Saturday, May 23, 2009

My Conspiracy Theory

Just a consipracy theory, nothing more (unless you choose to believe otherwise):

I cannot help but to think that the Police, Judicary and other agencies are working for the opposition PR. Some bloggers has questioned the intelligence of the Police in arresting the candle-light vigil participants or anyone one wearing black for that matter. Shouting through the microphone right in front of the people. Doing this in full view of local and international media - including Malaysiakini! They are not stupid! They definately know the vigil participants are not deaf, so why need to use a bullhorn a few meters away. They know that the world is watching and the Police knows exactly what they are doing. They also know the video will be out to the whole world through the internet. I am sure they watch too. I am sure thier children and relatives watch them as well. It is not they they are totally ignorant of the influence of cyberspace.

If you look at carefully - no one really was hurt when they arrested the vigil participants. None of the lawyers were hurt too. In fact many were released with no charges. Some will be released in a couple of days. I am sure the Police know the criminal procedures very well and not to make fools of themselves. There is a reason whey are doing this, a really smart reason indeed. They also give reason for the Malaysian BAR to respond swift and hard, calling for the IGP and Minister of Internal Affairs to resign. Clever.




Why are Courts producing such declarations and judegments which seems to go against the grain of common sense? Are the judges intelligence questionable? They cannot just be just mindlessly following orders of the current political masters? Do you think that people of such high intellectual and social stature allow themselves to be perceived as mere servants? I don't think so. They are also not stupid. They are not fools. They know exactly what they are doing.

They also know that images like the Perak Speaker being dragged out of the House would be captured and spread all over the world and every Malaysian would have seen or heard about it (see below)



I think they have a plan and it has nothing to with the current political leaders. They's why BN leaders seems not to be in control at all. Shooting off their hip every time they are put in a corner. Making policy decisions in speeches without proper think through and planning. Or say things that are not suppose to say like our foreign minister at the White House recently (Check the video here)

My theory is that they know that the Pakatan will take over, the Poilce knows who the new bosses are. By doing what they are doing, only makes the BN look stupid and out of control. This will make the people angry and expediate the transition to a new government. I think they are as fed-up of the situation as the people are and this is their way of making change happen. This is a little sacrifice they have to make and they know the people would hate them for it. People, lets not be too hard on them.

They cannot go to the streets and protests like us. Imagine a Federal Court judge holding a candle joining in a candlelight vigil. Imagine too, the IGP coming out supporting by a wearing black t-shirt holding candle. Cannot happen right? DO you think the police, the judges or government officials are robots without brains, cannot think? Do you they they are absolutely happy with the political situation, considering the very low salaries the officers are getting? Go figure. This is their way of saying, "we want change too"!

How else can you explain what's happening. Right?

Goalpoast Moving Problem Solving Strategy

It would be really easier if our Honourable Minister and the Cabinet make know clearly the criteria for the award of the scholarships. Cutting down the number of subjects, does not bring us any nearer to any clarity and understanding how the problems can be solved. What is so difficult to let us know know the selection and award criteria openly and in a transparent manner so that students can work towards achieving them. One cannot just move the goalpost anytime they choose to, for the benefit of the few.

I shake my head in despair the manner in which our minister solves problems. I am truly doubtful if he can undertake any serious reform of improvement to our education system other than mere talk and shoot from the hip policies. If we wait any longer another two generations of our future generations will be screwed (if not already).

Better buck-up and look ahead to the future - for ALL Malaysian.

Government ponders limit on number of SPM subjects
Source: NST.COM.MY
By Hamidah Atan

2009/05/22

PUTRAJAYA: The number of subjects each student can take in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination may be limited to put an end to issues pertaining to the awarding of Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, said yesterday the ministry felt strongly that the number of subjects should be streamlined to resolve the perennial problem.

He said the cabinet had discussed the matter twice and that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would chair a special meeting to discuss related issues next week.

Barisan Nasional component party leaders are expected to attend the meeting.

"The meeting will deliberate further ideas and proposals with regard to fairer and equitable distribution of scholarships," said Muhyiddin, who is also BN deputy chairman and Umno deputy president.

He was speaking after meeting Puteri Umno chief Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin and committee members of the movement at his office.

There have been allegations of unfair distribution of scholarships by the PSD.

"One of the most common questions is why some who scored, say 14 As, were given the scholarships but some who got 19 As were not. The view is that the ministry should streamline the number of subjects.

"Why should you take up to 20 subjects? Some of the subjects are not even taught in schools but they learned them in tuition centres. I have nothing against these people but it has created other issues in terms of consistency."

