"It is much easier to become a father than to be one." -- acclaimed American author Kent Nerburn
There’s a Malay saying “Sayangkan isteri tinggal-tingalkan, sayangkan anak tangan-tangankan”.
Literally it means, if you love your wife, you should be prepared to venture out to work and if you love your children, you must willing to beat them when they do wrong.
I am fortunate because my late father never laid his hand on me. He brought me up with care after my mother passed away when I was six.
As Father’s Day is being rejoiced today, my memories of growing up with my ‘Abah’ in the small town of Kuala Krai in Kelantan chokingly fills my mind. He was a school teacher then but what I learned most from him was the meaning of love.
And now that I am a Papa myself, I value the need to instill the feelings of love and humility in my children.
Looking at the saying from another view, a father need not necessarily beat or hit his children for their mistake, even a grave mistake for that matter.
What can the hand do apart from hitting or beating the child?
The hands are of course Allah’s gift for humans to carry out their work. In this instance a father has to ensure that the work he does is ‘halal’ for that would lead to ‘berkat’.
A father has to ensure that what he earns is derived from his hard toil effort and not from immoral sources or activities.
The hands should also be used to comfort the children when they need support. The effect of a father literally giving a pat on the back on his son or daughter or embracing them to show his affection can leave a lasting impact. The child will grow up to appreciate the love of the father.
Another important thing that the father should do with the hands is to put them together and say prayers (berdoa) to Allah in the hope that the children will have a good, meaningful life that could enrich the live of others.
In a nutshell, here’s something I picked up from the Net about what a father means:
Fathers are a combination of many special qualities. Father:
"F" stands for forgiving; the ability to understand that mistakes made are the tools for new learning not as a reason for negative punishment that only hurts;
"A" stands for affectionate; the constant quality that is always present no matter whether in private or public and is given without reservation;
"T" stands for teacher; the ability to share through experience, to lead by example, and to help see that negatives can be turned to positives;
"H" stands for harmony; the ability to show that balance in life is attainable and where the demonstration of compromise sets the best example of a needed life skill;
"E" stands for equity; the building of a valued relationship occurs through each day not just set aside for special days, and where love is built upon as a constant not as an exception;
"R" stands for reason; where decision are explained, where children are involved in the process of decision making and not as simply blind obedience.
B. R. Pulsifer
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
More than able ....
Disabled doesn’t mean unable.
Born without legs and “my right hand is my everything”, Tuah Atan stood against all odds to become a lawyer.
After 20 years in the legal profession, Tuah continues to be "OKU activist" having been instrumental in drafting the Disabled Persons Act 2007. [OKU -- Orang Kurang Upaya (disabled person)].
“I tell myself enough is enough. If we want to do something, the mindset must be changed from sympathy to empathy.
“Physical attributes is all in the mind…it’s up to the individual to improve his life so he can live honourably.
At a lunch talk in Wisma Bernama today, the 48 year-old lawyer spoke of the challenges he had to face in his life pursuit.
“My life has its bitter and sweet moments…it depends on how you look at it.
“I’m just like you all, I need to be loved, I want to love, I want to give…and I guess other disabled persons feel the same way.
He said he succeeded because his parents gave him undivided love and support.
“Our home was a humble place but it was heaven for me,” he said about his ‘kampung’ in Asahan, at the foot of Gunung Tahan near the Melaka-Johor border.
"My father respected my needs..he provided me not just with academic but religious studies as well," he said.
He recalled how difficult it was for him to enter school as “there was no precedent” to take in someone like him.
He had to sit for some ‘IQ test’ at a hospital where he was asked to put blocks of shapes into the right holes.
“That was shameful and I told my dad that if I had to do those silly things, it was better that I didn’t go to school.
“The doctor who overheard our conversation was surprised I already spoke ‘Queen’s English although I was just seven then,” said Tuah who learnt the language in kindergarten.
When it was time for school admission, Tuah said he heard the headmaster telling the class teacher: “This is our new student, I don’t know how he can fit in”.
