Archaic -- A Definition

ar·cha·ic  (är-kk) also ar·cha·i·cal (--kl)

adj.

1. also Archaic Of, relating to, or characteristic of a much earlier, often more primitive period, especially one that develops into a classical stage of civilization: an archaic bronze statuette; Archaic Greece.

2. No longer current or applicable; antiquated: archaic laws. See Synonyms at old.

3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of words and language that were once in regular use but are now relatively rare and suggestive of an earlier style or period.

I watched it live and definitely sure about the context of the words used. It is not about a newspaper trying to bring you down. The much larger problem is what you have said. 'Archaic' and 'punitive' are the words used. My standpoint -- someone has too much baggage to become a leader of a country that I want proudly say a progressive Muslim nation. Think before you say anything -- getting support from liberal westerns do not mean that we have to follow their values. The verdict was acquitted and never once I heard how grateful it all ended. I am no against you but sometimes it is just too much. I am a Malaysian and I have a responsibility to my beloved country. Move on, people!-The Chukai Insider

Daun-taun Ab-biy

Now I know what the fuss is all about Downtown Abbey -- it's excellent! If the Americans are loving any English-made production means that it is good. Do you remember Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter? She is one of the casting members.Watching this series makes me remember how hard it is for me to finish Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall.

"Downton Abbey is a British television period drama series, produced by British media company Carnival Films for the ITVnetwork. The series is set on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in North Yorkshire, and features an ensemble cast. It was created and principally written by actor and writer Julian Fellowes, and premiered on ITV on 26 September 2010.

Reception of the programme was predominantly positive; ratings were extremely high for what is usually considered a "genre" show, and the first series picked up a number of awards and nominations after its initial run. It has subsequently become the most successful British costume drama since the 1981 television serial version of Brideshead Revisited,^[1] and in 2011 it entered theGuinness Book of World Records as the "most critically acclaimed English-language television show" for the year, becoming the first British show to be so recognised.^[2]"

The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, the Yorkshire country house of theEarl and Countess of Grantham, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the reign of King George V. The first series spans two years before the Great War, beginning with news of the sinking of the Titanic, which sets the story in motion. The second series covers the years 1916 to 1919 and the 2011 Christmas Special December 1919 to January 1920.

Highclere Castle in Hampshire^[4][5] was used for exterior shots of Downton Abbey and most of the interior filming. The servants' living areas were constructed and filmed atEaling Studios.^[6]

The village of Bampton in Oxfordshire was used for filming outdoor scenes, most notably St Mary's Church and the library, which serves as the entrance to the cottage hospital.^[7] The North Yorkshire towns of Malton, Thirsk, Easingwold, Kirkby,Kirkbymoorside, Middlesbrough, Ripon, Richmond and York have been mentioned by characters in the series.

The first series cost an estimated £1 million per episode, and is the most successful British period drama since Brideshead Revisited, with ratings exceeding 10 million viewers.^[1] The series was well received in the United States, averaging more than six million viewers per episode.^[8]-The Chukai Insider

I love this article so much -- well analysed and empirical evidences

This article was first published on The Choice. Do not read if you have no feelings whatsoever towards Malaysia's conditions.

Debunking the Debunker: Propaganda and Populism Make for Voodoo Economics

Link: http://www.thechoice.my/component/content/article/303-lead-stories-featured-left/3644-debunking-the-debunker-propaganda-and-populism-make-for-voodoo-economics

Anwar Ibrahim looks like a man on the defensive. He is trying to straddle an Opposition coalition where PAS does not get on with DAP over hudud and inside DAP they are busy trying to settle an unpleasant feud between alleged "warlords" and "godfathers." And he is meanwhile facing a verdict in Sodomy II on January 9th.

His solution? To stand up at a dinner in Kuala Lumpur and let loose with a blast of populist rhetoric that tried to turn both economics and common sense on its head.

Hard to believe as it may be, Anwar actually kept a straight face and claimed that the Economic Transformation Programme, which will see a staggering $444 billion of investment, and the creation of more than 3 million new jobs plus the lifting of per capita income levels from US$6,700 in 2009 to US$15,000 in 2020, would actually make millions of Malaysians poorer by 2020!

In his historic dinner speech entitled "Debunking ETP: Widening Income Gap" (historic because it plumbed new depths of demagogy rarely seen before) he tried to argue that he could predict inflation levels for the next 8 years, and that if his worst predictions came true, a big if, then there would be 1.7 million more people earning less than RM 1,500.

Wow.

Given that Anwar's worst case economic scenario would require inflation to average more than 6 percent from now, at the end of 2011 where inflation is running at about just over half that level, right through 2020, eight years from now and a statistical improbability, that is a big one to swallow. More significantly it is absolutely impossible to predict. And even Anwar's claims of historic data are wonky. He said in his speech that inflation was running at an average of 6.6 percent between 2005 and 2009 while most economists know it was about half as much on average. * Well, he thinks he is smarter than any economist la tu!