He said students in boarding schools were told to take certain subjects but those outside could sit for as many subjects as they liked.

The problem arose when people started comparing the results of these students, he said.

"There are other considerations as well. One of the things my ministry is looking into is whether there is a need to limit the number of subjects so that everyone, whether they are in boarding or normal schools, can take the same number of subjects, like what we did before. We did not go for the number of As."

Muhyiddin said the PSD had a strong basis for awarding scholarships.

"It has to take into account socially-disadvantaged students in remote areas as well as those in premier schools.

"If you don't take into consideration those socially-disadvantaged students, they will not get the scholarships. But if you start comparing, this will create dissatisfaction.

"We acknowledge the grouses and we will discuss this in the meeting."

He said a study would also be carried out.

MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong recently criticised the PSD on the issue.

Dr Wee, who is also the deputy education minister, said MCA Youth had requested MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and three other MCA ministers to refer the matter to the cabinet.

This was to ascertain the procedure and criteria for awarding scholarships to students to study overseas, he had said.

Gerakan Youth secretary-general Dr Dominic Lau had said his party was willing to offer help to students who were rejected by the PSD.

He said the PSD should consider reviewing the applications of students who were turned down to give them a chance to pursue their studies overseas. If they were rejected, he said, an explanation should be given to them.


Thursday, May 21, 2009

One School for One Language, One Race, One Nation?

Satu Sekolah untuk Satu Bahasa, Satu Bangsa, Satu Negara! 

Very soon, we will be robots, walking, dressing, speaking and thinking (if thinking is allowed by then) in exactly the same way. This may happen if we have this 1sekolah a reality. Is this way we envision Malaysia to be? A land of just robots? Killing the very roots of our culture - the culture of diversity? We have grown as a nation appreciating the diversity of our cultures and languages.

This is the new initiative by someone who calls himself "Kijang Mas" whose blog is named "Demi Negara". This person does not even have the guts to make himself public and apparently does not even reside in Malaysia and who so convinently blames the vernacular schools for the disunity in our community.  He obviously failded to see that issue of (dis)unity is not merely a product of schools. We need to see the big picture, the policies in schools, who put those policies there in the first place. What are our leaders and politicians doing about unity and how are they treating each other. We have not got it right. Here I agree with Khoo Kay Peng:

The proponents of 1Sekolah cannot even be truthful about the main problem of disunity and racial disharmony. Why blame the Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools when it was obvious that some UMNO politicians had started the racial blame game? Did you hear any students or teachers from the vernacular schools doing the same? Why is Rockybru keeping his golden silence when a vernacular newspaper, Utusan Melayu, from his media group is keeping up with the tradition of racial flaming?

It is disappointing to see a group of 'pro-unity' bloggers parotting the same rhetoric to cause even more disunity.

Calling the vernacular schools as a cancer and a cause of our society's destruction is both shameful and dishonest. These schools had produced some of the finest leaders for the country. Many of MIC, MCA and UMNO leaders came from vernacular schools.


However, we must bear in mind that while racial appreciation and social integration are key elements in the maturity of our nation, it has to begin from the top. Our political leaders must throw away racist mentality and truly work towards one Bangsa Malaysia. This Bangsa can arise from appreciation of the fact that different cultures can exists with understanding and respect.  

Let's not forget that our mission (according to the Ministry of Education) is:

To develop a world-class quality education system which will realise the full potential of the individual and fulfill the aspiration of the Malaysian nation. 

Note: Realize the full potential of the individual - for the sake of our children, there needs to be a balance. We need to also be ahead of the curve in terms of the educational strategies and development world-wide. Each time we fight, our children gets left behind. Let's focus on improving the overall standard of education for the sake of our children.


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Aung San Suu Kyi Imprisoned by Regime

ItalicIt is indeed sad news and I hope you support the effort to have her release!


Aung San Suu Kyi Imprisoned by Regime 
News Update and Actions
5.14.09

Just as her current house arrest is about to expire, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi — leader of Burma’s opposition party, the National League for Democracy — has been taken into custody at her lakeside home in Rangoon, and held to face a special court at the notorious Insein Prison (sic!), along with her doctor Dr. Tin Myo Win and her live-in caretakers, Khin Khin Win and her daughter Win Ma Ma.  They are charged with violating security laws specially crafted to control the conditions of Aung San Suu Kyi’s house arrest. She has been under house arrest for thirteen of the last nineteen years. 