Although he felt bad, the young Tuah took up the challenge when he was placed in Standard 1D – “the last class”.
“My classmates were initially afraid of me. I was an alien to them and they thought I would bite them or eat them up,” said Tuah.
However, he won them over when he taught some of them to read and write.
“I didn’t have legs and hand but I have a little knowledge that I share with them on reading and writing…and they gave me their legs and hands.
“Isn’t it fair?…a gain-gain situation,” he exclaimed.
They got on so well in their studies that the following year, Tuah managed to take along 21 classmates -- half of his class, for promotion to Standard 2A. He remained among the top students, up to university level.
“I joined in the games the boys played in school…..why?
“It’s not that I actually wanted to play but I want to make friends.
“A disabled person who keeps to himself will be very lonely….when I opened up, I made a lot of friends,” he said.
He also made lots of friends because he took the effort to learn languages.
Apart from Malay and English, he speaks Melaka Hokkien, “a little bit of Tamil” and French “which helps me when I’m abroad”.
When he entered University Malaya to do Law, he had to hitch a ride on his friend’s motorcycle to get to class and when their lectures clashed, he had to walk on his own.
“Once I was riding pillion when it rained…the motorcycle skidded and hit a tree.
“It caused a loud noise and everyone rushed to us.
“Suddenly a girl student screamed ‘This accident is so serious, he lost his legs and hand’,” said Tuah.
"Despite in pain, my friend Ibrahim, now a Datuk, couldn’t control himself and broke into laughter," he said.
Tuah was active in campus.
“I even have my own band – ‘Musang Blues’ when I was in Third College,” said Tuah, who now runs his own legal firm, handling syariah and civil cases.
When he was in university, the late academician Dr Ismail Salleh, who was blind, became his idol.
"I kept a photo of him which eventually turned yellowish," he said.
On a lighter vein, Tuah said he often told youths especially "Mat Rempits" to value their lives.
"I tell them that if they continue with their stunts, they might end up like me...without legs and hand," he said with a smile.
(Wikipedia: A Mat Rempit is a Malaysian term for "an individual who participates in illegal street racing", usually involving underbone motorcycles, colloquially known as Kapcai).
For his deeds, Tuah was named the Tokoh OKU Melaka 2009 where he received the award last April. He had earlier been accorded with the Junior Chambers Youth Award 1995, Melaka Human Resource Award (disabled person category) and Melaka Disabled Person Award 1996.
The fourth of nine siblings has also won the state’s Tokoh Maal Hijrah (Professional) twice in 1997 and 2008.
(Bernama photo: Tuah receiving the ‘Tokoh OKU Melaka 2009’ award from the chief minister's wife, Datin Seri Asmah Abd Rahman at the state-level OKU Day celebrations in April 2010.)
Born without legs and “my right hand is my everything”, Tuah Atan stood against all odds to become a lawyer.
After 20 years in the legal profession, Tuah continues to be "OKU activist" having been instrumental in drafting the Disabled Persons Act 2007. [OKU -- Orang Kurang Upaya (disabled person)].
“I tell myself enough is enough. If we want to do something, the mindset must be changed from sympathy to empathy.
“Physical attributes is all in the mind…it’s up to the individual to improve his life so he can live honourably.
At a lunch talk in Wisma Bernama today, the 48 year-old lawyer spoke of the challenges he had to face in his life pursuit.
“My life has its bitter and sweet moments…it depends on how you look at it.
“I’m just like you all, I need to be loved, I want to love, I want to give…and I guess other disabled persons feel the same way.
He said he succeeded because his parents gave him undivided love and support.
“Our home was a humble place but it was heaven for me,” he said about his ‘kampung’ in Asahan, at the foot of Gunung Tahan near the Melaka-Johor border.
"My father respected my needs..he provided me not just with academic but religious studies as well," he said.
He recalled how difficult it was for him to enter school as “there was no precedent” to take in someone like him.
