also, thanks to modern technology,family and friends are a text, phone call, email and facebook message away.

I'm excited for school to actually start on Sept 23rd. I'd like to get away from math camp and also the idle time I have. I hope to enjoy classes, studying and teaching in full swing though I am told it will be tiring and rough the first year. I remind myself that a big reason why I continued on with this PhD program was because I enjoy studying and learning and didn't want to stop just yet. If I continue enjoying the studying, I think I might be in for an enjoyable 2 years of classes.

California in general is a pretty place. I'd like to someday move to a cheaper apartment and use the savings on rent to buy a cheap second hand car. There are so many places I want to visit, within Irvine and in greater SoCal which a car would do justice too. Plus, I'd love to have friends and family visit and a car would make vacations here much more possible. The process of moving to a cheaper place is complicated though, so please pray that housing situations work out for me in the future. It feels like a long way away but it really isn't because I have to make a decision by January, hardly time at well considering I just got here.

All in all, things are getting better, I still miss Malaysia and Missouri plenty but I'm remaining upbeat about my future. Keep me in pray that I get adjusted and find a great community of friends. Thanks!

imperfection

2010-04-29T23:12:00.001-07:00

I was lying in bed one night, tired, sick and stressed. I felt miniscule, unappreciated, used and ignored. I felt like my cause was unattained and my efforts, inconsequential. I was angry that I wasn’t getting the attention and recognition I felt I deserved, yet at the same time guilty that I could allow such selfish thoughts to cloud my mind. If I were sincere about my intentions then my well being could and should not have been a concern. I should derive satisfaction from the process itself, not from the hoped rewards and outcomes.

Yet in this anger, I was shown a paradox: that beauty could rise from ugliness, passion from disenchantment. In my disappointed and anger, I realized that few are given the privilege of such complexity of emotion. My actions had led me not to my desired outcome but to a state of sentiment that was unique and deep. If I had not followed the passion before me, chased the cause apparent then I would not have had the opportunity to feel and be immersed in emotion. Sure it wasn’t an uplifting euphoria but maybe a beautiful life isn’t one that only rides the top of the waves and soars the peaks of the mountains. Maybe beauty is created through imperfection. Through this moment, I felt real and knew I was created real. Who would have thought, angst could create peace? Hardship, ease. I guess we should never really underestimate the reality and capacity that is God.

Barisan's Old Ways

2010-04-29T15:32:00.002-07:00

It seems like despite the change in the political landscape recently, and the purported change in political style across the nation, that Barisan is returning to its old ways. First was the "donation" of RM3 million to SJK (C) Rasa for the construction of a new building. I don't mean to be blatant but it is very obviously a form of vote buying. I don't know how anyone could pass it off as anything else. Sad thing is it worked. Then again, you can't blame people for doing what they had to to provide quality education for their children. Doesn't change the unethical image this act puts on the BN government. And I thought times were changing.

Now conveniently, the frogs from PKR will obtain positions in government link corporations since they are now vindicated of any wrongdoing in their corruption case. The BN plan seems to be working well. First catch them as PKR men doing the dirty, then get them to jump over to BN and clear them of any wrong doing and reward them for their allegience to the BN government. I am not saying this has been BN's plan from the start, I'm just connecting the dots the way the information has been presented to me. If this isn't the case, BN is doing an awful job in public relations, if it is the case, then vote Pakatan in the next election and shame on BN.

I have another problem with the Perak issue and that is the fact that BN assemblymen are rewarded with positions in GLCs tied to the state. I thought the new plan under the New Economic Model was for efficiently and professionally run corporations. We should be moving away from out communal style of politics that rewards insiders with positions regardless of merit. Hopefully, Perak isn't a model the federal government is trying to emulate.

Don't get me wrong, I think Najib and gang are doing well in terms of macro administration. However, some things about his style scare me, especially the two stories above. They remind me of a time when Barisan got their way no matter what and when people accepted that Barisan was the best government possible and so it was ok that they got away with these things. Granted, Pakatan Rakyat is probably not ready to govern the country, it doesn't change the fact that we should demand more from our ruling coalition of the day. These old ways need to go; transparent and honest governance that isn't power hungry needs to arrive.

best years

2010-04-21T08:23:00.004-07:00

I've often heard people say that high school is the best years of your life and you'll never get it back so enjoy it while you have it and I was convinced of the fact for the longest time. I don't imply here that I wish I could relive those days, life is a continuum and I don't intend to turn around and head back but my high school days were great and for the longest time I thought they were right, they were the best years of my life.