Accustations against Aung San Suu Kyi and the others stem from the capture of a 53-year-old American John Yettaw, who apparently swam across Inya Lake to Suu Kyi’s lakeside compound on the night of May 5. NLD sources said Suu Kyi spoke with him, her caretakers gave him some food, and Suu Kyi asked him to leave the premises, but he appears to have spent the night on her property.  Security officials believe that Yettaw had made a previous visit to Suu Kyi’s compound in late 2008.  Yettaw’s motivations are unknown. A US consular representative talked with him Wednesday in the presence of Burmese intelligence officers. Yettaw will face trial separately on serious charges.

This March, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Suu Kyi's present detention violates international and Burmese law. Her latest term of confinement was due to expire at the end of this month, and it is clear that the junta has been looking for a legal pretext to keep her in custody. Whatever John Yettaw’s purposes were, the burden will once again fall on Aung San Suu Kyi and her associates, who are now in prison, awaiting trial and oxymoronic Burmese “justice” under a regime of generals and thugs. If found guilty, Aung San Suu Kyi will face three to five years in prison.

At his noon briefing today, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon read the following statement:
 
"The Secretary-General is gravely concerned about the news that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved to the Insein Prison to face criminal charges. The Secretary-General believes that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is an essential partner for dialogue in Myanmar’s national reconciliation and calls on the Government not to take any further action that could undermine this important process.  As he has said repeatedly, the Secretary-General believes strongly that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all those who have a contribution to make to the future of their country must be free to be able to do so to ensure that the political process is credible.”

Along with many organizations and people around the world we call on the United Nations and ASEAN immediately to send envoys to Burma demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all Burma’s political prisoners. It is time for the Security Council to act. As Buddhists and lovers of freedom we urge you to encourage our own leaders to bring their influence to bear on Burma. We need to speak with one international voice. Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners must be free. The world is watching. 

As a first step, please go to the Burma Campaign UK’s website to take immediate action. 
www.burmacampaign.org.uk/ASSK_action.html


Friday, May 15, 2009

taare zameen par


Just watched a wonderful Hindi movie. Yes, Hindi! The last time I watched a complete Hindi movie was when elephant was the in thing. Anyone remember Haate Mere Saathi - I remember  we cried our eyes swollen ;-(

The show I was this evening was taare zameen par (Every Child is Special). Checkout their website here. 

Good movie, a little long though -not to worry as it has the elements of Bollywood - song and dance.

Parents struggling with their children's studies are encourage to watch it.




Thursday, May 14, 2009

May 13

Let's not forget. I have blogged about this earlier here. I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts after listening to distingush speaker at the Forum 512 at the Civic Center last night.  


DSAI Addressing the Audience

Penalists of the Forum

A section of the crowd at the Forum

I feel that we must NEVER forget May 13, 1969. I disagree with YB Lim that the the new 513 is May 7. May 13 cannot be replaced. 513-69 is to be known and remembered. It must be taught in schools and appreciate that we need to move away from race-based politics. 513 must not be swept under the carpet. After all, the The event last night was entitled "From May 13 to 1Malaysia – The Future of Malaysian Nation"

While most speakers (sadly) took the opportunity to some (in some cases) a great deal of BN & Najib bashing, there was little said about the future apart form the often repeated need to reform everything from judicary to transport. Yes, they are important but. I felt there was not ehough discussions about policies, strategies or approaches to learn from 513 and the future. I suppose if we looked at the 3000 people who attended - came from different racial, social and economic background, the future of Malaysia is definately bright.

I personally felt these two things which the speakers said stood out. Firstly, Datuk Seri Nizar when he took over the microphone, he recited a verse about the Quran that talked about unity and appreciation of the different races and traditions.  Taking religion to bring about unity is often said, not usually seen. This is one man who, in my opinion, "walk the talk". 

Secondly, Tricia Yeoh mentioned that the most important policy of all that needed to be changed and transformed is EDUCATION.  Iit is about time someone spoke out about the sorry state of education we are in. Specifically relating to this posting it is the politicising and the lack of innovation in our education that has prevented out younger generation to know and appreciate our own history (no matter how dark it may be).  We owe it to our younger and their future generations to tell them their history.

May all the victims of the May 13, 1969 (and the subsequent days) find peace, where ever they are. 

May we have a better Malaysia for all!



Monday, May 11, 2009

Nizar is Perak MB! (Or is it? - Updated)

image source: westmalaysia.com

Latest in the musical chair saga. http://tinyurl.com/pblppl 
We just witness a mockery of the justice system in the speed the appeal was granted. I guess it back to the either the fish market / underground meeting / taiping zoo / perak wrestlers federation

===earlier post====

Yes! Great news! Glad there are still brave and impartial Judges!

