Prenote: It has been more than a year since the last post was posted in this blog. It was due to many reasons: studies in final year, thesis, personal vow (not to write more than a certain number of posts), time constraint ( most posts took me up to 5 to 7 hours each to write --partly due to my bad typing skill and the sense of perfection when writing) and many more. But now, the issue of PSD (JPA in bahasa melayu) scholarships, which will be phased out starting next year, make me feel that I have an obligation to write again, on this particular issue atleast (taking my time out of watching World Cup and applying for jobs).
P/S: I'm not sure if I have any follower at all at this blog, but if I do, I deeply regret for not writing more. My sincere apology. Cheers!
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1. To many who already knew me, it is a well-known fact that I am one of those lucky ones who benefited from a scholarship to study abroad. However, I was under a different scholarship, not PSD's (Public Service Department). The latest hot topic in Malaysia now is government had decided that PSD scholarship for undergraduate studies abroad will be phased out starting next year. Even though this matter might not directly affect me (since I have just finished my undergraduate degree, and also for not being under PSD), I still feel that I have a duty to speak, not only as someone who benefited from studying overseas with a scholarship, but also as someone who had a long 13-year education in chinese day-school who dare say to have a reasonable understanding of other races: their culture, issues and needs. (Someday I would pen down on this topic)
2. This issue, I believe, started when there were too many complaints about the allocation of the PSD scholarship for undergraduate studies abroad. Traditionally, the scholarships were awarded to qualified bumiputeras (Note: the original people of Malaya; the Malays, Sabahans, Sarawakians and other minorities. In english term widely used in other countries especially Australia, the aboriginals (no offence ok, just an explanation to non-Malaysians who read this post)), until it changed just a few years ago. In early 2000s, 10% of them were granted to the non-bumiputera. In 2006 (or maybe 2007, I don't particularly remember), the new policy was to give only 55 % of these scholarships to the bumiputera.
3. The original intention of giving out scholarships to bumiputera was to help those qualified but financially not capable bumiputera a chance to relish their potential by giving them the best education in top universities around the world. This is what I like to call, part of a greater positive redistribution measure by the government, to help the bumiputeras to compete with the non-bumis, who have been having a much bigger share of the economy since our independence. This is not a totally new measure by a government, as the Australian government and its corporations have always been giving many privileges to the aboriginals and Torrest Strait islanders such as greater work and education opportunities, in order to ensure that these less fortunate people are not being left out of the economy development. There are a few more example of positive redistribution measures similar to this in other part of this world, either in economy, education, sports or any other components of our live. Some might call it reaffirmative action. Another good example is like how the FIFA spend a lot of money to develop soccer culture and facilities in poor African countries, compared to other parts of this world.
4. So this year when the Malaysian economy is still recovering from the financial crisis, the Malaysian government has taken measures to cut government spending hence reducing budget deficit, including reducing the PSD scholarship numbers by 800, to 1200 (It is believed that government spent around RM 1.24 billion each year to sponsor these students under PSD). Worse, the number of non-bumi students getting sponsorship this year is said to drop to around 20% of total number of PSD scholarships. This has lead to a general dissatisfaction among the non-bumis. Many complained, quietly as well as openly in the media and prints. Some believe that the government are not keeping the promise to give a fairer and more equal opportunity to them. This is reflected in by-elections where the government candidates lost in seats where the non-bumis have greater percentage of population. I strongly believe that part of the reason for this move to scrap the scholarships could be to satisfy these minorities, mainly the chinese and the indian population. I say this only because these scholarships only amounted to RM1.2 billion, a mere amount compared to the RM 191billion projected government spending in 2010 (RM1.2b is roughly 0.6%), or the RM74billion annually spent in other forms of subsidies for the people (RM1.2b is ~1.7%). There are many more ways to cut spending than scrapping scholarships. What does a mere 0.6% means to the total budget? How do you see a 1.7 percent cut could possibly have much change to the RM74billion subsidy system? Dont tell me that no one in the government agrees with me that the social impact of scrapping this scholarship could possibly be much greater than the mere figure in terms of percentage of the total budget?
So the more logical reason, in my opinion, would be: no more scholarships, no more issue, right?
5. I believe that I am not the only one who disagree with this move by the government. As a matter of fact, I know that this move would only diminish the efforts by previous governments and prime ministers to reduce the gap between the races in Malaysia. The inequality is not only confined purely to the economic power or purchasing power, it is actually wide spread in many other sectors of our nation: economy, social, education, almost everything. From ownership of real estate properties (malays own ~ 15% ONLY), number of students in critical streams (especially engineering, medicine, pharmacology, law excluding syariah, accounting, economics etc) in public university (keep declining since the introduction of merit-based intake system), incomes, savings, to almost everything, the malays are lagging behind. Since this topic on scholarship is co-related to education, I would just focus on this for now.
6. Education is the main determinant of the number of professionals in the future. Thanks to the effort of previous prime minister such as Tun Razak and Tun Mahathir, of which both are strong supporters of affirmative action, the malays are catching up, slowly but steadily, especially in terms of the number of professionals. I have read somewhere that now, about 40% of the doctors and engineers in our country are of malay origin (in the other professional fields we are still lagging way behind). Although it does not reach the ideal 60% to reflect the percentage of bumis in our population, I believe this is already a great achievement. This is the ultimate proof that the affirmative actions taken by previous generations are starting to bear fruit. However, with the trend of declining malay students in the critical streams, this figure will definitely drop below current level in the future. Worse, without PSD scholarship, this will only accelerate the declination of number of malay professionals in the future. This is because, most of the PSD scholarships are given to students who undertake medicine, engineering, and other critical science courses. I believe a good percentage of current malay professionals are overseas graduates.
7. I would like to share an interesting fact that there are around 17,000 Malaysian students in Australia at any given time. As someone who graduated from Sydney, one of the top eight university in Australia, I dare say that majority of them are non-bumis, or to be exact mainly are chinese. To get an idea of the ratio of bumi to non bumi Malaysian students in Australia, lets do a simple math. PSD sponsors around 2000 students each year. MARA has maybe about the same number. Assuming that each student takes an average of 4 years to finish a degree (4 years for engineering, 5yrs for medic, 3yrs for accounting/finance), so at anytime, there will be 8,000 students sponsored by PSD, so does MARA. Say 60% of PSD students abroad are malays, that would be 4,800. Add that to the 8000 MARA students, there would be around 12 thousand sponsored malay students around the world (as other scholarships by organizations or private companies are very limited). Considering most of these students further their studies in three major country namely Australia, USA, and Britain, let say a quarter of them, or around 3000 of these malay students went to Australia. I would admit that I personally know or have met not more than 50 private (self-sponsor) malay students throughout my 4 year student life in Sydney, but I know or have met than 500 students of malaysian chinese or indian origin. Let say I have only met/heard of/knew one tenth of the malay private students in sydney, that would only bring the total malay private students in Sydney to 500. Assuming that Malaysian students are equally distributed in Sydney, Melbourne & Perth, that would only bring the number of private malay students in whole Australia to, say 2000. (another 500 from smaller city like Adelaide and Brisbane combined). So in total, we would only have 5000 malay students in whole Australia at any given time (both sponsored and private combined). This is still far from the 12,000 chinese or indian Malaysian students in Australia. This ratio is almost 2:5, two malay students for every 5 non-malays. Without the PSD scholarship, it could go up to 1:4, or four non-malay Malaysian students for every malay students in Australia. My rough calculation might not be exactly accurate, but it wont be too far off the exact figure. No wonder there was one Malaysian leader who used to say, "Even if we add up the number of all these sponsored malay students, it is still far from the number of non-malay students overseas", when he shrug off complaints about government scholarships for malay (back then scholarships to overseas are for malays only. I dont remember who said it coz what I read was only a re-quote in an article).
8. The government proposed that the undergraduate scholarships to be replaced by post-graduate scholarships and also scholarships to top universities in the world (referring to Harvard, MIT, Cambridge, Oxford level universities). The other reason for the abolishment of undergraduate level scholarships abroad is to ensure that our best brains remain in the local university system. However, both the reasons and the new proposals have critical flaws. They lack a holistic analysis, especially in longer term, and in terms of the social impact. I can easily give many counter arguments and reasons of why the new proposal will not work as it is planned.
Government's Proposal: Only Those Managed to Get into World's Top Universities Will Get Scholarships
9. First of all, a very top university usually has limited places for international students. Very very few Malaysians could enter them, especially the ones in US (thanks to the SAT test, where they rank the students, unlike UK systems where many could get straight As in A-levels but the students are not ranked). Furthermore, in order to go to universities in UK or US, students have to undertake pre-uni courses such as A-levels or SAT. Since government are no longer sponsoring post SPM students according to plan plus UK and US universities do not recognise our SPM or STPM, so the only other way is students have to study A-levels or SAT courses with their own money first, and later try apply to get into these top university. However, considering most malay families could not afford these pre-uni courses, automotically they will not have a chance or a shot to apply to these top universities at all, or have no slightest chance of getting a PSD scholarship at all since the precondition could not be met. So in the end, if there were any malay students who would gain from this, definitely would be those from which their family could afford to send them to private institutions to undertake A-levels or its equivalent. If this is the case, many bright but poor malay students will not be able to attempt to get into these top uni. Don't forget that the less number of people attempt, less chances we have to get more malay students into these top universities. There is a good example similar to this. Right now, some GLCs offer only limited number of scholarships to those ALREADY secure a placement in university abroad. So some students who initially were not able to secure scholarship after SPM, had gone to private institution for A-levels with their own money and secure a placement in university abroad, before securing a scholarship from these GLCs or some other private companies. So those who could afford it (own money for pre-uni) have the advantage of having a second shot at getting a scholarship while those from poor family would definitely has no opportunity to do something like this. I personally knew a few of these lucky ones. Same thing, if the government proceed with the plan to only sponsor those who already have an offer to a top university, I think only the same kind of people stand a chance to get a scholarship. I wonder what the reaction of the people would be. If not, the other way to do it, is the government have to sponsor the A-levels or SAT test for all the excellent SPM students, let them have a shot at trying to get into Oxbridge, MIT or Havard, to be fair. However, if they did not make it, I do not think that these students from oversea foundation programs could go into a local public university either. So, this simply doesn't work too. Furthermore, if there is anyone who managed to get into any of those top universities I mentioned, there is already no shortage of scholarships for them at this moment, really. Currently many organizations are more than willing to sponsor or give study loans to them.
The Argument: To Avoid Brain Drain and also to Increase the Quality of Our Local Universities
10. If the plan is pushed forward, the government will end up keeping only the best malay brains (but not the non-malays) in local universities because no matter what, the non-malays will still keep sending their kids overseas to further the studies, with the financial muscles that they possessed, worsen by the limited placements and lack of quality of our local universities. Worst, without scholarships to overseas, many of these bright students will be fighting for limited places in local uni. Local universities will be overcrowded by straight As students. If now we have been hearing complaints about non-Malay students with 8As or 9As in SPM (or 3As STPM) are given unwanted placement in local uni (for example the forestry course), later we will hear 10As or 11As SPM students or STPM students with 5 As are being offered these kind of placements in the local uni. This is because we have too many straight As students, and all are stuck in local universities without the PSD scholarships to overseas. Worst case scenario, we might hear that more and more bright students going overseas looking for alternatives such as taking up scholarships to NUS for example, or something similar due to limited placement locally. I believe that even if I myself was in that kind of situation, I might be tempted to find other alternatives too, better than studying an unwanted or unpopular course where I know I will definitely have problems looking for a job with that degree in the future. The brain drain problem that we are already having might get even worse. Imagine we have only about 900 placements for medicine course in local uni, and without the PSD scholarship to oversea (PSD usually give out a few hundred scholarships to study medic overseas), too many students will be competing for the already scarce local placements. On top of that, less doctors will be produced in the future. Dont forget that to achieve developed nation status, achieving high human development index (HDI) is very important and the ratio of doctors to population is part of HDI. Without enough number of doctors with quality, we will never be a real developed nation. So government actually is creating another problem by covering a problem. Plus, having best students in local education system alone will not raise the standard or ranking of our local uni, if that is what the government is looking at. There are other factors such as quality of lecturers, ratio of lecturer to students, number of international students, quality of research, graduate to undergraduate ratio, funding, and many more that determine the ranking and prestige of a university.