Another big "if" in Anwar's speech was that if one were to "extrapolate" from a sample of just 24,000 employers and just 1.3 million workers, another if of gargantuan dimensions, then "if this were to be extrapolated nationally, it suggests that up to 34 percent of our workforce earn below the national poverty line."

The list of if's and up to's and maybe's and perhaps's goes on and on, the extrapolations have little basis in reality. This is not economics. This is not economic policy. This is not proactive or prescriptive or substantive recommendations of any alternative policies being offered by the Opposition. This is good old fashioned populism, or if you wish, this is voodoo economics.

Now let us set the record straight. Some 50 years ago, half of Malaysians lived in absolute poverty with GDP per capita of around RM 788. Today, only about 3 percent live in poverty and per capita income has reached RM 25,000, nearly doubling each decade. Those are facts, not if's.

But as we all know, the world is rapidly changing as historical growth engines are slowing down, and without concrete action, we get stuck in the so-called 'middle income trap.'

Hence the Prime Minister's Economic Transformation Programme, which is aimed at retaining our global competitiveness, capital and talent to become a higher-income, fully developed nation by 2020. This means our current per capita income would again double to just below RM 50,000.

And this is not populist rhetoric. Elaborate laboratories have been set up, studying how to implement this goal, identifying entry point projects and business opportunities. Some 211 companies participated, from Shell to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ericsson to Tesco, Celcom to Malaysia Airlines. Their contribution was critical as 92 percent of total investments worth $444 billion are slated to come from the private sector.

Industry sectors – called National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) – ranging from oil, gas & energy to tourism, education and healthcare to agriculture, are the drivers of the ETP that will contribute significantly to the economic growth.

Accountability and transparency for this initiative would give many western nations and even our fellow ASEAN partners a run for their money.

Managing the ETP is the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) and each of the 12 NKEAs is overseen by a Steering Committee, which is chaired by Dato' Sri Idris Jala, a veteran brilliant manager with a successful track record in Shell and MAS, who is accountable for meeting the KPI targets and reports to the Prime Minister.

So Anwar's calling the ETP a "flawed economic model, mired with corruption" that "rewards the ruling echelons" is either disingenuous or downright ignorant, especially as no alternative constructive policies have ever been submitted by the fractious opposition that is pre-occupied with its internal quarrels.

Anwar must be feeling very nervous indeed if all he can do is come up with exaggerated claims about economic statistics that are fanciful to say the least.

Perhaps he has not noticed that Malaysia has for the first time broken into the top 10 of the world's most attractive foreign direct investment destinations, according to global management consultant A.T. Kearney.

Or that Malaysia's foreign direct investment for the first nine months of 2011 has surpassed the figure recorded for the whole of last year.

Or that Malaysia is the top ranked emerging economy in the World Economic Forum's Financial Development Report, which measures the health of financial systems, notching up to 16th position. The Foundation also ranked us 17th in the world for Corporate Governance.

Maybe Anwar did not see that Malaysia is ranked the world's 10th most competitive nation and in 9th place for Government efficiency, according to the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2010.

Or that Malaysia has been upgraded by London's FTSE exchange from Secondary to Advanced Emerging Market in 2010.

And, according to the World Bank, we are the best country in the world for access to credit.

True, all of these numbers and complex policies are not necessarily sexy, but they prove the effectiveness of the macro-economic strategy. And this should not be trivialised, or ignored, or distorted.

Wrapping up his attempt at economic analysis in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar's advice to the Prime Minister was to "use more realistic assumptions detached from political spins and propaganda."

Wow. Look who's talking.-The Choice

BOOK: Norwegian Wood

To call this a review would be unfair -- "love story" is not a fiction genre that I like. My mind is not rational enough to take a neutral view of a love story. I have one advice before you buy this book -- don't buy this book. Two bookish friends of mine (A and A) should not ever read this book; buying the novel would not be just a waste of money but will bring a horrible effect to the two of you. I will "judge" you if you read this book too. In plain simple word -- do not buy the book. The main reason apart from the fact it is "just" a love story is that the portrayal of the xes scenes are just horribly detailed and traumatising.

When he hears her favourite song, Beatles' Norwegian Wood, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love, Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend, Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back to his student days in Tokyo in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss- to a time when a her classmates Midori came to his life (taken from the shorter version of the plot at the back of the book). He has to choose between the present and the past and the future. His best friend, Kizuki killed himself when he was 17 years old.

Naoko and Watanabe then fall in love (as what every love story is about). Fast forward, Naoko killed herself. It's not worth to tell more as the story is just "just a love story". As I've told before, I'm not a fan of this genre but with my personal aim to read all Haruki Murakami's books, I managed to go through the story till the end. It was a challenge. It is completely different from my experience when reading Kafka on the Shore. To my friends, I have only one thing to say about this book -- "eeeuw" (both in reference to the plot and tonnes of xes scenes).-The Chukai Insider

You're studying geology? What is it?

I am getting a break from reading Norwegian Wood. I am very sure you will read a horrible review of the book on this blog soon. My friends are all busy either preparing for exams or travelling -- and I neither am having exams nor travelling. I am going to second year of my degree and climbing the ladder to become a geologist is not that easy. 