I understand that YB Nizar has about 20 hours of being the rightful MB until an appeal is filed by Zambry.  The question is that will Zambry continue to fight or conceed defeat and gain whatever respect and dignity that's left in the BN.

We will find out tomorrow afternoon.



Police State? (updated with video)






Police state

The term police state describes a state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population. A police state typically exhibits elements of totalitarianism and social control, and there is usually little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of political
 power by the executive.

The inhabitants of a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views, which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement. Political control may be exerted by means of a secret police force which operates outside the boundaries normally imposed by a constitutional state.



police state –noun
a nation in which the police, esp. a secret police, summarily suppresses any social, economic, or political act that conflicts with governmental policy.





Cowards?


Cowards? If not, let the people decide-lah!



cow⋅ard     [kou-erd]  
–noun
1. a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.
–adjective
2. lacking courage; very fearful or timid.
3. proceeding from or expressive of fear or timidity: a coward cry.

Origin: 
1175–1225; ME <>

Synonyms:
1. craven, poltroon, dastard, recreant, milksop.


cow·ard       (kou'ərd)    n.  One who shows ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain.

[Middle English, from Old French couard, from coue, tail, from Latin cauda.]
cow'ard adj.

Word History:  A coward is one who "turns tail." The word comes from Old French couart, coart, "coward," and is related to Italian codardo, "coward." Couart is formed from coe, a northern French dialectal variant of cue, "tail" (from Latin cōda), to which the derogatory suffix -ard was added. This suffix appears in bastard, laggard, and sluggard, to name a few. A coward may also be one with his tail between his legs. In heraldry a lion couard, "cowardly lion," was depicted with his tail between his legs. So a coward may be one with his tail hidden between his legs or one who turns tail and runs like a rabbit, with his tail showing.

Cow"ard\ (kou"?rd), a. [OF. couard, coard, coart, n. and adj., F. couard, fr. OF. coe, coue, tail, F. queue (fr. L. coda, a form of cauda tail) + -ard; orig., short-tailed, as an epithet of the hare, or perh., turning tail, like a scared dog. Cf. Cue, Queue, Caudal.]
1. (Her.) Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs; -- said of a lion.
2. Destitute of courage; timid; cowardly.
Fie, coward woman, and soft-hearted wretch. --Shak.
3. Belonging to a coward; proceeding from, or expressive of, base fear or timidity.
He raised the house with loud and coward cries. --Shak.
Invading fears repel my coward joy. --Proir.


Cow"ard\, n. A person who lacks courage; a timid or pusillanimous person; a poltroon.
A fool is nauseous, but a coward worse. --Dryden.
Syn: Craven; poltroon; dastard.




Sunday, May 10, 2009

Objective Question (20 marks) [updated]


Where was the scene below recorded?

(A)  Ipoh Fish Market 

(B)  Ipoh Police Station

(C)  Ipoh Illegal Casino 

(D) Ipoh Underground Leaders' Meeting 

(E) Perak Wrestling Federation (PwF) [thanks rafil]

(F) Taiping Zoo




Video from Malaysiakini



Thursday, May 07, 2009

coup d'é⋅tat

coup d'é⋅tat

  [koo dey-tah; Fr. koo dey-ta] 
–noun, plural coups d'é⋅tat  [koo dey-tahz; Fr. koo dey-ta]
a sudden and decisive action in politics, esp. one resulting in a change of government illegally or by force.

[source: dictionary.com]



In my opinion, this just happened. That's how BN came into power.  I cannot believe what I read today and the pictures I saw. Totally no regard for the law (what law?). If the Speaker can be forcibly removed and dragged to ligitimize the BN state government, what democracy are we having? 

It is just sad ;-(, bordering to ridicilous, when the entire city is locked down, people dressed black are arrested, law-makers (opposition, of course), gets arrested, the lists goes on..........when can we get back to governing, getting the economy back on track or even improving our education system.  Some say, we get the government we deserve. 

picture source: www.malaysiakini.com


picture source: anilnetto.com

If either parties refuse to give up power, take it back to the people!


Friday, May 01, 2009

Transforming Education or Just Talk? (updated)

Caught the news in The Star, "Less exam-oriented education under new UPSR curriculum" and the video of the interview here. In a nutshell, YB Datuk Dr Wee stressed that the MOE is embarking on a "transformation" of the education system with the introduction of a new curriculum that is more holistic and less examination based will be introduced for Year 1 students from 2010.