But 5 years on, as I ready to graduate from college in 2 weeks, I look back and think my college years have been the best of my life. It started as a rougher road but the story has unfolded beautifully and I could not have asked for a better four last years than the four I had. So I guess, they are wrong; high school isn't the best years of our lives, but I don't think they'd be right to say that college is the time of our lives instead.

The best years need not be a momentary, finite phase of life. I trust that if we commit to the God's plans for our lives, the best is always yet to come, that is, life is going to get better and better. Sure high school was great and college seems at this juncture the best experience possible, but with God, the sky is the limit. Tomorrow is always going to be better than today and He has more in store for the future. Trust me, coming from a pessimist, you know it took me a while to be convinced. :)

More Econ 101

2010-03-29T17:23:00.003-07:00

Unscrupulous? I think more like budding entrepreneur. This article talks about how food court operators are subleasing their licences for stalls to other people for much higher prices. According to the city council, these irresponsible operators have been blacklisted and their licenses revoked. I don't see why the city council should punish others for pricing their licences too low. If people are willing to pay a higher price for them, clearly the council is being stupid to not cash in on this opportunity to make more money for the city. Instead of punishing people for being smart about profit, maybe they should try to be more conscious about money making opportunities with the resources they have. Seberang Prai, you have much to learn.

Even you can't name prices PM!

2010-03-17T19:25:00.002-07:00

Oh, Prime Minister. I do expect more of you. Your comments on hotel prices are disappointing. We all know that prices are determined within markets, especially within competitive markets like the hospitality industry. As much as you try, you can't get hotels to raise their rates, to do that, you'll need to increase costs and decrease supply. The words out of your mouth will change nothing. ECON101 Datuk Seri!

Of Pakatan Rakyat

2010-03-15T20:20:00.002-07:00

I've thought that Najib has had a firmer grip on things than Abdullah did and with his confidence, appearance and style, people have come to like BN more than they did in the past. Najib has had a good head about the economy, bringing it back and making strong claims about growth for the future. He's made some bold economic liberalizations that helped eat at opposition support, he's roped in popular faces like Idris Jala, there's a lot that he's done right to help BN get back on track. I think he'll gain some ground in the next elections.

Pakatan Rakyat, on the other hand have struggled somewhat. More extreme characters like Zulkifli Noordin, Zahrain Hashim and Fairus Khairuddin have made the opposition pact look shaky and worrying. I guess at least Anwar is the first to admit that he was too loose on quality control; he let just about anyone and everyone run for elections, something that will have to change significantly if they want to do well come the next general election. Khalid Ibrahim probably put it best: the party (PKR) is young and hasn't solidified it's identity yet, and until that happens, people will come and go. They WILL have to find themselves quick though.

Another problem is that Pakatan Rakyat really haven't found good issues to throw at the government lately. The GST issue took centre stage for a while but I don't know how badly that is affecting BN. They had and still have the Port Klang Free Trade Zone but it's drawn out so long, it's losing the sensation it used to have. They had Anwar's sodomy case but even that has lost it's appeal. What Pakatan Rakyat needs is a strong issue of contention with Najib's administration. With all the current changes, they need to find a solid loophole so that come the next general election, they have ammo to take with them to the fight. I think the money is on local elections, the majority of Malaysians probably would like local council elections restored and if they could blow this issue up a little, Pakatan Rakyat may have find the support they need.

On the other hand, BN needs to find Chinese support. The MCA is crumbling and Gerakan has lost any identity it had to the DAP. There aren't any Chinese personalities that BN and the Chinese public relate too. We all know they love Guan Eng, Jeff Ooi and Tony Pua. How Najib will revive Chinese support is a mystery. Til then I think Penang, Ipoh and Selangor will stay in the opposition's hands. Perak will probably go Pakatan as a whole though it will be close. Nizar was much more loved than Zambry will ever be.

So much of this is a game, and whoever plays the game right may enjoy more power come the next elections. Personally, I think a little more fire in politics is great for the people as it promises better delivery.

update

2010-03-15T20:09:00.003-07:00

Spring Break has arrived and though the initial plan was to help rebuild in Louisiana, I decided at the last minute to stay behind, work and get ahead on homework and school assignments. April is going to be a very hectic month, with papers due, tests and graduation on the horizon that I figure this week should be time to get ahead and make sure that I'm ready to take on April. So far the plans has worked somewhat. I'm a week ahead in readings for History of Philosophy though my plan is to be two weeks ahead. I need to start on a paper in that class too as well as a paper in Philosophy of Sports, and I need to study for my Linear Algebra test. After all that is done, I will be at peace.