On the contrary, giving scholarship to our best students is actually the best way to keep our best brain. Each scholarship comes with a bond, where students have to work with the sponsor for a certain number of years. Furthermore, international students in UK or Australia who are sponsored by any government bodies actually are not eligible to apply for any type of visa after the expiry of their study visa, and this includes the work visa or visa for permanent residency. So students have no choice but to come back and work in Malaysia. I am not sure how it works in US, but one thing I'm quite sure is, sponsored students who end up working overseas are usually those who came back but were not hired by the respective sponsor body, and were let go by the sponsor (Note: students usually have to wait for six month, if did not receive any offer from the sponsor body within this period, they are officially free to go and work anywhere, only need to repay the sponsor a certain sum of money based on the result).
Proposal 2: Send Only Post-Grad Abroad. To be Exact, Send MORE.
11. There two major flaws in this proposal. Firstly, post graduate studies are research based. So by sending more post graduates overseas, local uni in Malaysia will be deprived of top quality researchers and researches. As the result, the quality and world ranking of local universities will drop further. For sure, in case any of these graduate students have any major discovery or break through in their research, the university in overseas where they are doing the research will be getting all the credits for it, not our local uni. Right now our universities in Malaysia have more than enough research grants, just that they lack top quality research and researchers who can produce research that could be commercialized or could win us our first Nobel price. Of course by saying this, doesn't mean that I am against sending post graduate students abroad. Not at all. I am just saying that this proposal is not perfect. I strongly believe that our researchers/post grads should get exposure in top universities overseas, but I would also suggest that perhaps we should organize more joint research with other top universities in order to produce good research journals.
12. Secondly, sending students overseas for undergraduate studies will have more impacts, socially and also personal development wise. As a matter of fact, most post graduate students in overseas are in their late twenties or thirties, and most already married and some even have kids. Of course this translates into more money have to be given to them. But more importantly, what I'm trying to say is, most of these post grads do not mingle around much, not with the locals (mat salleh) nor with other Malaysian students especially with the undergraduates or with those from other races (indian or chinese). This partly is due to their hectic research work, compounded with family commitment. And age could possibly be a factor too. So they usually, especially those with family, only hang out with a small group of other post graduate Malaysian students. They are not active with clubs or society in the university too, except for the religion-based society(Note: This is purely my observation from four years of studying in Sydney. I assume other places would not be much different. I'm sorry if I'm wrong or being over-generalise, but I believe my other friends in Sydney will agree with me generally). So the only thing these people really benefited from studying abroad, is the technical knowledge gained, or the research done. Personal development wise, I am not so sure (maybe they make a few more friends lah). I doubt too if they contributed anything in increasing understanding between races of Malaysian.
13. On the other hand, the undergraduate students, being young foolish and brave, usually will participate in all sort of activities while at overseas. Hanging out with the locals, joining clubs and societies, participating in Malaysian based clubs and activities, traveling and backpacking to other cities and places, just to name a few. With these exposures, they become more open minded, they absorb and learn new things everyday, they get to know other races and cultures, they befriended with malaysian of other background and of different races, they become braver, have more confidence, and they benefited in many more ways. I personally appreciate the personal developments I could see blossoming in myself and my friends around me. I believe it also help these Malaysian of different races to get to know each other better. I even heard many of my Malaysian Indian and Chinese friends in Sydney who admitted that they were surprised that they end up befriended with so many malays and finally change their mindset about us. They learned that what they thought about the malays in general are wrong all this while. And the same goes to the malay students. I believe some might have not encountered or befriended or working together with the chinese or indians before this (due to the education system of Malaysia where we go to separate schools, and bright malay students usually go to boarding schools). I sometimes even cant help to think that Malaysians abroad are more united in some ways. And this, partly due to the effort of the government sending the students abroad with the PSD scholarship. The government indirectly provided the opportunity for us to be united, to be true Malaysians. Not to forget the opportunity to widen our view, to gain more knowledge, and to reshape our personal development. I, my father, my family members, and other students who benefited from the opportunity to study abroad with scholarships, owe the nation for this. And these who benefited, I believe some of them will become our leader in the future, someday. And I dare say, without the scholarship, my father might end up still being a farmer like his father, and I myself might still stuck in the village (read: kampung) till now. Wallahualam.
14. Just a story to share, on my flight back home (for good), the passenger next to me, a chinese lady, told me that she was in my shoe many many years ago. I did not get it at first, til later I learned that she actually was a PSD scholar many years ago. With it she managed to become a teacher, later study finance part time, and now a chartered financial advisor. And with her position now, she has the money to send her kids overseas. She was on the way home from visiting her kids in Sydney. She said without it, she might still stuck in some kampung baru cina somewhere. I smiled when I hear that, because deep down I know too, without scholarships, my family and I might exactly be like that too. The scholarships actually give benefit to many people in many many ways.
So without these PSD scholarships to overseas, we as a nation lose more than we gain. Some will see it as everyone's lost, but I personally think that the lost is greater for the malays. Because I knew, so many malay talents have been polished and so many potentials have been unleashed, with the help of these PSD scholarships. And many of them have become leaders in many aspects of our nation, and many more have indirectly benefited from these people. The least of all, they managed to change their own fortune around, and contributed back to the society. I remember when I was younger and naive I used to ask my father, "why didn't you quit the university and join any private firm, with your qualification in engineering plus there are not so many malay engineers yet out there, you sure can make big bucks." My father's answer was simple, he said, "I was a farmer's son and government give me an opportunity to study abroad, without it I'm no one. If I work in private company I may make money if lucky, but I'm only helping myself and my family. And that is not what I want. Staying with university, atleast I know I can help develop so many more malay students to achieve what they want in life." I may not fully share the passion but I see a strong example of how a PSD scholarships to overseas indirectly helped so many people. There are surely many more stories like this, and many more people who benefited from it directly and indirectly. Allahualam.
15. Anyways, there was an old English proverb, "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face" which according to wikipedia, means that we shouldn't be self-destructive in over-reaction to a problem, be it a financial (deficit budget) problem or the problem of dissatisfaction among the minorities. For sure, these PSD scholarships to overseas bring greater benefits to all aspects of our society, than the superficial financial burden it carries. Or better said, so don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
Many times, I hope that all these are just scare tactics by the government to quell the arguments and opposition regarding the PSD placements issue. Hopefully the government is not serious about abolishing the PSD scholarships. Like I said before, I will not be affected by this change, but I am seriously hoping the government will not abolish it.
Lets hope, everybody. Cheers!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thursday, January 8, 2009
My dream, and the land of al-Bukhari, Uzbekistan
1. I have never been to Uzbekistan before, but I read an interesting article about the country a few years ago which I still remember till today.
2. I have a friend who once asked me why I wanted to become rich that much (I guess he probably got that kind of impression after he read the second article of this blog, 'Peluang memilih politik atau harta' by Adam Kadir where I mentioned that I wanted to start my own business one day). I got another person who is very, very close to me who asked the same question to me too. She came from an upper class family but she does not feel anything special for being wealthy nor understand the reason why other people would work so hard to become like her family.
3. I started to have the 'desire' when I read an article in a local paper (in Berita Harian kot, but I couldn't retrieve it back anymore) about what is going on in Uzbekistan now. It was 9, or 10 years ago (I was about 12 or 13yrs old) but I still remember what it was in that article. The 'reason' was getting stronger after I went to Egypt a few years ago and saw many lil kids begging for money there. And moreover, it is partly because I wanted to fulfill 'the dream' of my father. He graduated from US for his bachelor and master degrees, and he was very much inspired by the story of the great American John D. Rockefeller (an entrepreneur/oil tycoon turned philanthropist who found the great Rockefeller Foundation in early 20th century, one of the earliest and largest private foundation in US). After spending 5 years of his youth studying in the States in early 70s, my father always wanted to have a foundation to help others like John Rockefeller had done for the Americans. So if someday my 'dream' comes true, I will name a foundation on my father's name.
4. As I mentioned above, I had never been to Uzbekistan before, but someday I wish I could go there and other parts of Central Asia for visits. As part of the Silk Road, it is rich of culture and history. It used to be part of the greater Soviet, part of the Turkistan, part of the Genghis Khan empire, and a few more that I couldn't recall now.
5. At the height of the Islamic empire, Uzbekistan produced one of the greatest Islamic scholars of all time, the Imam al-Bukhary. His family was originally from Bukhara (where he got his family name from), which was one of a few famous and world known Islamic centres in Uzbekistan at that time, along with Samarkand. Muslims are proud of him, besides being thankful for his contributions to our religion. Uzbeks (people of Uzbekistan) are proud of him too for sure. His (Imam al-Bukhary's) hometown has became a main tourist attraction in Uzbekistan nowadays.
6. Up till 1990s, Uzbekistan was under the occupation of Soviet Union. During this Soviet period, Uzbek people are becoming less and less religious due to the ban of religion under the communist Soviet. After so many years, the people no longer go to the mosque, nor have enough Holy Quran in Uzbekistan. Even after their independence, only the older people are returning to attending the mosque. Sad but true, the younger generations know nothing about their own religion after years of Soviet occupation. They are muslims just by the name.
7. That article in the paper (which I read many years ago) was about the life of our muslim brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan. Uzbeks are poor in general, oweing to the lack of resources or fertile lands for farming, unlike their neighbours in Kazakhstan or Turkmenistan whose land are rich of oil and gas (Note : Uzbekistan do have oil and gas, not as much as its neighbours, and the fields are mostly undeveloped or still under exploration) . The main highlight of the article was about how the difficult life in Uzbekistan pushed the people to their limits, in many cases some are willing to abandon or trade their faith for the past many generations --- Islam, for a few dollars. Most of the time, for less than 100 US dollars.
8. According to the article, Christian missionaries are very active in Uzbekistan, as they have always been in many other poor countries (including many poor muslim countries). They helped distribute the foreign aids (many foreign aids are from UN or other developed countries, most of these missionaries are just helping to distribute them) to the poor Uzbek people. Times to times, these Christian charity organizations will hire the locals to help them distributing the aid whenever in need.
9. In underdeveloped countries such as Uzbekistan, job opportunities are scarce. These local Uzbek people who worked for these Christian missionaries will somehow fell 'grateful' for being given an opportunity to work. According to that article, after a while, some of these local workers will convert to Christianity (by the way they have not been practising Islamic teaching for a long time due to the occupation of Soviet Union). As a 'reward', each of these converts will receive 50USD after converting to Christianity. Furthermore, they will receive another 100US dollars cash 'reward' if they managed to help convert another muslim to Christian. Maybe 'reward' is a sensitive word here, I dare say it is more like financial help for new converts.
2. I have a friend who once asked me why I wanted to become rich that much (I guess he probably got that kind of impression after he read the second article of this blog, 'Peluang memilih politik atau harta' by Adam Kadir where I mentioned that I wanted to start my own business one day). I got another person who is very, very close to me who asked the same question to me too. She came from an upper class family but she does not feel anything special for being wealthy nor understand the reason why other people would work so hard to become like her family.