Have we heard this before somewhere? I have come to the conclusion that each minister or deputy minister, wants to leave its mark immediately upon taking over the ministry. Remember the time we had "Smart Schools?" Yet there are still the same schools do not even have electricity. The we had "Vision Schools" to bring different schools together in one same location with the aim of social and racial integration. Today, it seems that we are more divided. Sadly, initiative remains only a vision, the division is still here.

Of course, not to be out-done by his predecessors, then came along the "Cluster schools". The bigger the better. Accompanied the cluster schools, was of course the grand launch of the "Master Plan" with all the fanfare and what not. What's happening now - no updates anywhere. If something is happening, show it!

Now comes the over-used, at times, abused, buzzword of "transformation". Grand plans of curriculum revamp and examination redefinition, and whatever the speech writer put in for the minister.

Firstly, the speech writer is so engrossed in the system that he/she and the deputy minister did not realize this. There are NO examinations until Form 5. Anything before that are assessments (penilaian). If there are no examinations in the first place, why put the need "reweight" them. I am sure they are smart enough to look into a dictionary to understand the difference between examinations and assessments. By the way, transforming education system in Malaysia is not just about changing the curriculum. Needless to say, it involves much, much more than that. As the Deputy Minister, YB should know better what ills our education system and our schools.
The problem is after each grand speech there are usually NO PLANS articulated, no clear STEPS for action, and no MILESTONES. No clear engagement strategy with stakeholders. Nothing of this is mentioned (at the time of this posting) on MOE website.

Next, curriculum "transformation" (I hate this word already) cannot be done in a vacum. There are many issues regarding schools, teachers, discipline, you name it... still unresolved. Theses issues unaddressed will kill the whatever transformation initiatives (real or unreal). I suppose this is not the speech writer's scope of work to see this through.

I personally feel, whoever the minister or deputy minister is, they need to stop taking the MOE as a playground to show off grand plans while waiting to the promoted or even be prime minister. The world has moved on , changed and transformed. Much new innovation and (true) transformations in education and learning have taken place. We urgently need to keep up and move forward.

For the sake of our children and their future and the future of our country, don't take the easy way and send your children overseas and leave us here. So, wake up dear ministers! Do your job, and show us. Don't just talk! We have heard too much, seen little.


What's Schooling?

I have always believe that a big part of education is gaining the ability to push boundaries and go beyond the limits of convention. For this will bring forth creativity and drive innovation. For it is true human nature to be progressive and go beyond who or what we are, to make change in our lives, to be who we are and above all be HAPPY.

Hence, I found this interesting article that encapsulate a lot of thoughts and concerns about what's wrong with school. Check out full article by Dr Azli Rahman at here or here.


"What is schooling?"

Teaching, as the thinker Anatole France said, is a subversive act. It must not only inform and remind but also must excite, agitate, and ignite the fire within. It must create troubled minds and leave students with more questions and some answers. It is not a funneling process; it is not a banking concept. It is a romantic act of flowering and transforming. It is a cybernetic act of creating beautiful patterns of thinking in each and every curious mind that we are entrusted to help liberate.

If you can teach, subvert. Turn your students into subversives; ones who will challenge authority and ignite revolutions. Help them revolt against conventional wisdom. Let them question scientific facts. Let them also question historical facts because there are none. Let the children grow into intellectually radical beings who would will refuse to be turned into human cattle that know only how to graze in wastelands cultivated by the modern corporatist states. Let them become radical humanists who will throw the greedy ones out of power.

The world we live in is too damaging to the human mind. It makes us docile. It makes us “dreadful” as the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard would say. It creates this mental chronic fatigue syndrome in us with information overload but not enough of it being processed. The mind cannot reflect because the conditions for reflective moments are not created. We are, as many an information theorist would say, drowned in information and starved for knowledge. Governments find it useful to have unthinking citizens. It is easier to control good workers than to control good thinking citizens.

In Malaysian public universities, we have courses in ‘thinking skills’ but we still conduct witch-hunts. In our public schools, we say we infuse critical and creative thinking skills in our curriculum, but we still produce students who think that rote-memorisation is the best form of learning. Our government wants its citizens to become ‘towering’ people but we have oppressive measures to silent dissenting views.

Teachers need to understand what is mentally ailing this nation. They must help children find heroes within themselves. They must teach what independent thinking means and to fight against those who wish to shackle the mind of the independent thinker. When one man stands up for justice and his entire political clan revolted against him, we have a classic example of what the Italian thinker Antonio Gramsci called ‘hegemony’. What is the use of one being schooled if in the long run the agenda is to be engineered as beings who would create and propagate structures of oppression such as militarism, structural violence, state-sponsored terrorism, engines of mass destruction and instruments of the perpetuation of Space Age imperialism?

Read on here.