When there is nothing else to read on the web, I Googled what my subjects for this coming semester will be about. Second year of geology is the hardest -- that's what the seniors said. It's good to prepare your mind to know something that you are going study, isn't it? And people have been asking what do I study for a degree in geology. To answer your question -- these may help you. (I was a little bit 'inspired' by my friend's blog who posted tonnes of medical facts in her blog).

Mineralogy

Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.

Geochemistry

The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks, water, and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and their interaction with the hydrosphere and the atmosphere.

Sedimentology

Sedimentology encompasses the study of modern sediments such as sand, mud (silt), and clay, and the processes that result in their deposition. Sedimentologists apply their understanding of modern processes to interpret geologic history through observations of sedimentary rocks and sedimentary structures.

Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy includes two related subfields: lithologic stratigraphy or lithostratigraphy, and biologic stratigraphy or biostratigraphy.

Structural Geology

Structural geology is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with respect to their deformational histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover information about the history of deformation (strain) in the rocks, and ultimately, to understand the stress field that resulted in the observed strain and geometries. This understanding of the dynamics of the stress field can be linked to important events in the regional geologic past; a common goal is to understand the structural evolution of a particular area with respect to regionally widespread patterns of rock deformation (e.g., mountain building, rifting) due to plate tectonics.

Field Geology Techniques

Introduction to field geological mapping techniques and recording of lithological and structural information from igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock outcrops. Geological mapping in the field, using aerial photographs, compass-clinometer, GPS and appropriate field techniques. Maintaining field notebooks. Field safety. Field camp organisation. I heard from my lecturer that my batch will be going to Labuan as field trips in Miri had been scorchingly hot!

Aren't they look interesting? Let's hope and pray that all of my friends and I will be going through second year successfully. It's a syndrom before a semester starts -- excited with new subjects to learn!-The Chukai Insider

Skyscrapers in Kuala Terengganu

 

Get ready KT folks, you will see two 30-storey skyscrapers at the mouth of Sungai Terengganu soon. According to the news that I read, that is the case. According to the report, the so-called skyscrapers will be the 'majestic landmarks for the city'. One of the two buildings will be occupied by the Kuala Terengganu City Council.

While the response of the construction of the buildings is already expected by The Chukai Insider, I urge you to again, think rationally and of course, do not be stupid. This is always the case in Terengganu where both the Green Opposition and the Red Government are equally strong, both sides seem to argue things without intellectual analysis. Since I took the news coming from a kind of pro-opposition online portal, the responses are expected. But hey, wait, who has no opinions when it comes to building things- even if they are not Terengganu people or perhaps never even come to Terengganu before!

I like to comment on the comments given to show how stupid or emotional they are. Or should I say moron?

What happen to the oil royalty, isn't it enough for BN to construct a proper skyscraper? By the way do you call 30 floors a skyscraper.

• There is no announcement on how will the state government fund the project and you already know about it. Kudos, you will be the best 'nujum' or you must have the best crystal ball ever. Anyway, if it comes from oil royalty, why should not the state invest in property? It is our royalty. And do not say that the Terengganu people do not get benefits from the oil royalty. We have one of the most programs in education sectors and our welfare system is like nothing to be compared to other states. I am dead serious. If you are still poor in Terengganu it's either an old lady but still helped by Jabatan Kebajikan or if you're a young man, it's because you do not work (plain lazy). If there are normal people who can succeed in this small town of Kemaman, why should not others? Why? Should the oil royalty becomes the reason for people not to work and be fed directly by the government? Think, people think!

Stupid mentri besar who dont know what to do with the money. People dont need skyscrappers, what they want proper drainage system. Fix chaotic traffic system in the so called city (not fit to be called even a 'pekan') you moron mentri besar!

• I think they 'are' fixing the traffic system or if not they have done so. I am quiet agree with you with the status given for KT to be called a Bandaraya though and that is why surprise surprise- skyscrapers! But the city fits the criteria, otherwise it would not have been granted, isn't it? I smell high emotions coming from you.  By the way, your saying to characterise KT 'not fit to be called even a 'pekan' ' went too far I would say. Have you been to a pekan and to KT before? If so, that means you need to work on your observing skills! Sedapnya panggil orang moron..

 Money from Petronas royalty are so much... They just don't know what to do (waste). Skyscraper versus fishmen houses at the river mouth of trengganu river would be a perfect photography landscape. Hopefully Ahmad said and the gang would not be around after GE13.

• So what do you expect to remain the same for the next hundred years? Kalau tak develop kan, marah pulak cakap 'the development is focused in KL je' dan 'the development gap between KL and other city is so huge'. You cannot satisfy anyone, isn't it? I am wondering what if the Greens who build these buildings, what's the tone of the argument?

Anyway, it's not like I am choosing side here but I think some changes are needed to the city of KT to live up to its status. Major projects like this can boost the property market and not to mention the tourism industry. And when property markets are good, the land prices will increase and so the fishermen who own lands near the KT area will get direct benefits. 