3. I started to have the 'desire' when I read an article in a local paper (in Berita Harian kot, but I couldn't retrieve it back anymore) about what is going on in Uzbekistan now. It was 9, or 10 years ago (I was about 12 or 13yrs old) but I still remember what it was in that article. The 'reason' was getting stronger after I went to Egypt a few years ago and saw many lil kids begging for money there. And moreover, it is partly because I wanted to fulfill 'the dream' of my father. He graduated from US for his bachelor and master degrees, and he was very much inspired by the story of the great American John D. Rockefeller (an entrepreneur/oil tycoon turned philanthropist who found the great Rockefeller Foundation in early 20th century, one of the earliest and largest private foundation in US). After spending 5 years of his youth studying in the States in early 70s, my father always wanted to have a foundation to help others like John Rockefeller had done for the Americans. So if someday my 'dream' comes true, I will name a foundation on my father's name.
4. As I mentioned above, I had never been to Uzbekistan before, but someday I wish I could go there and other parts of Central Asia for visits. As part of the Silk Road, it is rich of culture and history. It used to be part of the greater Soviet, part of the Turkistan, part of the Genghis Khan empire, and a few more that I couldn't recall now.
5. At the height of the Islamic empire, Uzbekistan produced one of the greatest Islamic scholars of all time, the Imam al-Bukhary. His family was originally from Bukhara (where he got his family name from), which was one of a few famous and world known Islamic centres in Uzbekistan at that time, along with Samarkand. Muslims are proud of him, besides being thankful for his contributions to our religion. Uzbeks (people of Uzbekistan) are proud of him too for sure. His (Imam al-Bukhary's) hometown has became a main tourist attraction in Uzbekistan nowadays.
6. Up till 1990s, Uzbekistan was under the occupation of Soviet Union. During this Soviet period, Uzbek people are becoming less and less religious due to the ban of religion under the communist Soviet. After so many years, the people no longer go to the mosque, nor have enough Holy Quran in Uzbekistan. Even after their independence, only the older people are returning to attending the mosque. Sad but true, the younger generations know nothing about their own religion after years of Soviet occupation. They are muslims just by the name.
7. That article in the paper (which I read many years ago) was about the life of our muslim brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan. Uzbeks are poor in general, oweing to the lack of resources or fertile lands for farming, unlike their neighbours in Kazakhstan or Turkmenistan whose land are rich of oil and gas (Note : Uzbekistan do have oil and gas, not as much as its neighbours, and the fields are mostly undeveloped or still under exploration) . The main highlight of the article was about how the difficult life in Uzbekistan pushed the people to their limits, in many cases some are willing to abandon or trade their faith for the past many generations --- Islam, for a few dollars. Most of the time, for less than 100 US dollars.
8. According to the article, Christian missionaries are very active in Uzbekistan, as they have always been in many other poor countries (including many poor muslim countries). They helped distribute the foreign aids (many foreign aids are from UN or other developed countries, most of these missionaries are just helping to distribute them) to the poor Uzbek people. Times to times, these Christian charity organizations will hire the locals to help them distributing the aid whenever in need.
9. In underdeveloped countries such as Uzbekistan, job opportunities are scarce. These local Uzbek people who worked for these Christian missionaries will somehow fell 'grateful' for being given an opportunity to work. According to that article, after a while, some of these local workers will convert to Christianity (by the way they have not been practising Islamic teaching for a long time due to the occupation of Soviet Union). As a 'reward', each of these converts will receive 50USD after converting to Christianity. Furthermore, they will receive another 100US dollars cash 'reward' if they managed to help convert another muslim to Christian. Maybe 'reward' is a sensitive word here, I dare say it is more like financial help for new converts.
10. At the time muslims in other countries wasting money fighting each other, or wasting resources (especially in oil-rich muslim countries) on unnecessary luxuries, these Christian missionaries are distributing 'cash rewards' to the new converts in Uzbekistan (or in many other countries as well that I do not know). I believe these missionaries received financial supports and resources mainly from developed countries, which mostly happened to have pre-dominantly Christian populations like the US and EU. This is because for the on-going of missionary works as well as 'rewards' for hundreds (in Uzbekistan alone) of converts every year, it sure consumed a lot of money and resources.
11. Many of these converts (or murtad in Malay language) are 'forced' to do so by the circumstances. Many of them are living below the poverty line (UN definition: any household which is earning less than two(2) US dollars in a day, or less than 30 US dollars a month or kurang daripada 100 ringgit sebulan bagi setiap rumah). They have kids or baby at home unfeed. Not enough money to buy milk or other basic necessities like wheat. Or whatever the reason is. The only way to survive for these people, is to get the mercy from these missionaries. So some will end up converting to Christianity to get the 50 dollars for living, while some other will go as far as bring the whole family to convert in order to 'earn' extra few hundred dollars. Mind here, 50 dollars can go really far in poor countries like this. It could be enough to feed the whole family for a few months. I don't really blame them somehow. They were desperate and forced by the poverty. Who in this world could stand seeing his own kids or babies crying for not getting food or milk? I believe some would resort to any means, including 'trading' his religion (since they are not practising it anymore kan?) for a few buck. Sad but true, our religion is THAT cheap for some people.
12. For every single muslim converted to other religion, we will end up losing a few hundred muslims down the years and generations. I think this responsibility will be held on every single living muslim in this world in the dayafter, for not doing our part and our best efforts in this world, to help other muslim brothers and sisters who are in need. We might all be sharing the murtad sin of these people. Wallahualam. Converting to other religion (or what we call murtad) and commit suicide are the biggest sins in Islam. One who did any of these two sins will never go to heaven.
13. I myself do not think that I have done enough good deeds nor being a good muslim to cover up my own sins. And yet I might still have to carry the sins and the responsibility for every time we lose a muslim to other religion. Wallahualam.
14. I came from a chinese school and I know that I am not religious. I wasn't at all. But as a muslim, I would dream to be a good muslim someday, and dream to go to heaven. In Islam, most deeds (or pahala in Malay language) will stop when we die, except for a few. Charity is one of them. Thus, if I have the opportunity (with God's Will), I would love to dedicate myself or my wealth (if I do have it when I'm gone lah kan) for charity (a foundation that I create) to help others, especially muslims around the world who are in need. Partly, for my own benefits in the afterlife of coz, but more importantly, I am sadden by the fact that some people are using money to 'force' these unfortunate muslims to convert to other religion. How sarcastic is it that on the Uzbekistan land which had produced one of the greatest muslim scholars of all time--Imam al-Bukhary, the religion Islam has become so cheap? If 50 dollars would help a muslim to keep his faith, I can't imagine how much a foundation with proper financial supports could help these unfortunate people. I personally envy and admire what Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary did with his al-Bukhary Foundation (I'm not sure where he got his family name from, but coincidently it is similar to Bukhara too. Could be from there too, I don't know).
15. If someday I have to leave this lovely world before I have the chance to fulfill my dream, I would atleast make sure that I pass this dream on to my kids (if I do have any of coz), and make sure they try to make it comes true. If they can't, I'll make sure they ask their kids to do it. This 'dream' will pass on in my family till someday someone in my family bloodline will eventually do it.
Cheers!
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14. I came from a chinese school and I know that I am not religious. I wasn't at all. But as a muslim, I would dream to be a good muslim someday, and dream to go to heaven. In Islam, most deeds (or pahala in Malay language) will stop when we die, except for a few. Charity is one of them. Thus, if I have the opportunity (with God's Will), I would love to dedicate myself or my wealth (if I do have it when I'm gone lah kan) for charity (a foundation that I create) to help others, especially muslims around the world who are in need. Partly, for my own benefits in the afterlife of coz, but more importantly, I am sadden by the fact that some people are using money to 'force' these unfortunate muslims to convert to other religion. How sarcastic is it that on the Uzbekistan land which had produced one of the greatest muslim scholars of all time--Imam al-Bukhary, the religion Islam has become so cheap? If 50 dollars would help a muslim to keep his faith, I can't imagine how much a foundation with proper financial supports could help these unfortunate people. I personally envy and admire what Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary did with his al-Bukhary Foundation (I'm not sure where he got his family name from, but coincidently it is similar to Bukhara too. Could be from there too, I don't know).
15. If someday I have to leave this lovely world before I have the chance to fulfill my dream, I would atleast make sure that I pass this dream on to my kids (if I do have any of coz), and make sure they try to make it comes true. If they can't, I'll make sure they ask their kids to do it. This 'dream' will pass on in my family till someday someone in my family bloodline will eventually do it.
Cheers!
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Saturday, November 29, 2008
Olympiad...and the story of Boabdil, the Last King of Alhambra
1. I had a chance to make a short 10-day trip back to Malaysia couple of weeks ago before the final exams. Doing pretty much nothing at all at home, I started back my old habit of spending literally hours to read the daily newspaper(I like malaysian papers for some reasons). I came across an article in a local paper that was about a group of Malaysian students who won a gold medal in Robotic Olympiad (in Korea I think).
2. Congratulation to them, on the other hand it somehow reminds me of those days when I had the chance to represent my beloved country, Malaysia to the Olympiad. Different ones of course, I went to the Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO) as well as the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).
3. Olympiad, is the highest level of competition for any student in this world. It's just like the Olympic for a sport person. Among the oldest and most prestige ones are the Maths Olympiad, Physics Olympiad, and the Chemistry Olympiad, all started around 1950s or 1960s. (Nowadays, surprisingly there are more than 12 Olympiads are held annually). The other Olympiads including Robotics, Geology, Astronomy, Biology, and many more that I will never know the names...most started in the early 1990s and the 21st century.
4. In Robotic Olympiads, students are supposed to design a prototype and marks will be given by judges, while for Maths or Physics, they are almost all calculations, experiments and manipulation of both based on theories we had learnt in school. Basically, the former one is about creativity and subjectivity of the judges, while the latter one is totally based on understanding, mathematical ability and manipulation of concepts (how the students could turn and twist their brains to solve them).
5. Any students who have enrolled in a university are prohibited from participating in Olympiads. But based on my own experience,even second year university level physics knowledge is not sufficient to solve a physics olympiad question correctly. 3 questions in 5 hours. Thats all you need to do in APhO & IPhO. But somehow, you will still wish that you have 24 hours or maybe one week to do those 3 questions. There is also an experiment to be done the next day, in 5 hours too.
6. Back in 2004, I was pretty lucky to get picked to go to APhO in Hanoi, Vietnam. In the first round for qualification, 40 STPM and Mara college students were picked based on some multiple choice questions. They were cut down to 13 students after the second qualifying round. There were 11 chinese students and 2 malays including myself. 8 will be pick to go to APhO in coming final qualification round. Traditionally, APhO was held a few months earlier than IPhO.
7. We had one malay physics lecturer, one indian (or maybe serani kot) maths lecturer from UKM and 3 more chinese STPM teachers who will teach and assess us based on past year papers. I remembered all of them saying something like this to me and Nazri Kasuan (the other malay guy in the team) ,
"It's OK for you both coz you both need to just compete with each other to secure 1 place. We always have 1 place ( out of eight) for Bumiputra in our team. But the rest will have to compete for the other 7 places."
8. I never felt any more insult than that in my whole life. Coming from a chinese school, I always believe in fair competition. IT IS TRUE that me and Nazri were ranked 11th and 12th in that group of 13 students based on our previous round result. IT IS ALSO TRUE that ALL malay participants in previous physics Olympiad managed to be in the Malaysian team due to that 'one special place' due to our special privilege. I believe that the lecturers are saying that to stimulate us to work harder, but both of us do not like the fact that previous malay students have been relying on that 'privilege', nor the way the other students of other races might be thinking of us.
9. For the first time in a Malaysian team to physics olympiad, 2 malays managed to get through --- through merit, of course. Fortunate enough (plus DAMN LOT of hard work okk), both of us were ranked 6th and 7th in the team of 8 students who will be going to Hanoi. We are more than happy, of course.
