Sunday, December 8, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
Nelson Mandela dies
Mandela, shown in 2010, married Winnie Madikileza in 1958. (Alexander Joe/Reuters)
Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders of modern times, passed away Thursday at his home in Johannesburg after a prolonged lung infection. He was 95.
South African President Jacob Zuma announced that Mandela, "the founding president of our democratic nation, has departed," adding that he "passed on peacefully."
"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father," Zuma said.
"Our thoughts are with the millions of people who embraced Mandela as their own and who saw his cause as their cause.… This is the moment of our deepest sorrow.”
Mandela will be accorded a state funeral, Zuma said, and national flags will be lowered to half-mast.
"We saw in him what we seek in ourselves. And in him we saw so much of ourselves," he said. "Nelson Mandela brought us together and it is together that we will bid him farewell."
Mandela's respiratory problems in recent years may be connected to his imprisonment, when he contracted tuberculosis after working in a prison quarry. He had been in hospital in recent months.
His hospitalization on June 8, 2013, marked his fifth visit to hospital in two years. In April 2013, he spent 10 days in hospital after being treated for pneumonia.
Mandela was a prominent international figure for more than half a century, first as a leading human
rights campaigner in South Africa and then as the world's best-known political prisoner.
Following his release, he again became the leader of the anti-apartheid struggle, and in 1994 became the first president of a democratic South Africa.
On July 18, 2009, the first Mandela Day declared by the United Nations, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke about how "Nelson Mandela has made a lasting imprint on our lives."
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Now I know why ....
Further to my last posting, which was on UiTM, now I can understand it's racist nature.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Institute of Technology MARA and UiTM
One day in 1977, I received a call from one Puan Aishah of ITM in Shah Alam who wanted to meet up with me to ascertain whether I was interested in taking up a part-time job as a lecturer with the college. She was the head of the School of Hotel and Catering Management, and the course she wanted me to lecture in was in the "Diploma in Tourism Administration", and it involved the final year students.
I was a little apprehensive on two account. First, it was just after the great campus riot, and secondly, my BM. Although I could speak the language well, but I figured it would be a different cup of tea entirely when coming to giving academic lectures.
When I drove into the campus that afternoon to meet her, there were debris all around. I must have thought I had just driven into a war zone. The meeting was interesting and to my surprise I was told that my lecture was to be conducted in English. And so began my journey with my students in ITM.
During the first 6 months of my lectureship with the college, I found the students to be smart, they articulated very well in English, believe in a socialist order of life and even one or two of them were quite self-opinionated about their belief (not religiously though) which sometimes can be overbearing, but well intended. Although religion was important but never the main focus. Race relations was fantastic as far as I was concerned. We mixed well with no hang-ups. On the day when they finished their last paper for the exam, I would be there to have a little tea gathering with them at the 'mamak-teria' (just across the field) and to wish them all the best for the future. I used to tell them, "Your journey in life now begins".
These are my students from the 1983 batch.
I was a little apprehensive on two account. First, it was just after the great campus riot, and secondly, my BM. Although I could speak the language well, but I figured it would be a different cup of tea entirely when coming to giving academic lectures.
When I drove into the campus that afternoon to meet her, there were debris all around. I must have thought I had just driven into a war zone. The meeting was interesting and to my surprise I was told that my lecture was to be conducted in English. And so began my journey with my students in ITM.
During the first 6 months of my lectureship with the college, I found the students to be smart, they articulated very well in English, believe in a socialist order of life and even one or two of them were quite self-opinionated about their belief (not religiously though) which sometimes can be overbearing, but well intended. Although religion was important but never the main focus. Race relations was fantastic as far as I was concerned. We mixed well with no hang-ups. On the day when they finished their last paper for the exam, I would be there to have a little tea gathering with them at the 'mamak-teria' (just across the field) and to wish them all the best for the future. I used to tell them, "Your journey in life now begins".
These are my students from the 1983 batch.
 |
The blogger (in batik shirt) with his students |
And these are the students today from the same institution, albeit being accorded university status.
How times have changed.
Friday, November 22, 2013
50 years ago today
How many of us remember where we were today fifty years ago? I believe that was the day which is still etched the minds of us till today. As for me, we have just completed sitting for our Form 3 LCE exam and a group of us decided to take a cycling trip to Puchong to visit our American Peace Corp teacher, Mrs Mary Weinhold, who was hospitalised at the Kinarara Army Camp. In the course of our journey, one of my classmates, panting away, pulled up to us and cried out, "Kennedy is dead, Kennedy is dead!". We took a break beside the road and asked him from where did he receive the news. He said it was from the Voice of America (radio), a station his father regularly tuned to.
All of us were just shocked. Mind you, we were in Form 3, merely 15 years old and have never met John F Kennedy before in person. He was not even our leader, yet, this man had such a profound impact on us all. We will always remember this famous quote from his inaugural speech made in November 1960, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."
The beginning of the Presidency -
The end of the Presidency, November 22 1963 -
All of us were just shocked. Mind you, we were in Form 3, merely 15 years old and have never met John F Kennedy before in person. He was not even our leader, yet, this man had such a profound impact on us all. We will always remember this famous quote from his inaugural speech made in November 1960, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."
The beginning of the Presidency -
The end of the Presidency, November 22 1963 -
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Good news for Selangorians
Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today announced that the government will utilise RM430 million from its massive reserves after constant complaints within Pakatan Rakyat's own ranks about his frugality.
Abdul Khalid (left) announced this when tabling a RM1.85 billion balanced budget for 2014 at the Selangor state assembly this afternoon.
"Coupled with the use of reserves for development spending (and the normal RM1.85 million budget), the state government is prepared to spend a total of RM2.28 billion for 2014," he said.