He had to sit for some ‘IQ test’ at a hospital where he was asked to put blocks of shapes into the right holes.
“That was shameful and I told my dad that if I had to do those silly things, it was better that I didn’t go to school.
“The doctor who overheard our conversation was surprised I already spoke ‘Queen’s English although I was just seven then,” said Tuah who learnt the language in kindergarten.
When it was time for school admission, Tuah said he heard the headmaster telling the class teacher: “This is our new student, I don’t know how he can fit in”.
Although he felt bad, the young Tuah took up the challenge when he was placed in Standard 1D – “the last class”.
“My classmates were initially afraid of me. I was an alien to them and they thought I would bite them or eat them up,” said Tuah.
However, he won them over when he taught some of them to read and write.
“I didn’t have legs and hand but I have a little knowledge that I share with them on reading and writing…and they gave me their legs and hands.
“Isn’t it fair?…a gain-gain situation,” he exclaimed.
They got on so well in their studies that the following year, Tuah managed to take along 21 classmates -- half of his class, for promotion to Standard 2A. He remained among the top students, up to university level.
“I joined in the games the boys played in school…..why?
“It’s not that I actually wanted to play but I want to make friends.
“A disabled person who keeps to himself will be very lonely….when I opened up, I made a lot of friends,” he said.
He also made lots of friends because he took the effort to learn languages.
Apart from Malay and English, he speaks Melaka Hokkien, “a little bit of Tamil” and French “which helps me when I’m abroad”.
When he entered University Malaya to do Law, he had to hitch a ride on his friend’s motorcycle to get to class and when their lectures clashed, he had to walk on his own.
“Once I was riding pillion when it rained…the motorcycle skidded and hit a tree.
“It caused a loud noise and everyone rushed to us.
“Suddenly a girl student screamed ‘This accident is so serious, he lost his legs and hand’,” said Tuah.
"Despite in pain, my friend Ibrahim, now a Datuk, couldn’t control himself and broke into laughter," he said.
Tuah was active in campus.
“I even have my own band – ‘Musang Blues’ when I was in Third College,” said Tuah, who now runs his own legal firm, handling syariah and civil cases.
When he was in university, the late academician Dr Ismail Salleh, who was blind, became his idol.
"I kept a photo of him which eventually turned yellowish," he said.
On a lighter vein, Tuah said he often told youths especially "Mat Rempits" to value their lives.
"I tell them that if they continue with their stunts, they might end up like me...without legs and hand," he said with a smile.
(Wikipedia: A Mat Rempit is a Malaysian term for "an individual who participates in illegal street racing", usually involving underbone motorcycles, colloquially known as Kapcai).
For his deeds, Tuah was named the Tokoh OKU Melaka 2009 where he received the award last April. He had earlier been accorded with the Junior Chambers Youth Award 1995, Melaka Human Resource Award (disabled person category) and Melaka Disabled Person Award 1996.
The fourth of nine siblings has also won the state’s Tokoh Maal Hijrah (Professional) twice in 1997 and 2008.
(Bernama photo: Tuah receiving the ‘Tokoh OKU Melaka 2009’ award from the chief minister's wife, Datin Seri Asmah Abd Rahman at the state-level OKU Day celebrations in April 2010.)
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Flash triggers excitement ...
A flash can have several meanings.
For new agencies, the term is use to define news alert to subscribers of a major story. It is a one-sentence item that are transmitted as swiftly as possible once information is received from reliable sources.
The Cabinet reshuffle today is a good example of how Bernama, as a news agency, breaks a major story using flash.
After getting the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the editor on duty sends out a ‘one-liner’ on the new appointments to subscribers – the first ‘flash’ out around 5.30pm.
As the minor reshuffle involves several ministers and deputy ministers – mostly from MCA, several ‘one-liners’ on the appointments were thus sent out.
This helps subscribers especially radio and television stations to make spot announcements on air or run crawlers on screen.
As for newspaper subscribers, the ‘flash’ helps them to prepare their write-ups or otherwise, expect the stories from Bernama.