10. The malay lecturer was so happy of course, but I believe he did not put much expectation on us in the coming APhO since there wasn't any malay participant who had won anything in APhO or IPhO before us. So he said ,
"I'm more than happy for you guys, that both of you made it to the competition. This is the first time that 2 malay students qualified together. Previous ones had all relied on the quota to make it to the competition. You made me proud. But as you already know, only 5 out of these 8 will be going to the international one, IPhO. We gonna pick the student based on the your results in this coming Asia one. But in case none of you make the cut to be in the top 5, one of you will still represent the country with the quota. There's always a place for one of you in the team. Just make sure both of you work hard k?"
11. We did not say much. But we are determined and we know what we have to do. For the final 3 weeks before departure, both of us spent days and nights studying just physics. College works are pretty much had been abandoned. I even remembered not going out of the room for 1 whole straight week, relying just on the instant noodles, Mee Maggi to survive. I even had an argument with one of my group mates for not doing my part of the group presentation (The truth is I actually have an exemption for that assignment). I believed that I'm doing something more important for not only myself and my family, but for the team, our college and most importantly, the pride of my race. We don't like the fact that some people think that malays are relatively inferior to other races in Malaysia, especially in Maths, Physics or other science and calculation-based subjects.
12. Our efforts did not go waste. I won an Honourable Mention, and was the only one who won something for the team (There are 4 types of prize : gold, silver, and bronze medal, and the Honourable Mentions. More than one participant can win the same prize. 1/4 of the participants receive atleast an Honourable Mentions). Nazri did pretty well too, was the fourth best in our team. Both of us surprised our lecturers for making the cut to the international physics olympiad, by being the 1st and 4th in the malaysian team in asia physics olympiad.
13. The malay lecturer was really delighted with the result. I was even more excited to be the first and only malay student to won something in an Olympiad, even tho it's just in the Asia level(I'm not being racist here, it's a matter of fact that chinese students usually do better than the malays in previous Malaysian teams. See: http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ipho/participate.htm).
14. Good things never go too long. In the preparation for IPhO, I was the one who was less determined and less hardworking than the others. Partly was due to busy catching up with studies in college, and partly because I was busy applying for entry to universities. Or maybe I was just feeling too complacent with what I've got. I do not know why.
15. I guess my father had seen enough of my lacklustre, half-hearted, and unmotivated preparation. Knowing his son well enough, he told me a story about Boabdil, the last Arab King in Spain.
16. Boabdil was the last muslim king in Spain. He was supposed to defend Grenada, which was the last stronghold of muslims in Spain at that time. Being surrounded by the Christian crusaders lead by Queen Isabelle and King Ferdinand (these crusaders just lost a crusade battle in the Middle East, they were basically an army which was defeated by the muslim army in Jerusalem and had came to revenge in Spain on the way back to their respective country), Boabdil eventually surrendered Grenada to them in January 1492 without any fight. In return, he and his royal family were granted a safe passage to Morocco.
17. On the surrender of his muslim kingdom, which was witness by every citizen (including Christopher Columbus who later found America), he kissed the hand of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabelle. He passed the key to the gate of Alhambra(his palace in Grenada) to them, and he cried together with the crowd. All the muslims were in tears while all the Christian crusaders were in joy. That hill later was called Hill of the Arabian Tears (translation: Bukit Air Mata Arab. I just could not imagine how he could surrender his kingdom without fighting at all to a weakened crusade army which had just previously lost a battle at somewhere else.It is very sarcastic indeed).
18. While crossing the Gilbratar Strait to Morocco, the king regretted the surrender and cried on the ship. His fellow companions asked him why he is still crying while he is already safe now.
He said, " I cried in fear of my people who will be killed after I left." Which turned out to be true, 2 million muslims and jews were believed to have been killed or forced to convert to Christianity a few years later. (More sarcastically, one of the largest mosque in this world at that time in Grenada, was converted to a church. All are results of this lousy king who surrendered his kingdom. )
His mother, who was unsympathetic at that time, replied him, "You do well...to weep like a woman for what you did not fight like a man." She was saying he did not deserve to cry at all when he DID NOT TRY HIS BEST to defend the country.
19. My father was actually trying to say that if I do not make it in the IPhO, I will regret for the rest of my life for not trying my best. He said that people generally regret when they did not do their best, but they will never feel bad if they had done to the best of their ability. Anyways, I did not take his word seriously in the end.
20. On the plane to Pohang, Korea, my malay lecturer told me that he had put a very high hope on me for the first time. " I can see that you are different than the others. You have the talent to do it. For us, for you and me, for your family, and for our race, please make them all proud. I want you to bring back a medal." There was never anyone from Malaysia brought home a medal from IPhO before that. (There was one before in APhO but not IPhO)
21. My father was right. I failed to deliver. I screwed up my theory paper badly. All four of my team mates including Nazri, won a total of 4 Honourable Mentions(HM). I was the only one who did not get anything. Nazri eventually was the first out of only two malay students (later one was 3 years after us) to win something in the IPhO, the International Physics Olympiad.
22. I was devastated. On the other hand, our lecturers and the rest were very happy cause it was the best ever result achieved by a Malaysian team. The others tried to console me and said that I was the one who drive them and make them wanted to work harder after the APhO. The team achievement was somehow owed to me in a way.
23. I know they were just trying to make me feel better, but the cruel reality is I am THE ONLY ONE WHO FAILED to deliver. Don't think about a medal, I could not even get an HM.
24. When I finally reached Malaysia, me and Nazri prayed in the mosque in our college together. In the final rakaat, I could not help but cry. I remembered the story of Boabdil that my father told me. But I could not help but crying when thinking of how I had disappointed my lecturer, my father and my family, and others who have been so supportive to me. My friends, my teachers in the college, everyone who was waiting for a good news from me, I know I'd let them down. I regret, and I cried for the first time in more than 4 years...my father was right about me after all. I know I don't deserved to cry at all cause I never tried my best in the first place, but I could not help.
25. I am sorry everyone. I know I can't turn back the time...but saying sorry was all I could do now. I will remember this failure for the rest of my life but for sure, I am really sorry for letting all of you down. I AM SORRY.
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1. As a matter of fact, Malaysian team in physics olympiad (and in Maths Olympiad too I believe) usually did not do too well compared to other less developed countries in this region. As an example, Thailand managed to get couple of medals every year. In APhO 2004, 1 bronze and 4 HM for Thailand; 1 silver and 2 bronze for Indonesia; a few silver for Vietnam. In IPhO 2004, the same team produces 1 silver and a few more bronze for Thailand; 1 gold (I think) and a few gold, silver and bronze for Indonesia; and 3 gold and 1 silver and 1 bronze (I think) for Vietnam. Most of them are around 16 years old, and one gold medalist from Indonesia is just 15 years old. As a comparison, Malaysia got 1 HM for APhO 2004, and 4 HM in IPhO the same year. Not even a medal. And we all are 18 years old.
2. First ever medal which was produced by Malaysia was in 2005 or maybe 2006. A single bronze. And another silver the year after in IPhO. Good improvement, but it is still a relatively slow and small achievement compared to our neighbors. Something for us to think about.
3. I believe it's down to 2 things: preparation and education system. We spent 3 weeks on physics camp for our preparation for APhO, and one month plus in total for IPhO. Oppositely, Indonesia spent 45 days for APhO and 3 months for IPhO.
4. In Vietnam or Thailand (countries which have been MUCH SUPERIOR than Malaysia in past Olympiads), has a special school for talented students. Students who are recognized as 'having special ability' in a certain subject, will take a test and go to these special schools around the age of 14 and learn only one subject, in order to get the best out of them. By the age of 16, they could enter the university and specialize in their respective field of talent. In that education system, age is not the benchmark of education level for those kids, unlike Malaysia. Intelligence level is the sole determinant of which level will these kids be. But of course, they have normal school for normal kids too.
5. Malaysia only have one system, that is based on the age (except for international schools). But I'm not sure which one between these two are the best education system for us. Talented students in Vietnam are well polished to suit their ability, but for sure they lack the 'normal' development and 'youth experience' like other kids. However, Vietnam are now attracting the highest FDI, Foreign Direct Investment in the ASEAN region, thanks to their low cost but abundant human capital, as a result of their education system. It is something that we should look into.
6. Even though Malaysia has PTS system where students cut short their education by one year, it is still different than the one in Vietnam. Vietnam's gifted kids only study and specialize in one subject, unlike Malaysia where all of us have to learn all other subjects (in example all 3 science subjects have to be taken for all science stream students, we can't study Chemistry only or Physics only). Don't forget we all have to take some other compulsory subjects, that most of the students end up taking almost 9 subjects in SPM.
7. In Malaysia, scholarships are given based on the overall SPM result and the interview. This means we might have overlooked students who are particularly good in one subject but did not do well on the overall. So how are we going to know if one student who got only 3 As might be much better in Chemistry (as an example) than another 10As student? If we really are going to produce a Nobel prize winner by 2050, I think we should start to review our education system now.
8. A lot of Malaysians have the mentality that being a researcher does not get you anywhere nor make you rich. Hence, a lot of brilliant students end up taking courses like Medicine, Engineering, Commerce or IT. Not many really interested in specializing in Science or Life Science subjects. Even the government did not provide many scholarships to study science courses compared to other courses like Engineering or Medicine.
9. Singapore did not do too well too (compared to Malaysia lah) in the Physics Olympiad. But they are smart enough to try to lure those smart students from other countries. Many of my chinese friends end up studying and working in Singapore after getting the scholarship to study in universities in Singapore. When we were in Vietnam for APhO, the Singaporean team try to court us and lure us to go Singapore after we finish our college and STPM, by offering us a full scholarship to study in the Nanyang University or the National University of Singapore (NUS). We kindly rejected them because me and Nazri already have scholarships, but we are not too sure about the others in our team if they accepted it or not. The rest in the team are studying STPM which means they do not have any scholarships yet, but I heard that all of them got 5 As in STPM in the end. I am not too sure of their whereabout now but last time I met them I do hear some of them are complaining about not getting proper recognition for their effort and their time spent for the country in the olympiad. It won't be a surprise to me if later I find out that some of them really went to Singapore.
10. I heard that there are more and more Malaysians, including some malays, who have openly asked the government to scrap the privilege/quota for the malays (and the other indigenous people of course) nowadays. Partly it is because we have a weak government, partly I think it is because they believe that those privileges are no longer relevant to our society. For the chinese, they long for a more open economy, more placement in the universities and scholarships. For the indians, they want more protection and opportunities from the government. And for those ungrateful malays (I'm referring to those who asked for abolishment of our own privileges), they are either politically motivated or they are blinded by what they think they have achieved with their own hard work. THE FACT IS WE STILL NEED THOSE PRIVILEGES. From my own experience being in a chinese school and the physics olympiad, we could see that the malays still have a long way to go before we are really competent to compete with other races on equal platform. If we don't have the quotas, I believe most if not all of our Malaysian team members to IPhO or maths Olympiad going to be of that one race. If we don't have the quotas, malay students will definitely be outnumbered in universities, especially in overseas. In Sydney, even with scholarships (majority of malay students are sponsored students), malay students are still far outnumbered by the non-malay Malaysian students ( I believe it could be as worst as 3 or 4 non-malays to every malay student). Without the scholarships, I strongly believe it's just gonna be much worst than this. Someday maybe we really do not need the privileges anymore, but before that day comes, we should maintain it. Or maybe the abolishment should be a slow, well-planned, and well-executed long term process, in order to make sure that the malays are always competent as well as competitive.
11. Anyways, back to the topic of our education system, I remember having read somewhere in the newspaper a few years ago, that one smart kid who could read by the age of 3, he end up dropped out of the school (he said the school was boring because he knew everything already), and in the end became a penebar roti canai (a person who makes roti canai). What a waste of talent actually. Maybe this should be a lesson for all of us...
Cheers!