Do you expect KT to be the same for the next twenty years? Come on lah people, it's not like you have to oppose everything that is going on. If there is nothing going on, even the KT people especially the young ones will move away from KT. Terengganu government has proven itself to become the champion of education achievements for its students, has done lots of programs to educate its citizens in Islamic educations and for the welfare of its people. There are shortcomings (corruption for example) but does it mean everything has to stop? Even the Greens were corrupted with their logging industry. Ops!-The Chukai Insider

Less Serious This Time

This is such a cute video. I don't know why but it feels good to watch this video. If you're a book lover, don't you have this dream of having a small library- or a friend of mine dreams to open a second-hand bookstore.-The Chukai Insider

I am a fun fun fun person

This is a desperate attempt for me to show to the small community of readers of this blog that I am a very fun fun fun person! Lately, I do have lots of time to write- and they all turned out to be very serious.

I have so much time that I keep changing the layout and style of this blog. It seems that Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood is nothing much. Maybe the reason is that it is a love story. But I do find a very interesting piece of short story (or self reflection) in my friend's blog. Ain's The Girl Who Chased The Moon is far more interesting than Norwegian Wood. Kudos to Ain- for making me to stop for few times to 'really' grasp the beauty of the language!

Okay, back to my point- I am a fun person. And I can bore you with pretty much everything I talk or write about. And I have no control of the TV remote control now, and that is why I am writing a short piece telling you I am a fun person. Haha. Hihi.-The Chukai Insider

*I really liked this picture that was taken in Taman Marin Tunku Abdul Rahman in Kota Kinabalu last year. I used my friend's camera while he went snorkelling.

Semua orang suka bergaduh

Di Malaysia, drama pergaduhan berlaku sepanjang masa. Malah drama-drama Melayu yang penuh dengan aksi pergaduhan keluarga pun tidak mampu menandingi kehebatan drama politik Malaysia. Mengapa? Ramai yang tidak menggunakan akal. Yang ada akal, hanya bergaduh menggunakan akal tanpa mengira sensitiviti orang lain.

Bergaduh di Malaysia ada dalam bermacam-macam bentuk- debat, perbezaan idea dan menunjuk-nunjuk siapa yang lebih betul walhal semua mahukan kebaikan untuk semua orang. Jika berbeza idea, didiklah pihak lawan untuk memahaminya-bukan menghukumnya. 

Di satu pihak mengatakan satu pihak ini selalu memfitnah dirinya. Di pihak ini pula selalu mengatakan tidak. Namun kita sebagai seorang yang langsung tidak mengetahui secara langsung, janganlah teruja-uja sangat menyokong mana-mana idea yang kita rasakan betul. Cuba bayangkan macam situasi ini- kalau pihak 'baru dibebaskan' mengatakan semuanya fitnah belaka dan mengatakan pihak 'saya lama dah memerintah' yang memfitnahnya. Namun , kita tidak benar-benar tahu betulkah pihak ini yang memfitnah? Kalau kita percaya tanpa menyiasat, kita berburuk sangka. Dan lebih teruk, pihak 'saya dibebaskan' yang mengatakan orang memfitnahnya, jika fihak lawannya tidak memfitnahnya, dia pula yang menfitnah orang yang dikatakan memfitnahnya. Begitu juga sebaliknya.

Ada satu pendapat seorang ustaz yang saya langgan (subscribe) di Facebook yang berbunyi- perbezaan pendapat itu adalah jihad. Namun, apabila saya melihat dia seakan-akan membantah seorang ustaz lain memasuki pihak lawannya, saya tidak pasti apa yang diperjuangkannya. Bagaimana dengan idea ustaz mengenai perbezaan pendapat itu? Mengapa seorang ustaz lain memasuki parti bukan sokongannya seakan-akan dihina kerana masuk ke dalam kancah rasuah, politik kotor dan sebagainya. Adakah mungkin ustaz itu mempunyai niat untuk mengubah perkara-perkara buruk parti itu dari dalam yang mungkin jauh lebih baik berbanding pendekatan ustaz? Bahkan ini lebih baik berbanding ustaz yang terus mencaci pihak bukan sokongan ustaz namun tidak berusaha untuk melakukan dakwah dengan cara efektif terhadap mereka. Api jika dilawan api makin besar apinya. 

Kadang-kadang saya melihat orang yang mengatakan dirinya memperjuangkan Islam sentiasa bercakap sahaja. Yang lebih ekstrem, membawanya ke jalanan tanpa sebarang penyelesaian konstruktif. Allahuakbar dilaungkan tidak berguna jika dalam hati tidak mendalaminya. Saya tidak menyokong mana-mana pihak (buat masa ini) namun janganlah senantiasa berprasangka buruk terhadap orang lain. Saya menasihati diri terlebih dahulu dan ingin mengajak anda semua. Mungkin cara mereka kurang betul namun niat mereka tetap baik. Jika salah, tegurlah dengan cara betul. Anda pun buat salah juga dan anda juga tidak suka ditegur dengan cara anda menegur pihak lawan. 