The RM430 million will be channeled into six projects, one being the already announced RM150 million third Klang bridge.
The other five initiatives are:
Last month, the Pakatan-led Selangor government backbenchers club had submitted a memorandum expressing concern about a possible reduction in development expenditure for budget 2014.
At first glance, their concerns appeared real after the development expenditure announced in budget 2014 today saw a slight reduction from RM633 million this year to RM624 million next year.
However, the additional RM430 million injection from state reserves brought the total development expenditure to RM1.055 billion - the highest ever.
The operational expenditure stands at RM1.225 billion.
At a press conference later, Abdul Khalid said this was the first time that Pakatan-led Selangor was incorporating part of the state reserves into the budget.
Selangor had last year announced a plan to use RM500 million from the state reserves for various projects, but the money was never spent and was returned, he added.
Abdul Khalid denied that the planned use of the reserves next year was due to pressure from his own state assemblypersons.
"No, it has been planned before this. But of course they (state assemblypersons) will want to know how the money will be spent so we will set up a mechanism for them (to give input)," he said.
A misunderstanding
He added that concerns expressed by Pakatan state assemblypersons that development expenditure would go down was merely a "misunderstanding".
"They thought that the estimated revenue for next year is only RM1.6 billion but it is RM1.8 billion which means there is enough money for development expenditure after deducting operational expenditure in a balanced budget," he said.
Despite the apparent concession, Abdul Khalid took his detractors to task for criticising the ballooning state reserves.
"Some are less wise about finance and fiscal discipline therefore there are voices threatening or complaining about the accumulation of the state reserves.
"We stress that maintaining the reserves coupled with prudent spending is consistent with fiscal discipline and as part of the long term finance management," he said.
He said that the state government had nowhere else to loan money and if it overspent it will need to go "begging" from the federal government.
Abdul Khalid also announced a number of measures on improving the state’s spending, including an independent action committee comprising of professionals.
He said among their task is to study the procurement and services cost of agencies as well as to develop a mechanism to control, and if necessary, cut unneeded expenditure for them, on top of solving red tape.
Furthermore, Abdul Khalid said a committee to improve the administration of state agencies and government-linked companies (GLC) will also be set up, to be chaired by the menteri besar himself.
The committee, comprising of top government officials, academics and professionals, will review the workings of state civil service and GLCs in line with international standards and oversee their implementation of policies.
[Source: Mkini]
Abdul Khalid (left) announced this when tabling a RM1.85 billion balanced budget for 2014 at the Selangor state assembly this afternoon."Coupled with the use of reserves for development spending (and the normal RM1.85 million budget), the state government is prepared to spend a total of RM2.28 billion for 2014," he said.
The RM430 million will be channeled into six projects, one being the already announced RM150 million third Klang bridge.
The other five initiatives are:
- RM100 million for affordable housing
- RM50 million for new schools
- RM50 million for entrepreneurship and youth development
- RM50 million for rural development
- RM30 million for women's empowerment
Last month, the Pakatan-led Selangor government backbenchers club had submitted a memorandum expressing concern about a possible reduction in development expenditure for budget 2014.
At first glance, their concerns appeared real after the development expenditure announced in budget 2014 today saw a slight reduction from RM633 million this year to RM624 million next year.
However, the additional RM430 million injection from state reserves brought the total development expenditure to RM1.055 billion - the highest ever.
The operational expenditure stands at RM1.225 billion.
At a press conference later, Abdul Khalid said this was the first time that Pakatan-led Selangor was incorporating part of the state reserves into the budget.
Selangor had last year announced a plan to use RM500 million from the state reserves for various projects, but the money was never spent and was returned, he added.
Abdul Khalid denied that the planned use of the reserves next year was due to pressure from his own state assemblypersons.
"No, it has been planned before this. But of course they (state assemblypersons) will want to know how the money will be spent so we will set up a mechanism for them (to give input)," he said.
A misunderstanding
He added that concerns expressed by Pakatan state assemblypersons that development expenditure would go down was merely a "misunderstanding".
"They thought that the estimated revenue for next year is only RM1.6 billion but it is RM1.8 billion which means there is enough money for development expenditure after deducting operational expenditure in a balanced budget," he said.
Despite the apparent concession, Abdul Khalid took his detractors to task for criticising the ballooning state reserves.
"Some are less wise about finance and fiscal discipline therefore there are voices threatening or complaining about the accumulation of the state reserves.
"We stress that maintaining the reserves coupled with prudent spending is consistent with fiscal discipline and as part of the long term finance management," he said.
He said that the state government had nowhere else to loan money and if it overspent it will need to go "begging" from the federal government.
Abdul Khalid also announced a number of measures on improving the state’s spending, including an independent action committee comprising of professionals.
He said among their task is to study the procurement and services cost of agencies as well as to develop a mechanism to control, and if necessary, cut unneeded expenditure for them, on top of solving red tape.
Furthermore, Abdul Khalid said a committee to improve the administration of state agencies and government-linked companies (GLC) will also be set up, to be chaired by the menteri besar himself.
The committee, comprising of top government officials, academics and professionals, will review the workings of state civil service and GLCs in line with international standards and oversee their implementation of policies.
[Source: Mkini]
Sunday, November 17, 2013
An emotional ad by Google - must see!
The partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 must have been one painful period for the people of these two countries who have to quickly decide which side of the border they would like to spend the rest of their lives in, thus separating family members and friends apart. The great Mahatama Gandhi protested against the partition but to no avail. Years later, will friends meet again and if they do, what would their reactions be? Now, here is one video by Google which will surely tug at your heartstrings. Immerse .........
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