Footnote:
To look at the history of Malaysia's achievement in International Math Olympiad (IMO), available here, http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~do3/imo-malaysia.html For International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) & Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO), visit http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ipho/participate.htm Nazri and I participated in IPhO and APhO in 2004. And I'm happy to see that Malaysian teams are performing better year by year since our days. Some even managed to get bronze and silver medals.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
A little story from Egypt
1. I went to Egypt when I had my very first summer holidays in 2005. Just me and my elder sister, and two of her friends. A half-guided, half self-explore, 11-day trip( 7 days with a guide, the rest on our own basically). I went there, partially due to my promise I made to travel there with my sis; another reason was that she already booked everything for me half a year before that, believing that I will further my studies in UK like herself, in which I actually ended up in a totally opposite side of the world(thanks to PETRONAS for that...).
2. Egypt fascinates me in many ways. Much more than other countries I have been to. Different culture, different ancient buildings and tombs, and different kind of people. A whole new world in short.
3. The story starts when we were bored of staying on the Nile cruise everyday. After begging the guide for many days to bring us to explore places in the city where the locals usually hang out, he finally agreed. Mind here he was not supposed to do that, considering our safety is not guaranteed outside of the ship.
4. Things started when we were hanging out in a cafe in a small alley. Only locals hang around there most of the time. The place is quite a run down by the way. Much worse than mamak stalls in Malaysia definitely. I saw a couple of small kids from another end of the alley walk towards us (me, my sis, her two friends and our guide) the moment they saw us, just when we are about to order our food. They are about 5 or 6 years old. Or maybe younger than that, I'm not sure.
5. The waiter/cafe boss who was serving us, left us in a sudden, walk towards them, and without a single word, starts to beat them with a stick that he picked up along the way. That really caught us all in surprise. And surprisingly the guide(his name is Romany) is not disturbed by the scene at all. He even ask us to just ignore the kids.
6. Out of all the anger, I shouted "Stop!". The waiter, everyone in the cafe including the patrons and our beloved guide, were surprised by my action ( I later learn that I was the first tourist to do that). "Ask them to come here, NOW!!" I shouted. He was reluctant to let the kids go to our table, but he did anyways. The moment they arrived, they show me a small packet of tissue. One in each of their hands.
7. I understood everything in that instance. These street kids are selling tissue papers to the tourists. But they were hated so much by the business owners. They are such a nuisance to them because these kids annoy the tourists sometimes. Some will go as far as pulling the sleeve of the shirt of tourists to sell the tissue papers.
8. I pity them. Very much. The only thing I could do at the moment is to grab the tissue packet from them and ask how much. 2 fingers, they showed. Two Egyptian pound for one small packet of tissue is indeed VERY expensive. (note: 1 Egytian pound is one tenth of British pound, or ~ RM0.60. You can buy a whole bag of breads there in Cairo). I bought all anyways. The other thing I could do is to stare at the cafe owner with a look full of hatred. He simply ignore that and chase those kids away with the stick in his hand.
9. Mood spoiled. We left without even giving tips to the waiters (it is actually almost a 'must' for the tourists to do so). We move on to a market. It's like a pasar malam and it is definitely not a bazaar like we thought. It's another place that is NOT for tourist, definitely. Me and my sis stop at a stall to buy some bread (1 pound could buy a BIG bag of bread), and we were left behind.
10. We have to walk abit faster to catch up with the rest. I walk behind my sis as a precaution, when I noticed that someone is following us. We tried to walk faster but he is catching up behind us and is getting closer till within a hand's reach. Then I notice that he while walking, was handing out his hand, as in trying to get something from us. He is about my age, or maybe older, early 20-s maybe. Afraid of danger(we have lost track of our guide and our friends), we run crossing the busy main street.
(Note : jalan yg memang busy sehingga kita orang bersyukur sebab tak kene langgar masa lari lintasjalan)
11. After feeling that we are safe, we turned around, and finally saw that he is actually HANDICAPPED. He lost an arm. He was actually just trying to beg some food for himself, coz I was carrying the bag full of fresh bread over my shoulder. He must have seen it and he wants some. "Ya allah!" we shouted. I almost cried. I felt that I have been very, very cruel, to someone who was very, very unfortunate. I wanted to cross back to the other side of the road to give him some money, but he left.
12. I never felt this bad before in my whole life. I realize that I have done something that is very wrong. Allahualam. We continue our walk to catch up with Romany and co, but deep inside I was praying to God all the way, to give me another chance to redeem my mistake.
13. The Al-Mighty showed His might. Maybe He really is giving us another chance. A little kid came running at us at a harbourside. About 5 years old too. And you could guess, with a pack of tissue papers in his hand. I noticed that the label, design and size of the packet is EXACTLY the same as the ones I bought before that.
14. I'm in a dilemma. I'd just realized. They are all controlled by the same syndicate. I wonder whether the money I spent on the tissue papers just now will go to those kids or not. If I buy the tissue papers, surely the big 'boss' in the syndicate will recount all the tissue packets left by the end of the day and then ask the money from kids. BUT if I simply give the money to the kids without buying, I am indirectly teaching them how to beg from tourists. Begging is not a good thing either. These kids are still young and learning.
15. If I simply give money to them without buying the tissue papers, they will learn that actually they don't have to sell tissue papers to get money anymore. They will know that they just need to beg for money, from the tourists. Even if one in every one thousand tourists give them money, they could make a living already. I don't want to 'spoil' them in that way. I don't want them to be like those kids in India or Indonesia where they chase after tourists for money. No one is begging for money in Egypt by the way. Our guide confirmed this too.
16. I'm in dilemma. I am not quite sure how to help. I was about to give them money when my sis stopped me. "Don't teach them begging. At least now they are learning to sell stuff for a living. That is MUCH BETTER than begging for money," she said.
But I want to help them. I don't wanna feel bad like before for not helping the poor. But yet I don't wanna help the syndicate who were using these little kids to make money for themselves. For god's sake, these kids are uneducated nor in a good health. Most of them are skinny.
17. I remembered about the handicapped young man just now in a sudden, and I remembered the bread that i have with me. I showed the kid all four packets of tissue that I have and say, "Look, I don't need your tissue papers ok. I have four already. How bout I give you one piece of bread?" while pointing to the packets and the bread.
18. He didn't quite understand. (Silly me, was I expecting a 5 year-old kid in Egypt to understand English? hahahha). Never mind. Bagi jer lah. I passed one to him. He grabbed it and simply put it in his mouth and start eating it on the spot. Like he never eat anything for that day. It is 7p.m. and yet he is still selling. He must be hungry.
19. He showed up 1 finger while another finger from the other hand pointed to my plastic bag. He wants more, I believe. "Must be hungry," I thought. Tak pe, kasi jer. I gave him another piece. He grabbed it, went around a wall, and reappear with a small girl. About four years old. Must be his sis coz he was holding her hand. She's not selling anything, maybe due to her younger age. Her hands were holding the bread that I gave to the young boy just now...
20. I was moved. Both of us are speechless. Such an act of caring, unselfishness and responsibility showed by a 5 year-old. Hardship really shaped him into such maturity... ... ...We end up giving them two pieces of bread each before moving on.
21. After meeting up with the rest, watched some belly dancing in a club. We went back to our boat. On the way back, we saw that small kid and his sis again. But this time with a big group of kids. about 8 of them. And they were all sharing the bread that I gave to the small kid before that...
22. We watched them without uttering a single word. Unselfishness shown by the little kid is really amazing. For a kid as young as 5 years old to share with the others while he is not having enough for himself, is such an admirable act. We gave all of them some food that we take away from the restaurant, before we board our ship for a rest.
What a long day we had! But I'm definitely going to remember this day for the rest of my life. It has really changed a lot my perceptions about the reality that is happening in a different corner(or many other places) of this world that I am living now... ...I wish that the world would be a better place to live for ALL of us.
____________________________________________________________________
1. Egypt is a country which relies heavily on its tourism industry. (I was told by Romany that they have 7 million TOURISTS visiting every year. As a comparison, Malaysia received around 15 million or more VISITORS, whom most are from neighbouring countries like Singapore and Thailand who came for business purposes/weekends shopping trip.) There are a lot of the so-called "tourism police", a special kind of enforcers who patrol the street to make sure the safety of the tourist. That is one of the reasons I believe why there is literally no beggars on the street of Egypt. These tourism policemen prevent the beggars from disturbing the tourists, but they won't interfere when little kids try to sell tissue packets to the tourists.
2. I am shocked to know how the street kids are treated there. I understand that the cafe owner was trying to 'protect' those tourists, and his business as well of cause. But, where is the HUMANE SIDE of him? Beating up 5-year old kids with a stick for that reason is just unacceptable. I would understand if he is not kind enough to give them free food, but that is not the way to deal with them. Most of these street kids have scars on their arms by the way, I noticed. Due to these kind of beating I believe.
3. Another outing on a different day, my sister and I went to a convinience stall on the street to buy a bottle of water (The air in Egypt is full of sand particles, it makes us feel thirsty all the time). There was no one attending the stall. We called a few times until someone appeared from a bush behind the stall. Right after we paid and left, the owner quickly went behind the bush. Out of curiosity, we try to see what is happening from far. We finally saw that he actually rush back to chase a teenager who was trying to escape from the bush. The young man was VERY weak obviously, could not run fast. (lari terhuyung hayang lah basically).The stall owner caught up with him, pinched him down and started to punch him. We could clearly hear the young man shouting for help, as well as the sound of the struggle (or maybe the sound when punches landed on the body?). I wanted to help (darah muda, biasalah), but my sister stopped me.
"Don't. I know you pitty him, so do I. But we are not supposed to interfere. We are tourists here remember? By the way maybe he is a thief, and he got caught stealing. He is not a kid anyways." she said. But she suggest me to return the drink we bought and ask for refund. She doesn't want to drink that water for what the owner did to that young man. I did not do that cause the guy is quite far away, but I throw the bottle away without drinking it, in a disgust and anger.
4. I learned many things in this trip. Maybe because this is the first time that I tried to explore corners and places, where tourists do not usually go, in a third world country. I believe that sometimes when we are in our comfort zone, we tend to forget the struggle of many others who are less fortunate than us.
5. I sometimes ask myself, what can I buy with one ringgit in Malaysia? or 1 dollar in Australia? Maybe some sweets and chocolates. But what can these people buy with one ringgit or one dollar in Egypt? A whole bag of bread for 8 little kids ----enough for the day. Or a whole meal for one family in Aswan (a very remote and poor town in Egypt, accessible only by train). But yet sometimes we are so reluctant to give/donate one ringgit to other people. If spare changes mean little to us, it could mean a living for a poor family in Egypt. That is why the Al-Mighty always ask us to give away what we have to the less fortunate people , even if the things that we give away mean little to us. I have many of those 'fortunate' friends who were born into a wealthy family, I wonder if they have this kind of awareness. Being too pampered with luxury, I doubt so. I do not blame them, cause most of them do not have the chance to 'feel' what the unfortunate people felt. Most of them don't even notice what's going on in this world. If they ever travel to a third world country like Egypt, I believe they will only experience the first class traveling, without realizing what really is going on behind the alley.
6. I believe that many people are willing to help, but they don't have the mean and the ways to do so. How many charity organizations out there helping these people? I am not sure, and I admit that I myself do not know how and where to get in touch with these people. That is why we have to have more organizations like Mercy. Sad but true, Islamic charity organizations are far outnumbered by charity organizations of other religion especially Christian. Sarcastically, Christian charity organizations even outnumber the Islamic charity organizations in these poor but predominantly muslim countries like Egypt.
Something that we should look into seriously. If we think that we are unfortunate, there are more more unfortunate people than us out there.