Janganlah berburuk sangka. Setiap manusia boleh berubah. Jangan ingat anda sahaja yang betul dalam dunia.-The Chukai Insider

WATCH: Talking About Social STuff

I know you would have been watching this famous blogger's video many times. But I'm a little bit slow with these 'vloggers' thing. I like this video so much.

The message is very the very important, people!.-The Chukai Insider

I'm wondering why is that so- and they call themselves independent

When you read this, some of you might think that I am kind of racist, nationalist and just plain simple in my analysis. Well, probably the simplicity of my analysis is the key to see what I am trying to say. The key message is- the new media are mostly controlled by Western educated Malaysians who supports in every way what the Chinese want to hear. There it is- the bomb.

Is there any prominent ulama as a columnist? A simple evidence- not representing the large segments of the society- the Muslims. Yes, I know most of the young ulamas have blog but why not represent them in the so-called new media that call themselves 'what Malaysians want to hear' with contents that say 'what Malaysians want to see'. Ugh, rhetoric.

I know it is a kind of a brave thing for me to say this but no one reads this blog and hence no worries about that. However, what is most unnatural about this is that they say the media represent the voices of Malaysians. That is the belief that they are putting in our brains. I do not think they are right. Why?

This is plain simple- the majority Malaysians are still middle ground Malay. And it is the voice of the Malays that are always heard that should bring any change. If the Malays change, Malaysia will change consequently. And that is why I think the new media never represent the voice of the majority of Malaysians. To see what most Malaysians want, we have to look at what the Malays want. Again, I know that this is super-simple analysis but you have to ask yourself this question too- is this analysis true?

Although in the new media there are Malay columnists who are liberal and okay for them not to be associated as being Malay, but these beliefs are not shared by the majority of the Malays on the streets. Do not tell me they are being scared by The Reds to believe the things I'm going to list down- it is not true. Why? Do you think the Malays are stupid? Is that what you are saying? Well, the Malay columnists who write about nation-building excluding the role of Islam is the stupid ones. Whether you like it or not, Malays put their religion very close to their hearts eventhough there are those who do not pray five times a day. I read the new media every single day and I know they do not touch the hearts of most Malays.

1. Middle-ground Malays are so scared of The Rocket ruling. We do not like the idea of being ruled by those who extremely oppose the implementation of Islamic Law. If they can oppose that, what else they are going to oppose to?
2. Middle ground Malays feel 50/50 about Islamic Law. In some parts they are ready, but in the other hand they are not. 
3. With regards to the Hudud Issue- if you're a Muslim leader (although you said you're a Malaysian first), then you should not say that there is no space for Hudud at all in this country. And if you're a non-muslim leader, YOU SHOULD NOT EVER say that Hudud Law will bring down Malaysian economy.
4. Middle-ground Malays never accept homosexuality, bisexuality and other kinds of 'out of the norms' forms of sex. We do not like the idea of Seksualiti Merdeka. Only the liberals Malay do. Well, we can be liberal but we choose which liberal ideas we want to adopt- education, economics but when it comes to things related to religion, it's a big no-no.
5. Middle-ground Malays feel okay with moral policing but we are not okay if we are the ones being policed around. You know what I mean. It's okay to see others being told what to do but if it falls on your nose, you will not like it.
6. We do not support the Perk*** extremely but sometimes we need it because even if we do not like it, it neutralises the voices of the Rocketeers. We just have a no-no relations with the Rockets. 
7. We like to hear that Malaysia is an Islamic nation. It makes us feel safe although most of us do not know what it means to be an Islamic nation.
8. We like ulamas who do not choose political sides and that is why we love the neutral Dr. Asri Zainal Abidin so much. Otherwise why would his blog never lost visitors!
9. We love to see The Reds and The Greens together in a coalition. It is like our dream comes true! 
10. We can accept what other races want but never make it obvious that you want everything till we feel un-Malay in our Malay-land. 

Based on the 10 points, I find it hard to locate any of those ideas in the new media- The Insider, The Kini or The Graph. And that's all why I think they do not represent what majority Malaysians want to hear.- The Chukai Insider

What? 8% of National Service trainees cannot read or write?

Aren't you shocked to read this- 8% of the NS trainees cannot read or write. What did they learn in schools? How did they spend 11 years of schooling? Were their parents okay with their children not able to read or write? How did the teacher thought these students or can we still call them students since they did not even succeed to read or write. Or were they just a bunch of dumb people from the outside world coming to Malaysia to see how we interact with the people who cannot read or write? There are lots of questions in rational minds as to answer this most serious problem of our nation. Yes, Prophet Muhammad never knew how to learn or write but he was different. He was granted the greatest treasure of knowledge directly from Allah SWT which is the Al-Quran.

And do you know what the first surah passed to Prophet Muhammad SAW is about? Iqra' which means 'READ'. These people are no even close than being close to those who could not read or write in Prophet Muhammad's time. And believe me, these people are no like a prophet. I know these students- thanks to my 11 years of schooling in daily school which none of the boarding school students can experience.