During the days of teleprinter, the sub-editors will indicate three to five ‘bells’ to the flash to notify subscribers the varying importance of the story.
Apart from Cabinet reshuffle, flash are used for election and sports results, court decisions, disasters and major government announcements including highlights of the Budget tabled in Parliament.
As the cabinet reshuffle had been speculated for weeks, there was no doubt that the Bernama news flash triggered excitement especially among its media subscribers across the nation.
It takes just a one-liner – the Bernama flash and one Malaysia is alerted of the Cabinet reshuffle.
For the record, MCA President Chua Soi Lek kept his promise to be left out of the Cabinet so as to concentrate on the party after a gruelling party election in March. Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat, who lost the president's post to Chua, was dropped.
The portfolio was taken up by secretary-general Kong Cho Ha, the Housing and Local Government Minister. Vice -president Chor Chee Heung, the deputy finance minister, was promoted to Housing and Local Government Minister while deputy president Liow Tiong Lai remained as Health Minister.
Another vice president Ng Yen Yen kept her Tourism portfolio while Donald Lim Siang Chai, another veep, is the new Deputy Finance Minister.
MIC Deputy President G.Palanivel, made a Senator recently, returned as Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities.
PPP longest-serving vice president Maglin Dennis D'Cruz was appointed as Deputy Information Communications and Culture Minister to take over from Heng Seai Kie who moved to Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
Serian MP Richard Riot received a 'Gawai' gift when he was made Deputy Foreign Minister -- the slot reserved for Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) that was held by Robert Lau Hoi Chew, who died in April.
For new agencies, the term is use to define news alert to subscribers of a major story. It is a one-sentence item that are transmitted as swiftly as possible once information is received from reliable sources.
The Cabinet reshuffle today is a good example of how Bernama, as a news agency, breaks a major story using flash.
After getting the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the editor on duty sends out a ‘one-liner’ on the new appointments to subscribers – the first ‘flash’ out around 5.30pm.
As the minor reshuffle involves several ministers and deputy ministers – mostly from MCA, several ‘one-liners’ on the appointments were thus sent out.
This helps subscribers especially radio and television stations to make spot announcements on air or run crawlers on screen.
As for newspaper subscribers, the ‘flash’ helps them to prepare their write-ups or otherwise, expect the stories from Bernama.
During the days of teleprinter, the sub-editors will indicate three to five ‘bells’ to the flash to notify subscribers the varying importance of the story.
Apart from Cabinet reshuffle, flash are used for election and sports results, court decisions, disasters and major government announcements including highlights of the Budget tabled in Parliament.
As the cabinet reshuffle had been speculated for weeks, there was no doubt that the Bernama news flash triggered excitement especially among its media subscribers across the nation.
It takes just a one-liner – the Bernama flash and one Malaysia is alerted of the Cabinet reshuffle.
For the record, MCA President Chua Soi Lek kept his promise to be left out of the Cabinet so as to concentrate on the party after a gruelling party election in March. Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat, who lost the president's post to Chua, was dropped.
The portfolio was taken up by secretary-general Kong Cho Ha, the Housing and Local Government Minister. Vice -president Chor Chee Heung, the deputy finance minister, was promoted to Housing and Local Government Minister while deputy president Liow Tiong Lai remained as Health Minister.
Another vice president Ng Yen Yen kept her Tourism portfolio while Donald Lim Siang Chai, another veep, is the new Deputy Finance Minister.
MIC Deputy President G.Palanivel, made a Senator recently, returned as Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities.
PPP longest-serving vice president Maglin Dennis D'Cruz was appointed as Deputy Information Communications and Culture Minister to take over from Heng Seai Kie who moved to Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
Serian MP Richard Riot received a 'Gawai' gift when he was made Deputy Foreign Minister -- the slot reserved for Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) that was held by Robert Lau Hoi Chew, who died in April.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Israel attacks Gaza-bound aid flotilla ....
Israeli marines stormed an aid ship of the Lifeline4Gaza flotilla, killing at least nine international volunteers.