7. For those who are interested, there are neutral organizations that are not based on any religion like the UNHCR (UN refugee agency directly under the United Nation). The branch in Australia in example(http://www.unrefugees.org.au/), accept payment from individual donors through a monthly direct debit from any Australian bank account. To my surprise, Australians are one of the most generous and biggest donors. From what I know too, 40 dollars a month could help the agency to give vaccinations to hundreds of children in war torn countries every month. A 25-dollar donation could help them to give free food to one family for a month, n etc. What is 40 dollars A MONTH to people of Australia? I am not too sure but I know some students who are working casually/part-time in Australia (Note : international students in Australia are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week) are getting atleast 300 dollars EVERY WEEK. Maybe we should ask them how much is 40 dollars (or 25 dollars) a month compared to the 1200 dollars that they are getting and they could save up every month from their part time job ( since a lot of those Malaysian students who are working part-time are under scholarships, they could spend the allowances they are getting from the sponsor for daily expenses. Some don't really have to use their hard-earned money for daily expenses).
Should we sacrifice 4 meals of McDonald's every month(each meal costs around 10 dollars, 4 meals = 40 Australian dollars), for the good of hundreds of children in refugee camps in Africa?
Something for ALL of us to think about, but I believe that the more we give, the more we get. Cheers!
2. Egypt fascinates me in many ways. Much more than other countries I have been to. Different culture, different ancient buildings and tombs, and different kind of people. A whole new world in short.
3. The story starts when we were bored of staying on the Nile cruise everyday. After begging the guide for many days to bring us to explore places in the city where the locals usually hang out, he finally agreed. Mind here he was not supposed to do that, considering our safety is not guaranteed outside of the ship.
4. Things started when we were hanging out in a cafe in a small alley. Only locals hang around there most of the time. The place is quite a run down by the way. Much worse than mamak stalls in Malaysia definitely. I saw a couple of small kids from another end of the alley walk towards us (me, my sis, her two friends and our guide) the moment they saw us, just when we are about to order our food. They are about 5 or 6 years old. Or maybe younger than that, I'm not sure.
5. The waiter/cafe boss who was serving us, left us in a sudden, walk towards them, and without a single word, starts to beat them with a stick that he picked up along the way. That really caught us all in surprise. And surprisingly the guide(his name is Romany) is not disturbed by the scene at all. He even ask us to just ignore the kids.
6. Out of all the anger, I shouted "Stop!". The waiter, everyone in the cafe including the patrons and our beloved guide, were surprised by my action ( I later learn that I was the first tourist to do that). "Ask them to come here, NOW!!" I shouted. He was reluctant to let the kids go to our table, but he did anyways. The moment they arrived, they show me a small packet of tissue. One in each of their hands.
7. I understood everything in that instance. These street kids are selling tissue papers to the tourists. But they were hated so much by the business owners. They are such a nuisance to them because these kids annoy the tourists sometimes. Some will go as far as pulling the sleeve of the shirt of tourists to sell the tissue papers.
8. I pity them. Very much. The only thing I could do at the moment is to grab the tissue packet from them and ask how much. 2 fingers, they showed. Two Egyptian pound for one small packet of tissue is indeed VERY expensive. (note: 1 Egytian pound is one tenth of British pound, or ~ RM0.60. You can buy a whole bag of breads there in Cairo). I bought all anyways. The other thing I could do is to stare at the cafe owner with a look full of hatred. He simply ignore that and chase those kids away with the stick in his hand.
9. Mood spoiled. We left without even giving tips to the waiters (it is actually almost a 'must' for the tourists to do so). We move on to a market. It's like a pasar malam and it is definitely not a bazaar like we thought. It's another place that is NOT for tourist, definitely. Me and my sis stop at a stall to buy some bread (1 pound could buy a BIG bag of bread), and we were left behind.
10. We have to walk abit faster to catch up with the rest. I walk behind my sis as a precaution, when I noticed that someone is following us. We tried to walk faster but he is catching up behind us and is getting closer till within a hand's reach. Then I notice that he while walking, was handing out his hand, as in trying to get something from us. He is about my age, or maybe older, early 20-s maybe. Afraid of danger(we have lost track of our guide and our friends), we run crossing the busy main street.
(Note : jalan yg memang busy sehingga kita orang bersyukur sebab tak kene langgar masa lari lintasjalan)
11. After feeling that we are safe, we turned around, and finally saw that he is actually HANDICAPPED. He lost an arm. He was actually just trying to beg some food for himself, coz I was carrying the bag full of fresh bread over my shoulder. He must have seen it and he wants some. "Ya allah!" we shouted. I almost cried. I felt that I have been very, very cruel, to someone who was very, very unfortunate. I wanted to cross back to the other side of the road to give him some money, but he left.
12. I never felt this bad before in my whole life. I realize that I have done something that is very wrong. Allahualam. We continue our walk to catch up with Romany and co, but deep inside I was praying to God all the way, to give me another chance to redeem my mistake.
13. The Al-Mighty showed His might. Maybe He really is giving us another chance. A little kid came running at us at a harbourside. About 5 years old too. And you could guess, with a pack of tissue papers in his hand. I noticed that the label, design and size of the packet is EXACTLY the same as the ones I bought before that.
14. I'm in a dilemma. I'd just realized. They are all controlled by the same syndicate. I wonder whether the money I spent on the tissue papers just now will go to those kids or not. If I buy the tissue papers, surely the big 'boss' in the syndicate will recount all the tissue packets left by the end of the day and then ask the money from kids. BUT if I simply give the money to the kids without buying, I am indirectly teaching them how to beg from tourists. Begging is not a good thing either. These kids are still young and learning.
15. If I simply give money to them without buying the tissue papers, they will learn that actually they don't have to sell tissue papers to get money anymore. They will know that they just need to beg for money, from the tourists. Even if one in every one thousand tourists give them money, they could make a living already. I don't want to 'spoil' them in that way. I don't want them to be like those kids in India or Indonesia where they chase after tourists for money. No one is begging for money in Egypt by the way. Our guide confirmed this too.
16. I'm in dilemma. I am not quite sure how to help. I was about to give them money when my sis stopped me. "Don't teach them begging. At least now they are learning to sell stuff for a living. That is MUCH BETTER than begging for money," she said.
But I want to help them. I don't wanna feel bad like before for not helping the poor. But yet I don't wanna help the syndicate who were using these little kids to make money for themselves. For god's sake, these kids are uneducated nor in a good health. Most of them are skinny.
17. I remembered about the handicapped young man just now in a sudden, and I remembered the bread that i have with me. I showed the kid all four packets of tissue that I have and say, "Look, I don't need your tissue papers ok. I have four already. How bout I give you one piece of bread?" while pointing to the packets and the bread.
18. He didn't quite understand. (Silly me, was I expecting a 5 year-old kid in Egypt to understand English? hahahha). Never mind. Bagi jer lah. I passed one to him. He grabbed it and simply put it in his mouth and start eating it on the spot. Like he never eat anything for that day. It is 7p.m. and yet he is still selling. He must be hungry.
19. He showed up 1 finger while another finger from the other hand pointed to my plastic bag. He wants more, I believe. "Must be hungry," I thought. Tak pe, kasi jer. I gave him another piece. He grabbed it, went around a wall, and reappear with a small girl. About four years old. Must be his sis coz he was holding her hand. She's not selling anything, maybe due to her younger age. Her hands were holding the bread that I gave to the young boy just now...
20. I was moved. Both of us are speechless. Such an act of caring, unselfishness and responsibility showed by a 5 year-old. Hardship really shaped him into such maturity... ... ...We end up giving them two pieces of bread each before moving on.
21. After meeting up with the rest, watched some belly dancing in a club. We went back to our boat. On the way back, we saw that small kid and his sis again. But this time with a big group of kids. about 8 of them. And they were all sharing the bread that I gave to the small kid before that...
22. We watched them without uttering a single word. Unselfishness shown by the little kid is really amazing. For a kid as young as 5 years old to share with the others while he is not having enough for himself, is such an admirable act. We gave all of them some food that we take away from the restaurant, before we board our ship for a rest.
What a long day we had! But I'm definitely going to remember this day for the rest of my life. It has really changed a lot my perceptions about the reality that is happening in a different corner(or many other places) of this world that I am living now... ...I wish that the world would be a better place to live for ALL of us.
____________________________________________________________________
1. Egypt is a country which relies heavily on its tourism industry. (I was told by Romany that they have 7 million TOURISTS visiting every year. As a comparison, Malaysia received around 15 million or more VISITORS, whom most are from neighbouring countries like Singapore and Thailand who came for business purposes/weekends shopping trip.) There are a lot of the so-called "tourism police", a special kind of enforcers who patrol the street to make sure the safety of the tourist. That is one of the reasons I believe why there is literally no beggars on the street of Egypt. These tourism policemen prevent the beggars from disturbing the tourists, but they won't interfere when little kids try to sell tissue packets to the tourists.
2. I am shocked to know how the street kids are treated there. I understand that the cafe owner was trying to 'protect' those tourists, and his business as well of cause. But, where is the HUMANE SIDE of him? Beating up 5-year old kids with a stick for that reason is just unacceptable. I would understand if he is not kind enough to give them free food, but that is not the way to deal with them. Most of these street kids have scars on their arms by the way, I noticed. Due to these kind of beating I believe.
3. Another outing on a different day, my sister and I went to a convinience stall on the street to buy a bottle of water (The air in Egypt is full of sand particles, it makes us feel thirsty all the time). There was no one attending the stall. We called a few times until someone appeared from a bush behind the stall. Right after we paid and left, the owner quickly went behind the bush. Out of curiosity, we try to see what is happening from far. We finally saw that he actually rush back to chase a teenager who was trying to escape from the bush. The young man was VERY weak obviously, could not run fast. (lari terhuyung hayang lah basically).The stall owner caught up with him, pinched him down and started to punch him. We could clearly hear the young man shouting for help, as well as the sound of the struggle (or maybe the sound when punches landed on the body?). I wanted to help (darah muda, biasalah), but my sister stopped me.
"Don't. I know you pitty him, so do I. But we are not supposed to interfere. We are tourists here remember? By the way maybe he is a thief, and he got caught stealing. He is not a kid anyways." she said. But she suggest me to return the drink we bought and ask for refund. She doesn't want to drink that water for what the owner did to that young man. I did not do that cause the guy is quite far away, but I throw the bottle away without drinking it, in a disgust and anger.
4. I learned many things in this trip. Maybe because this is the first time that I tried to explore corners and places, where tourists do not usually go, in a third world country. I believe that sometimes when we are in our comfort zone, we tend to forget the struggle of many others who are less fortunate than us.
5. I sometimes ask myself, what can I buy with one ringgit in Malaysia? or 1 dollar in Australia? Maybe some sweets and chocolates. But what can these people buy with one ringgit or one dollar in Egypt? A whole bag of bread for 8 little kids ----enough for the day. Or a whole meal for one family in Aswan (a very remote and poor town in Egypt, accessible only by train). But yet sometimes we are so reluctant to give/donate one ringgit to other people. If spare changes mean little to us, it could mean a living for a poor family in Egypt. That is why the Al-Mighty always ask us to give away what we have to the less fortunate people , even if the things that we give away mean little to us. I have many of those 'fortunate' friends who were born into a wealthy family, I wonder if they have this kind of awareness. Being too pampered with luxury, I doubt so. I do not blame them, cause most of them do not have the chance to 'feel' what the unfortunate people felt. Most of them don't even notice what's going on in this world. If they ever travel to a third world country like Egypt, I believe they will only experience the first class traveling, without realizing what really is going on behind the alley.
6. I believe that many people are willing to help, but they don't have the mean and the ways to do so. How many charity organizations out there helping these people? I am not sure, and I admit that I myself do not know how and where to get in touch with these people. That is why we have to have more organizations like Mercy. Sad but true, Islamic charity organizations are far outnumbered by charity organizations of other religion especially Christian. Sarcastically, Christian charity organizations even outnumber the Islamic charity organizations in these poor but predominantly muslim countries like Egypt.
Something that we should look into seriously. If we think that we are unfortunate, there are more more unfortunate people than us out there.