This is much much more important than Anwar Ibrahim being acquitted- frankly speaking both sides of the case are losers. But these NS trainees never know they are losing in this competitive world. And the world is not going to be any kinder to us- in fact, it's going more competitive than ever. Forget the Singaporeans but focus on what China is doing with its citizens. To run away from poverty, education is the answer and yet many are seemed to be lost in this concept. The Shanghai students are among the first in reading and maths based on an international education indicator far leaving us behind.

If they couldn't read or write- what have the parents, schools or teachers done to make them able to do so? Seriously, there are literally thousands of questions running in my mind right now. One thing I am sure of- among the 8% of the NS trainees who cannot read or write, more than 90% are Malays. Why am I not surprised? -The Chukai Insider

*PS: To the students who are sooooo eager to demonstrate with the reason to so-called 'change the world and in the name of freedom' (ugh, what a cliché!), and yes you Adam Adli, I think it's far far better for you to go to the NS Training Camps and teach these students how to read and write now that you have 18months suspension from your university. Later on, 'real change' can happen! And I guess it's good for your training to become a teacher. Unless, why would you enrolled in government university to study education?

Bacalah Majalah Solusi

When you were a child, your parents probably had been buying you Majalah Asuh. In my time, it was the most popular Islamic education magazine for children. By the time my little sister went to primary school, there was much more magazines of that kind- Ana Muslim for example.

By the time we grew up, those magazines did not grow up with us. When we were still children, the comics of the 'syaitan' in Majalah Asuh kept reminding us not to do anything bad. However, the love of reading Islamic materials have not grown up together in tandem with our age. Or maybe this is only for some of us. To those who went to Islamic boarding school, it's a different story.

Alhamdullillah, my friend introduced me to Majalah Solusi few months ago. It would have been much better if it was introduced before but still, Alhamdulillah. What I like the most about the magazine is the modern appeal to it. The progressive contents show that da'wah process should change with time but not the fundamentals. In Prophet Muhammad's time, there was no i-Pad but the process of spreading Allah's message was far more effective. But people change. And the approach should also change.

I highly recommend Majalah Solusi to all of you. It's simple to read and the contents touch contemporary issues and close to our hearts. Instead of lecturing you what to do, the magazine explains why do we have to do things the right way.-The Chukai Insider

Check its Facebook page here.

Judiciary system is the winner

If anyone is to become the winner of the day, it is not Anwar Ibrahim or Saiful Azlan. Although Anwar has been acquitted on paper, the true winner is the judiciary system. For so long, the judiciary system has been said as 'biased towards the ruling government' in which the dogma is strongly championed by no other but the opposition. Few weeks ago, a former Mentri Besar from the ruling party has been charged guilty of bribery which puts a little cleaner image of an independent judiciary. However, today's historic decision to charge Anwar Ibrahim as not guilty in the sodomy case has proven that the institution is independent and free from government interference.

Judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah said- "After going through the evidence, the court could not be 100% certain that integrity of DNA samples was not compromised, and finds that it is not safe to rely on DNA evidence. 

"As such, court is left only with Saiful's testimony. As this is a sexual crime, the court is reluctant to convict based entirely on Saiful's testimony, which is uncorroborated. The accused is thus acquitted and discharged."

So what is going to happen now that the melodrama and theatrical accusations have proven to be wrong. However, a thing to remember is this: those who have obsessions for a leader will find it hard to have rationality in their cause of fighting. Cure for an obsession- get another one. The obsession to have negative thoughts even though it is clearly a good thing will never stop. Why not? It's the leaders filled with obsessions that never stop, and so the followers never will.

This is particularly true in the drama that is the Malaysian politics. The country is more divided than ever- those who believe it did happen and not go to different sides believing what they believe is true. In my opinion, the other winner is those who are choosing to be inclined towards the current government. Why? Contrary to what people believe that this case has tainted a bad image on the ruling party, the acquittal would have suggested that they are not in any way interfere or made a political ploy to 'kill' Anwar's political career. Those who are thinking would think so. 

I am particularly interested to read my friend's Facebook status. Well, no one reads this blog anyway so no need to worry about copyrights.

It's like you can never win with this people! Not guilty, "o finally there's a change in Malaysia. Blablabla" if the verdict was guilty, I bet they'll go "o court has been influenced blablabla". Listen to yourself please. How can you call yourself educated when you can't look at things objectively. With unbiased mind. Obviously you have made your own verdict before the court did.

It is in this course that I find Islamic clerics who have the ability to unite these two sides failed significantly in their efforts. When they choose sides, there will be those who are at different opinions may feel what the ustazs are wrong. And there you go with the separation and differences of ideas. However, this is not true for all of them. Dr. Mohd. Asri Zainal Abidin has proven that he is not the one who chooses side. This is what every Malaysian needs instead of some ustazs accusing the party which has members not wearing the turban as a disgrace to Malaysian. Well, who wouldn't be angry if you said so to anyone? That is why the role to spread da'wah must be done without choosing sides as what Prophet Muhammad SAW had done.