School is going great. My classes are all pretty cool, I'm having a blast and I don't think I could finish my undergraduate career in any other fashion. I've met CAs on my staff that I'd like to be friends with for life and my residents are awesome, some of the best friends I've met so far, and I'm still keeping in touch with most great people I've met throughout college. It'll be hard to leave this place, as dead and boring as it can be at times. The people have made my 4 years here something I never thought I would have difficulty leaving.

I'm pretty settled on heading to California-Irvine to complete my PhD in Economics. I still haven't heard back from Illinois or Syracuse though I would like to sometime. Kentucky is a no, there was a mix up on my part and they couldn't confirm funding for me til April 15th which is way too late. I'd like to hear from Illinois or Syracuse sometime soon since I paid money to apply to those places but I've been given a spot I am happy with so it's all good.

That's all the news for now. Since it's Spring Break, I have time to be political again, so I might just write a couple of pieces tonight or later this week.

update

2010-02-22T13:59:00.002-08:00

I survived a week of tests in every one of my classes, so far I've gotten back an A in Linear Algebra and a B in Differential Equations, both of which I was somewhat disappointed with since I thought I would do better on both my math tests considering the amount of time I put into those two classes. Differential Equations might just be the class to break my GPA. I have a high B in the class right now, but I always seem to mess up on the quizzes in some way or another and those mistakes are not giving me the cushion I need for a strong grade.

Other than that, things have been ok. School has really taken up most of my time lately, though I hope to have more time for leisure this week since most of my exams are over and there is somewhat of a break until the material in classes pick up again.

2010 update

2010-02-06T14:20:00.003-08:00

I kinda fell of the blogging bandwagon for a little bit. I've been busy and lazy and have used the excuse to avoid writing but I figure it's time one of these are due.

I was home for winter break which a fantastic month of family, food, friends and fun. It was great to be back for Christmas after missing 3 of them in a row. The was just as I expected and more, family and friends amazing. It was one of the best breaks I could've asked for.

The semester has started and it isn't the easy laid back semester I envisioned when I first planned out my college credits 4 years ago but it is still a good semester. I'm only at 12 hours a week so it's I have a light schedule however they are all upper level classes so they demand a little more. I am enrolled in Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, History of Modern Philosophy and Philosophy and Literature of Sports. My math classes are to bulk me up for graduate school while my philosophy classes help me complete my minor. My favorite for sure is Philosophy and Literature of Sports. There are so many great pieces written about sports that I've got to read and many of the discussions have been telling on life.

I also sent in four applications to economics programs for graduate school. I've applied to Illinois, Kentucky, Syracuse and California-Irvine, all except Kentucky provide the possibility of an emphasis in urban affairs and transportation. I've heard back from California-Irvine who are interested but haven't officially said yes and should find out from the rest sometime in March.

Other than that, the year has been good. I'm trying to make sure I'm more free than busy since it is my last semester here and I may not see my friends here again for a while but it's proving a challenge, one I plan to overcome.

signs of growing up

2009-11-26T07:55:00.002-08:00

Maybe this is just an isolated case, but could this debate be a sign of changing times and more mature levels of discussion in parliament. I thought it was pretty impressive compared to the days when "binatang" and "bocor" were words of the day.

thanksgiving update

2009-11-23T19:44:00.002-08:00

It's day 3 of thanksgiving break. It's been productive so far. I worked on Saturday, attended some volleyball and basketball games over the weekend, put up a mini Christmas tree, cleaned and made sushi. Today I took some people to the airport, then stopped by the mall for a bit, had breakfast with a friend outside KC and then did grocery shopping at Walmart when I got back to Warrensburg.

The plan for the rest of the week: Get my bike's breaks fixed and study some to stay ahead. I don't plan to do too much other than catch up on much needed rest from what has been a really busy semester. Thursday, I'll head back with Ashley, one of the CAs in the complex for thanksgiving dinner.

Just 3 weeks more and Christmas break is here. :)

update

2009-11-15T18:27:00.002-08:00

It's been another busy week but things are going well. I attended and presented at the Missouri-Arkansas-Kansas-Oklahoma Undergraduate Math Research Conference at Missouri State on Saturday and that went well, although my research findings were mostly my professor's and so I have nothing to brag about. My professor took 3 of us down there to present. We left 6am on Saturday morning to get there but were back by 4:30pm, just in time for me to attend the International Food Show which was awesome as usual.