7. For those who are interested, there are neutral organizations that are not based on any religion like the UNHCR (UN refugee agency directly under the United Nation). The branch in Australia in example(http://www.unrefugees.org.au/), accept payment from individual donors through a monthly direct debit from any Australian bank account. To my surprise, Australians are one of the most generous and biggest donors. From what I know too, 40 dollars a month could help the agency to give vaccinations to hundreds of children in war torn countries every month. A 25-dollar donation could help them to give free food to one family for a month, n etc. What is 40 dollars A MONTH to people of Australia? I am not too sure but I know some students who are working casually/part-time in Australia (Note : international students in Australia are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week) are getting atleast 300 dollars EVERY WEEK. Maybe we should ask them how much is 40 dollars (or 25 dollars) a month compared to the 1200 dollars that they are getting and they could save up every month from their part time job ( since a lot of those Malaysian students who are working part-time are under scholarships, they could spend the allowances they are getting from the sponsor for daily expenses. Some don't really have to use their hard-earned money for daily expenses).
Should we sacrifice 4 meals of McDonald's every month(each meal costs around 10 dollars, 4 meals = 40 Australian dollars), for the good of hundreds of children in refugee camps in Africa?
Something for ALL of us to think about, but I believe that the more we give, the more we get. Cheers!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Peluang memilih harta atau politik
Ruang & Waktu Oleh Adam. A. Kadir
SUATU ketika dahulu saya suka memandang padang lumba kuda dari tingkat tertinggi Hotel Hilton di Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Kehijauan yang segar menentukan bentuk bujur sirih yang dilingkungi oleh trek di mana kuda berlumba.
Kini segalanya itu sudah tiada lagi. Ia telah digantikan dengan Kuala Lumpur City Centre atau ringkasnya, KLCC. Menara Berkembar Petronas sebagai bangunan paling tinggi di dunia mendominasikannya. Di sebelahnya tegak bangunan Maxis yang sangat harmoni dengan arkitektur menara itu. Maxis, seperti diketahui umum, ialah syarikat telefon selular.
Selepas disenaraikan, Maxis masih terus senama dengan T. Ananda Krishnan, selaku pemegang saham terbesar. Beliau ialah orang yang paling kaya di Malaysia, menurut majalah Malaysian Business. Kekayaan beliau yang solid bermula dengan idea mengambil alih tanah arena lumba kuda itu dan di atasnya ditegakkan kompleks KLCC dengan penyertaan Petronas.
Itu sepuluh tahun dahulu. Sejak itu beliau juga membuat nama selaku pemilik Astro, stesen penyiaran TV dan Radio secara kaedah kabel, lain daripada kaedah langsung TV Malaysia. Seorang profesor Universiti Harvard memberitahu saya bahawa Ananda Krishnan ialah seorang dermawan. ``Krishnan ialah seorang siswa saya. Dia banyak menghulur derma kepada fakulti kami,'' katanya. Krishnan ialah lulusan MBA dari Harvard Business School (HBS) pada tahun 1964.
Apa yang hendak saya perkatakan di sini bahawa kekayaan ialah sesuatu yang tidak boleh disisihkan sahaja dengan kata-kata kekayaan atau wang adalah durjana atau wang tidak boleh dibawa mati. Sebenarnya wang bukan semata-mata kertas atau akaun dalam bank.
Ia ukuran pemilikan harta yang datangnya dalam pelbagai bentuk. Pemilikan harta membolehkan seseorang membuat amal jariah, dalam bentuk derma, bantuan dan sebutlah sahaja berpuluh malah beratus cara yang lain.
Saya selalu mempunyai anggapan bahawa orang seperti Azman Hashim, Ibrahim Mohamad, Syed Kecik dan Rashid Hussein adalah kalangan Melayu terkaya di Malaysia yang mengatasi Syed Mokhtar Bukhary dan Mohamad Kamal. Sebaliknya, Syed Mokhtar dan Mohamad Kamal merupakan dua Melayu yang terkaya di sini.
Ini membuktikan kekayaan bukanlah sesuatu yang senang ditangani. Disiplin diri dan disiplin terhadap faktor-faktor yang boleh menjadi asas membuat keputusan pelaburan adalah sangat penting. Membuat keputusan yang baik atau buruk beberapa tahun sebelum ekonomi jatuh dalam tahun 1997 membawa hasil atau padah yang boleh disaksikan sekarang ini. Pelbagai maklumat tentang pelaburan Azman Hashim, Rashid Hussein, Syed Mokhtar dan Mohamad Kamal membuatkan prestasi dan tahap buruk-baik pelaburan mereka kini tidak memeranjatkan.
Dari segi peribadi, saya suka menyatakan pengalaman diri yang boleh dijadikan teladan atau sempadan, terutama untuk mereka yang sedang menaiki tangga kehidupan. Satu keputusan perlu diambil dalam tahun-tahun 1970-an, sama ada memilih kerjaya politik atau bisnes. Nilai hartanah dan harta lain menjaminkan pemupukan pelaburan seterusnya akan menambahkan saiz pemilikan harta saya.
Keputusan memilih kerjaya politik bererti terbantutnya sebarang tujuan pemupukan harta seterusnya. Namun 11 tahun selepas mendapat tempat di Parlimen, saya menghadapi realiti kehidupan di luar Parlimen pula.
Menoleh kembali, saya teringat ungkapan `bagaimana kalau'. Untuk itu satu soalan selalu timbul dalam minda: Bagaimana kalau diteruskan usaha dalam bisnes dan bukan politik?
Begini. Ramai menjadi kawan selepas saya mengikuti ilmu pengurusan bisnes di Harvard Business School dalam tahun 1981. Seorang dari Paris ialah ketua eksekutif sebuah kompeni besar yang membuat bisnes membina lebuh raya. Seorang lagi ialah presiden syarikat kereta api di Washington, ibu kota AS.
Pulang ke Malaysia, saya hendak menemui Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad bagi mencadangkan sistem lebuh raya moden dibina di negara ini. Tetapi saya terpaksa membatalkan idea itu kerana Perdana Menteri mahukan orang politik dan orang bisnes bertumpu kepada kerjaya masing-masing dan tidak dicampur-adukkan. Membuat pilihan untuk berpolitik bererti saya melupakan cadangan joint-venture dengan syarikat kawan di Perancis itu. Ketika itu, tidak ada pihak Malaysia yang berpengalaman membuat lebuh raya.
Dalam tahun 1986, tahun pertama saya menyertai Parlimen, Menteri Kewangan (Daim Zainuddin, belum Datuk atau Tun) menawarkan Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) dengan harga RM1 (satu ringgit) dalam ucapan bajetnya. Harga itu tentunya termasuk menanggung hutang KTM sekali. Selepas berhubung dengan kawan di Washington, beliau lebih cenderung menjadikan KTM satu pengangkutan kargo dengan mengurangkan tekanan terhadap pengangkutan penumpang.
Bagaimanapun, senggang tidak berapa lama, peluang bisnes besar ini juga harus dilupakan kerana saya dilantik ke jawatan Setiausaha Parlimen, iaitu jawatan yang tidak membenarkan penyandangnya terlibat dalam bisnes langsung. Nasib politik Adib Adam atas sebab begitu sentiasa menjadi rujukan.
Selain daripada peluang-peluang begitu, saya juga berundur diri dalam kegiatan bisnes dalam negeri. Akhirnya rekod bisnes diri hanya berbangga dengan pemilikan bangunan terbesar di Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
Bangunan 20 tingkat yang patut menjadi bangunan kepunyaan Melayu yang ketiga terbesar di Kuala Lumpur tidak menjadi kenyataan kerana tiada bank yang sanggup memberi pinjaman RM20 juta. Selain daripada sebab itu, kerjaya politik juga yang menghindarkan saya berusaha mendapat pinjaman segigih mungkin.
Saya kagum dengan kejayaan mereka yang memiliki kekayaan. Kini saya berpeluang berkawan dan melihat bekas ahli-ahli politik, termasuk menteri dan menteri besar. Tanpa jawatan dan tiada kemudahan untuk menjanakan harta (bagi mereka yang ada harta), mereka kelihatan begitu susut dan jauh berbanding dengan mereka yang hidup tegap di atas kekayaan yang terbentuk atas usaha sendiri. Buatlah pilihan dari sekarang, sebelum terlambat.
- DATUK ADAM KADIR ialah bekas Yang Dipertua Dewan Negara.
*petikan dari Utusan Malaysia, Ruang & Masa, 05/03/2003
__________________________________________________________________
1. This is another article that I have kept for more than 5 years. It was written by the author, after being in the politics for more than 10 years. I believe that he regreted his decision to join the politics which automatically rules him out of the business world.
2. Sad but true, political power does not last long. Once he retired from the office, he finally noticed that he is just no one, with no power, with no more authority and followers. The author regrets that he did not proceed with his business back then, even after he finished his MBA from Havard Business School (one of the leading business school in this world). He lost a few chances to persuade his business career because he was a senator. And once his political career was over, he found out that THE ONLY POWER THAT LAST FOREVER, IS MONETARY POWER---POWER WHICH IS GENERATED BY THE MONEY THAT ONE OWNS. He even envy some of his friends who are so successful in business such as Ananda Krishnan (the richest Malaysian and they both went to the same business school coincidently). He wished he could retire like them.
3. I have read somewhere that there was this former Mentari Besar(MB) from a northern state, beat an airport worker up cause the worker was not helping his mother who was ill and on a wheel chair. The MB has already retired at that time obviously, and I guess it started when the worker was too slow or refuse to help. Apparently the MB was frustated for not getting the attention. He was the former head of state. He should get special attention, he believes. But one thing surely, he has forgotten that in the eye of the worker he was just like everyone else in the airport, he no longer the once powerful MB. The cruel fact is, when a person joins the politics, someday he will definitely have to retire and subsequently lose ALL the power that he once owned. But for monetary power, YOU WILL HAVE IT AS LONG AS YOU COULD KEEP THE MONEY. Will Lim Goh Tong ever be treated like the former MB? I don't think so. He died rich. He even pass the baton---his power, to his beloved son.
4. If someday I have the opportunity to make a choice between politic and business, I think I know what I want. I won't deny that political power and connections are important, but I know I don't have to own them directly. Befriended with them is enough.
5. I remember once asking one of my chinese friends, "Which one do you wanna be, the US president or the Jews in US?"
"I wanna be like the Jews definitely. We have seen a few US presidents for the past 20 years that I hardly could remember their name now, but I see the same people controling the business and the big corporations in US over that same period. Anyways, these are the people who are controlling the white house indirectly with their money..." He answered without hesitate. Frank, but true...
Heh, I forgot that he's a Malaysian chinese. That is EXACTLY their mentality by the way.
Cheers!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Kasih Ibu
KASIH IBU MEMBAWA KE SYURGA
HARI ini 11 Mei, adalah Hari Ibu yang disambut di seluruh dunia oleh ramai manusia yang berstatus anak. Ada yang sekadar menghantar kad atau menelefon ibu yang tinggal berjauhan; ada yang bertandang ke rumah ibu dengan membawa sejambak bunga dan ramai juga yang berkumpul adik-beradik dalam majlis jamuan khas untuk ibu.
Hari Ibu berasal usul di Amerika Syarikat. Ia dianjurkan oleh seorang wanita bernama Anna Jarvis pada 1907. Menurut cerita yang tidak rasmi, Anna berasa amat bersalah kerana ibunya telah meninggal dunia sebelum dia sempat menuntut maaf setelah mereka bertengkar.
Lalu Anna berniat di pusara ibunya untuk melakukan sesuatu bagi mengenang jasa ibunya. Dia mula membayar niatnya dengan menghadiahkan 500 jambak bunga teluki putih untuk diagihkan kepada setiap ibu yang datang ke gereja St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church di Grafton, West Virginia. Pada 11 Mei 1908, gereja tersebut mengadakan majlis membaca doa khas untuk semua ibu.