After all, it is not about Anwar or Najib or any other particular leaders. It's about the people. A new obsession is running wild among those interested in politics-badmouthing the 'other' sides.-The Chukai Insider

Who else is watching Grey's Anatomy now?

I've been stuck watching Grey's Anatomy since the first time I watched the first season. Then, it was like a must show to watch every time new episodes coming out. This season is the final season. Meredith Grey will be leaving us after appearing in the 8 seasons from the beginning. After all, the show is about her- Grey's Anatomy.

However, it is not her that I like the most in the show. It's Christina Yang- the kiasu-type who is just good in what she is doing. She is like the character in a TV show that inspires you to study harder. Who says watching TV is not good for your studies. Although she experienced a highly serious trauma in Season 7, she managed to rise up again. To quote her- 'you're either born simple, or you're either born me'.

The last season is still not done yet and the last episode (Episode 10- Suddenly) is more than about Grey. Again, for me, Christina stole the limelight again. She was lied by all of her colleagues to operate on her 'mentor's' husband which proved to be a wrong thing to do. On Dr. Altman's insistence, she was the one chosen to operate on Dr. Altman's husband. The husband, Henry was covered for the whole surgery to not to let Christina from knowing that she was operating on her teacher's husband. The surgery was not successful and Henry died.

However, Dr. Altman was still not finished with the heart operation of a patient. When Christina knew what was going on, she turned mad. Well, who wouldn't? Since no one told Dr. Altman that her husband had just died, and the fact that the heart patient was still on the surgery table, they lied her by telling that Christina managed to save her husband.

Dr. Altman then find it was hard to do the mitral valve procedure on her heart patient without the help of her best cardiothoracic intern, Christina Yang and so she asked for her service knowing that she had just saved her husband. As expected, she refused. But then, for the sake of saving a person's live, she agreed to help Dr. Altman. Can you imagine how hard was it for her?

The surgery was a success. Christina later told Dr. Altman that her husband's surgery was unsuccessful- he died What a drama.-The Chukai Insider

BOOK:Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

If you’re an Asian, tiger mothers have been all around us. The pinnacle of Asians is to have sons or daughters equipped with university degrees is widely acknowledged. Academic success is the measure of how Asian parents succeed in bringing up their children. However, who defines Asians as Asians?

What as some the Westerners believe, Asians are not just Chinese. And to some extent, it is annoying for the Asians to look some Caucasians who referred all Asians as those with slanted eyes only. Indians have by far one of the largest eyes any human can have. And the eyes are very pretty- Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit can show you how beautiful their eyes are. Don’t think that Asians are short too- we have Yao Ming. The giants of Asia, for example Japan, China and India have influenced the world both economically and politically. This has caused implications to the smaller and less famous countries like Malaysia and Indonesia- they are also associated with the Western notion of Asians that are- Chinese looking, underdeveloped and of course, the slanted eyes.

However, most typical Asians have one thing in common- the style of parenting. This parenting style is what has been portrayed as a parenting memoir of the famous and controversial Amy Chua in her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. The subject of Chinese parenting has been described as ‘harsh’ and this has been true for most Asian parenting styles. Although the Chinese parenting is somehow very much related and coherent with those of Malay or Indian or any other Asian parentings, Amy Chua is wise enough not to group them in the same definition. Asians are too diverse to be grouped in the same parenting style.

The subject of this Asian parenting style is somewhat homogenous in China, Taiwan, South Korea and probably Japan. This probably has been the result of near-homogenous society. In Confucian China, filial piety is very much practiced and Amy Chua could not be truer when she said that Chinese parents feel that their children ‘owe’ them as the parents are the ones who rise up their children. The Malays feel the same thing to.

This concept of filial piety is not just embedded in North Asian parents but is a commandment of Allah SWT to the Muslims. Malaysians and Indonesians which have large Muslim populations are somehow in the same culture and practise as those of their Chinese counterparts in their tradition of obeying the parents. Muslims must adhere to what the parents ask them to do except in conditions where the parents ask the children to do something that is against the teaching of Islam.

However, I can speak from experience that the contemporary Malay parenting style is somehow affected by the Chinese students’ performance in schools. When the highly-performed Chinese students are the top ones in schools, Malay parents always push their children to excel on par with the Chinese as well. This trend can be seen during the 1990s till now. In some ways, the Chinese parenting style has affected the Malays educate their children and this is of course, very distinctive in urban areas where competitions between ‘your child’ and ‘my child’ are the subjects of coffee talk among mothers. Tuition centres have become the new playground.

Indians have also been famous for producing top engineers, IT experts and billionaires. There is this belief among Malaysians that an Indian family should have a doctor, a lawyer and an engineer in the family. However, this has led to another serious problem in Asia- pursuing parents’ dreams instead of pursuing own passions. A Bollywood movie, 3 Idiots which is a massive hit among the Bollywood-obsessed Malays put in the limelight of the situations in Asia about the way Asian parents force their child to take highly-paid jobs instead of letting them choose their own interests.