There were at least 18 countries represented. The Malaysians, 2 of them from KL on scholarship here to do their masters through Petronas made kuih sarang semut, kuih lapis, currypuffs and fried popiah which were done to perfection. Everything else was awesome too.

I still have a lot to do before we break for Thanksgiving next week. I have an Econometrics homework assignment due tomorrow, a test Wednesday in Accounting, and a test Thursday in Econometrics. Also I have to start applying to graduate schools by this week. Over thanksgiving break I have to write a 6-7 page paper for Portfolio Assessment and start studying for my comprehensive Calculus 3 final and comprehensive Money and Banking final too. I a programming report to complete for my CA job.

Just a month from now and I'll be home.

update

2009-11-10T12:14:00.002-08:00

I took the GRE Saturday and did relatively well; a 580 on the verbal and a 780 on the math, which is more than I was aiming for so i'm real happy. I'll find out my essay scores in the next couple of weeks. I sent my scores to 4 economics PhD programs, Syracuse, Illinois, California-Irvine and Kentucky, though right now CA-Irvine is my top choice because they have a public policy concentration and a transportation concentration, both of which I am very interested in. Syracuse has an urban concentration too and so does Illinois and both are better ranked schools but they don't specialize in transportation and public policy as heavily as Irvine does although a plus for Illinois is their strong Urban Planning program that I am still kind of interested in. Kentucky is a safety and has a concentration in Health Economics which might be interesting too. Now it's on to applying to these schools and hoping to hear positive feedback, especially about funding. I may still send my scores to other schools as I check out their programs.

This week is still a busy one. I have a presentation to complete before I head to Missouri State this Saturday to present. Also, I had a Money and Banking test today and have Econometrics homework to finish, not to mention, a mock interview to schedule sometime between now and the end of the semester for my portfolio assessment class and a 6-7 page paper for the same class also. Busy work like that is most often not my favorite.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner which will be a nice break. I'll be using the time to catch up on assignments, studying for finals and things like that. It's about a month til I head home which will probably be the highlight of my semester, maybe year. It'll be good to be home for a while where I have access to food, friends, family and fun.

Next semester may not turn out to be an easy one if this PhD route is to be taken seriously. I'm still short on math classes and will have to bulk up on those if I choose to pursue a PhD in Econ. As of now, I am signed up for differential equations and may be taking Linear Algebra too. At the very least, I only have 12 hours of class a week so that may serve as a consolation.

I'd like to have time to blog about things I read online in the news about Malaysia again but I don't seem to have the time anymore. Hopefully, during the breaks I'll be able to return to writing again.

update

2009-11-02T13:07:00.002-08:00

There are big dates coming up which will keep me on my toes the next couple of weeks. I am taking the GRE this Saturday, Nov 7th in Lee's Summit. I've been doing a fair amount of prep for it (I say prep and not studying because it is hard to consider the GRE as any sort of learning experience) although I could and should be doing more. I hope to work more on it this week running up to Saturday.

The week after, Nov 14th, I will be travelling to Missouri State to present at a math conference about "my" research on a first derivative test for relative maximum and minimums in 3D space to replace the second derivative test currently in use. It sounds glorified but really I made none of this discovery, it's more of my professor's work than it is mine so I hold no claim to it. It is interesting stuff though that took a while to understand and test.

After that, it is one more week of school and then thanksgiving break which I am ready for. The problem with fall semester is that we go forever before we get an actual break. The final date I am really really ready for is Dec 11th when I fly out home. It's been about 16 months since I last was home and I am ready for some food, family and friends. I have a feeling 1 month will fly by too quickly.

The plans after I graduate are still up in the air. The simple options are to go home or to stay here. I guess the GRE will play a role in the decision, but I'll be keeping my options open. If I stay, it will probably only be to continue on in graduate school, either getting a Masters in Economics or Urban Planning or a PhD in Economics although little research has been done on graduate schools.

I'm staying busy in school, now more so with work than school although this week will be the week of shifting gears. My big program with the Ellis complex, Oksoberfest is over, and went over well, about 350 people showed up. I'll be taking a break from all that now and probably won't have big plans in store the rest of the school year for housing stuff. It's time for the newbies to take over.

I guess that's the update for now.