Lebih kurang begitulah cerita yang Awang ketahui mengenai asal usul Hari Ibu yang dirayakan di seluruh dunia pada 11 Mei setiap tahun. Bagaimanapun, ada juga negara-negara di Eropah yang menyambut pada hari Ahad terakhir bulan Mei dengan mengadakan majlis membaca doa di gereja.
Sambutan Hari Ibu ini lebih popular di kalangan penganut agama Kristian, tetapi ia kini turut dirayakan oleh sebilangan orang Islam. Perkara ini tidak seharusnya dijadikan isu polemik.
Anggap sahaja Hari Ibu sama seperti Hari Guru, Hari Bapa, Hari Kebebasan Media dan sebagainya. Ia tiada kaitan dengan agama, cuma sekadar hari memperingati pengorbanan seorang insan yang paling berjasa kepada kita. Insan yang dipanggil ibu, mama, ummi, amma, bonda, emak atau apa sahaja ganti nama. Terpulanglah kepada individu sama ada mahu menyambut atau tidak Hari Ibu.
Namun dibandingkan dengan Hari Kekasih, merayakan Hari Ibu tentulah berbeza nilai dan martabatnya.
Awang sendiri tidak pernah menyambut Hari Ibu kerana ia bukan budaya generasi Awang. Lagipun Awang menganggap insan yang bernama ibu wajib diberi layanan istimewa sepanjang masa kerana syurga berada di bawah tapak kakinya. Tiada sifat kasih sayang yang boleh menandingi perasaan ibu terhadap anak-anaknya.
Sebenarnya Tuhan menzahirkan sifat kasih terhadap kita melalui ibu. Sebab itulah menderhaka kepada ibu tergolong sebagai dosa besar dan perbuatan yang amat dimurkai Allah.
Namun ramai manusia pada zaman ini semakin sibuk dengan urusan dunia dan kebajikan anak isteri sehingga terlupa kepada ibu, terutama ketika mereka tua. Ingatlah, jangan sampai hati ibu terluka kerana kasihnya terhadap anda adalah kasih Allah. Murka ibu juga bererti murka Allah terhadap anda.
SESAL KEMUDIAN TIDAK BERGUNA
BERCAKAP fasal ibu, teringat Awang kepada satu pesanan dalam majalah Mastika keluaran September 2002. Disebabkan pesanan berkenaan agak panjang, disiarkan semula versi yang diringkaskan:
``Ketika berusia setahun, ibu suapkan makanan dan mendidik kita. Cara kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya hanyalah dengan menangis sepanjang malam.
Menjelang usia tiga tahun, ibu menyediakan makanan dengan penuh rasa kasih sayang, kita ucapkan terima kasih dengan menumpahkan makanan ke lantai.
Apabila berusia tujuh tahun, ibu belikan sebiji bola. Cara mengucapkan terima kasih ialah kita pecahkan cermin tingkap jiran.
Ketika berusia sembilan tahun, ibu menghantar ke sekolah, kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan ponteng kelas.
Apabila berusia 12 tahun, ibu menyuruh membuat kerja sekolah, kita ucapkan terima kasih dengan menunggu ibu alpa untuk menonton televisyen.
Menjelang usia 13 tahun, ibu suruh pakai pakaian yang menutup aurat, kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan memberitahu bahawa pakaian itu tidak sesuai.
Ketika berusia 14 tahun ibu terpaksa mengikat perut untuk membayar wang persekolahan dan asrama, kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan tidak menulis sepucuk surat pun. Semasa bercuti kita asyik mengunci pintu bilik. Ketika ibu sedang menunggu panggilan penting, kita bergayut di telefon sepanjang malam.
Menjelang usia remaja, 18 tahun, ibu menangis gembira apabila mendapat tahu kita diterima masuk ke IPTA, kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan bersuka ria bersama kawan-kawan.
Berusia 20 tahun, ibu bertanya sama ada kita ada teman istimewa, kita kata ``... itu bukan urusan ibu.'' Setelah berusia 21 tahun, ibu memberikan pandangan mengenai kerjaya, kita kata: ``Saya tak mahu jadi seperti ibu.''
Ketika berusia 25 tahun, ibu bersusah payah menanggung perbelanjaan majlis perkahwinan kita. Ibu menangis dan memberitahu betapa dia sangat sayangkan kita, tapi kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan berpindah jauh.
Pada usia 30 tahun, ibu menelefon memberi nasihat petua mengenai penjagaan bayi, kita berkata, ``... itu dulu.''
Ketika berusia 40 tahun, ibu menelefon mengingatkan mengenai kenduri-kenduri di kampung, kita berkata: ``Kami sibuk, tak ada masa nak datang.''
Apabila berusia 50 tahun, ibu jatuh sakit dan meminta kita menjaganya, kita bercerita mengenai kesibukan dan kisah-kisah ibu bapa yang menjadi beban kepada anak-anak.
Dan kemudian suatu hari, kita mendapat berita ibu meninggal! Khabar itu bagaikan petir! Dalam lelehan air mata, barulah segala perbuatan kita terhadap ibu menerpa satu per satu.''
*petikan dari rencana pengarang Utusan Melaysia, 11 Mei 2003*
_____________________________________________________________________________________
This is an article that I have kept for more than 5 years. It has been laminated and is still hanging on my wall till today. The second part is the more meaningful one, as it was saying how much people are taking things for granted till they lost them forever. We should really learn to appreciate what we have while we could...Cheers!
HARI ini 11 Mei, adalah Hari Ibu yang disambut di seluruh dunia oleh ramai manusia yang berstatus anak. Ada yang sekadar menghantar kad atau menelefon ibu yang tinggal berjauhan; ada yang bertandang ke rumah ibu dengan membawa sejambak bunga dan ramai juga yang berkumpul adik-beradik dalam majlis jamuan khas untuk ibu.
Hari Ibu berasal usul di Amerika Syarikat. Ia dianjurkan oleh seorang wanita bernama Anna Jarvis pada 1907. Menurut cerita yang tidak rasmi, Anna berasa amat bersalah kerana ibunya telah meninggal dunia sebelum dia sempat menuntut maaf setelah mereka bertengkar.
Lalu Anna berniat di pusara ibunya untuk melakukan sesuatu bagi mengenang jasa ibunya. Dia mula membayar niatnya dengan menghadiahkan 500 jambak bunga teluki putih untuk diagihkan kepada setiap ibu yang datang ke gereja St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church di Grafton, West Virginia. Pada 11 Mei 1908, gereja tersebut mengadakan majlis membaca doa khas untuk semua ibu.
Lebih kurang begitulah cerita yang Awang ketahui mengenai asal usul Hari Ibu yang dirayakan di seluruh dunia pada 11 Mei setiap tahun. Bagaimanapun, ada juga negara-negara di Eropah yang menyambut pada hari Ahad terakhir bulan Mei dengan mengadakan majlis membaca doa di gereja.
Sambutan Hari Ibu ini lebih popular di kalangan penganut agama Kristian, tetapi ia kini turut dirayakan oleh sebilangan orang Islam. Perkara ini tidak seharusnya dijadikan isu polemik.
Anggap sahaja Hari Ibu sama seperti Hari Guru, Hari Bapa, Hari Kebebasan Media dan sebagainya. Ia tiada kaitan dengan agama, cuma sekadar hari memperingati pengorbanan seorang insan yang paling berjasa kepada kita. Insan yang dipanggil ibu, mama, ummi, amma, bonda, emak atau apa sahaja ganti nama. Terpulanglah kepada individu sama ada mahu menyambut atau tidak Hari Ibu.
Namun dibandingkan dengan Hari Kekasih, merayakan Hari Ibu tentulah berbeza nilai dan martabatnya.
Awang sendiri tidak pernah menyambut Hari Ibu kerana ia bukan budaya generasi Awang. Lagipun Awang menganggap insan yang bernama ibu wajib diberi layanan istimewa sepanjang masa kerana syurga berada di bawah tapak kakinya. Tiada sifat kasih sayang yang boleh menandingi perasaan ibu terhadap anak-anaknya.
Sebenarnya Tuhan menzahirkan sifat kasih terhadap kita melalui ibu. Sebab itulah menderhaka kepada ibu tergolong sebagai dosa besar dan perbuatan yang amat dimurkai Allah.
Namun ramai manusia pada zaman ini semakin sibuk dengan urusan dunia dan kebajikan anak isteri sehingga terlupa kepada ibu, terutama ketika mereka tua. Ingatlah, jangan sampai hati ibu terluka kerana kasihnya terhadap anda adalah kasih Allah. Murka ibu juga bererti murka Allah terhadap anda.
SESAL KEMUDIAN TIDAK BERGUNA
BERCAKAP fasal ibu, teringat Awang kepada satu pesanan dalam majalah Mastika keluaran September 2002. Disebabkan pesanan berkenaan agak panjang, disiarkan semula versi yang diringkaskan:
``Ketika berusia setahun, ibu suapkan makanan dan mendidik kita. Cara kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya hanyalah dengan menangis sepanjang malam.
Menjelang usia tiga tahun, ibu menyediakan makanan dengan penuh rasa kasih sayang, kita ucapkan terima kasih dengan menumpahkan makanan ke lantai.
Apabila berusia tujuh tahun, ibu belikan sebiji bola. Cara mengucapkan terima kasih ialah kita pecahkan cermin tingkap jiran.
Ketika berusia sembilan tahun, ibu menghantar ke sekolah, kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan ponteng kelas.
Apabila berusia 12 tahun, ibu menyuruh membuat kerja sekolah, kita ucapkan terima kasih dengan menunggu ibu alpa untuk menonton televisyen.
Menjelang usia 13 tahun, ibu suruh pakai pakaian yang menutup aurat, kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan memberitahu bahawa pakaian itu tidak sesuai.
Ketika berusia 14 tahun ibu terpaksa mengikat perut untuk membayar wang persekolahan dan asrama, kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan tidak menulis sepucuk surat pun. Semasa bercuti kita asyik mengunci pintu bilik. Ketika ibu sedang menunggu panggilan penting, kita bergayut di telefon sepanjang malam.
Menjelang usia remaja, 18 tahun, ibu menangis gembira apabila mendapat tahu kita diterima masuk ke IPTA, kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan bersuka ria bersama kawan-kawan.
Berusia 20 tahun, ibu bertanya sama ada kita ada teman istimewa, kita kata ``... itu bukan urusan ibu.'' Setelah berusia 21 tahun, ibu memberikan pandangan mengenai kerjaya, kita kata: ``Saya tak mahu jadi seperti ibu.''
Ketika berusia 25 tahun, ibu bersusah payah menanggung perbelanjaan majlis perkahwinan kita. Ibu menangis dan memberitahu betapa dia sangat sayangkan kita, tapi kita ucapkan terima kasih kepadanya dengan berpindah jauh.
Pada usia 30 tahun, ibu menelefon memberi nasihat petua mengenai penjagaan bayi, kita berkata, ``... itu dulu.''
Ketika berusia 40 tahun, ibu menelefon mengingatkan mengenai kenduri-kenduri di kampung, kita berkata: ``Kami sibuk, tak ada masa nak datang.''
Apabila berusia 50 tahun, ibu jatuh sakit dan meminta kita menjaganya, kita bercerita mengenai kesibukan dan kisah-kisah ibu bapa yang menjadi beban kepada anak-anak.
Dan kemudian suatu hari, kita mendapat berita ibu meninggal! Khabar itu bagaikan petir! Dalam lelehan air mata, barulah segala perbuatan kita terhadap ibu menerpa satu per satu.''
*petikan dari rencana pengarang Utusan Melaysia, 11 Mei 2003*
_____________________________________________________________________________________
This is an article that I have kept for more than 5 years. It has been laminated and is still hanging on my wall till today. The second part is the more meaningful one, as it was saying how much people are taking things for granted till they lost them forever. We should really learn to appreciate what we have while we could...Cheers!
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