Amy Chua’s A Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is the best parenting memoir that cuts across the culture and although there are lots of self-boasting and self-crediting, the book should be applauded for its bravery in bringing an important message that transcends all parenting styles- children are not easy to be raised.-The Chukai Insider

Bookshelf Story

You should know that I have the best mother in the world. By that I mean she cooks all the food I want and cares about my health more than I do. Before I went to KTJ, I took granted of my ironed shirts. During this holiday, I messed up a lot of the books on my little bookshelf and she was not happy with that. So I tried to make her happy by tidying up the place and make the most of my not so antique brown shelves.

My mother almost screamed when she saw my arrangements of the book! She said how can I take the books out easily if they are arranged like this. She said why do I have to make easy things hard.

And where am I going to put this Haruki Murakami's?

 This is only half of the books. The rest are still on the floor which I do not want to show here. 

Aha, childhood memories. 336 Cerita Rakyat Malaysia.. 

These Harry Potter books are always placed on top. Look at the far end- So You Think You Know Harry Potter? How geeky was I? 

 Finally, I was able to finish arranging my books. The system goes like this- the books that I want to read or currently in reading list should be placed on top of other books. They save the space too.

 Do you still remember Goosebumps? Are the kids still reading it?

 This is the only place where Dr. Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew can sit next to each other happily.

The Chukai Insider

Balqis: The Angry Bird Obsessor

This is the little girl who stays in my house when her parents are off to work. She is 2 years old and is a big fan of Angry Bird. Her father is my cousin which made her my anak sepupu (I don't think there is an English word for this- 'the daughter of my cousin' is just too long). Since I am so bored at home and she is all the time in my house, my maternal instinct (hihi) has gone crazy. When you are the only child of your parents in the house, and Astro has succeeded to make you feel bored, she would be my focus of attention. 

By the way, to those of you who have always said that I am not going to be a good father, you may want to take it back when you know that I can change diaper, able to deal with poo-poo situation and able to keep a baby from crying. 

 I went a little bit fashionista on her. Since I was so bored, I took a Jeans coat and put it on her.

Another way to fashion your tudung girls!!! 

Something Blue

A thing to miss in Miri- my motorcycle. Instead of the all the time driving cars in Kemaman, I kind of missing having a motorcycle to ride on. I used to ride with my friends Amin for quite some time after SPM and and my father only allowed me to use it around the areas that he allowed me to go on motorcycle. Amin never learnt how to ride a motorbike. Or did he? 

When I told my parents that I really really need a motorcycle, and I knew it was very hard for me to get permission from my parents to own one, they suggested that I should buy a super cheap car like Perodua Kancil instead. Well, of course I did not want that to happen since a Kancil and me has never been in good relationship since my Driving Lesson Era. After that, both of us closed our book. 

As hard it was to confide my parents, especially my 'bekeng' father, I managed to get their permissions to buy a motorcycle. Mind you, it was not that easy. I do not want you to think that I am some kind of spoilt child who always gets what he wants. No, I am not a spoilt brat. I do not even get an i-Pad or a DSLR camera. A motorcycle is a need in inefficient-public-transport Miri and that is the basis of my reason to get a motorcycle. -The Chukai Insider

Haruki Murakami's Rain of Sardines

It's not a simple story: boy meets girl who may or may not be his mother, may or may not kill his father and then important people died. Don't worry if you seem to be 'huh'-ed in the middle of the story because that happens to anyone reading Kafka on the Shore or at least it happened to me. 

The story comprises two plots which are interrelated. A 15 year old boy ran away from his house as he was unable to catch up with the insanity of his father killing cats to eat their souls, Johnie Walker. Another parallel story tells us about an old man, Mr Nakata who could talk to cats at first but after he killed Johnie Walker, his ability to talk to the felines disappeared. The boy who ran away from his home found shelter in a private library. There, he met the person who may or may not be his mother. 

Haruki Murakami says that the readers have to read the novel many times to understand the messages and the plots. In some part it is true and it is up to you to believe which characters are real and which are just a 'concept'.

The main character somehow makes you jealous with his knowledge and abilities to survive the whole things happening to him. He is too bookish for a fifteen year old and do know a lot of philosophical concepts which are hard to grasp. That is sometimes it made you want to stop and ponder upon what the character said.

I like the character of the old man, Mr Nakata. A review I read before suggesting that Mr Nakata is maybe a 'concept'. He was affected by a weird event happening just before World War II that made him lost his ability to read or write. He was then became 'empty' and unable to become normal. However, that was when he discovered his ability to talk to cats. 

Sardines rained from the sky and soon after it was leeches. These are just some of the weird things happening in the novel. Colonel Sanders made his appearance in the novel as well. He was a pimp! 

Kafka on the Shore defies your urge to stop reading. Who would stop reading when Haruki Murakami tells you the sky rain sardines?-The Chukai Insider