The Mavi Marmara is one of the seven ships in the flotilla on a humanitarian mission to Gaza, initiated by a coalition of 11 non-governmental organisations.
Eleven Malaysians including a reporter and a cameraman from Astro Awani were reported to be on board the Mavi Marmara and their fate is still unknown.
They were among 17 Malaysians in the "Freedom Flotilla". The other six Malaysians on the mission are aboard the Rachel Corrie vessel and they are reported safe.
Boarding from dinghies and rappelling from helicopters, naval commandos stopped six ships, 700 people and 10,000 tonnes of supplies from reaching the Palestinian enclave.
They forced the international volunteers into the Israeli port of Ashdod for questioning.
The attack in international waters some 68km from Gaza took place at about 9am Malaysian time.
Crises Management Team for LL4G Malaysia chairman Zulkifli Mohd Nani issued the following statement:
“1. As have been widely publicised, the Lifeline4Gaza flotilla has come under attack by the Israeli armed forces. Israeli aggressors have boarded the capital ship Mavi Marmara and open fire resulting in 3 volunteers dead and more than 30 others seriously injured. Mavi Marmara is one of the 7 strong flotilla enroute to Gaza to deliver the much awaited material aids to the besieged people of Gaza.
2. Twelve volunteers including media representatives from Malaysia is on board the capital ship Mavi Marmara. Their participation is purely humanitarian in nature.
3. All the objectives and movement of the flotilla is in compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1860 (2009) and all relevant maritime regulations. Resolution 1860 stated among others:
a) Appeal for deliverance of humanitarian aid to Gaza including food, fuel and medical assistance.
b) Urge efforts to ease passage and other mechanisms for the unimpeded deliverance of aids.
c) Call for all nations to support such efforts at the international level to alleviate the dire humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza
d) condemns acts of agression and attacks on civilians and all forms of acts of terrorism.
Every Malaysian participants in the flotilla are holding fast to the international regulations and laws and vow to uphold the good name of Malaysia and our national aspirations.
4. The flotilla is laden with 10,000 tonnes of material aid. Over 540 volunteers are on board Mavi Marmara, including Parliamentarians, academics, journalists, scholars, an infant less than a year old and a senior citizen over 80 years old. No weapons were brought in this flotilla even for self defense which testifies to the wholly humanitarian nature of the mission.
5. Based on these facts it is very clear indeed that Israel has violated international laws. Whatmore the raid took place in international waters and on an unarmed aid ship on a humanitarian mission. Israeli rash action deserve a worldwide condemnation in the strongest possible term.
6. We appeal to the Government of Malaysia under the premiership of YAB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak and Datin Seri Paduka Rosmah Mansor in her capacity as patron for the Palestinian Aid Donations Drive to issue a statement condemning Israel for the murderous aggression on a peaceful flotilla whose objective is to deliver aid to the beseiged people of Gaza.
7. We call for the UN to convene an emergency assembly to pass a strong resolution against Israel and to summon Israeli leaders to the international court of justice for crime against humanity.
8. We call upon the Malaysians from all walks of life to express their utmost concern of the grave situation and to be ready to respond to any need for action and calls for our support in dealing with the incident.
9. We appeal to all political leaders, NGOs and the Malaysia people to join together in coming to the aid of the volunteers.
10. We also call upon every strata of the society to continue to supplicate and pray for the success of this mission and the safety of the volunteers from further untoward incidence.”
The Mavi Marmara is one of the seven ships in the flotilla on a humanitarian mission to Gaza, initiated by a coalition of 11 non-governmental organisations.
Eleven Malaysians including a reporter and a cameraman from Astro Awani were reported to be on board the Mavi Marmara and their fate is still unknown.
They were among 17 Malaysians in the "Freedom Flotilla". The other six Malaysians on the mission are aboard the Rachel Corrie vessel and they are reported safe.
Boarding from dinghies and rappelling from helicopters, naval commandos stopped six ships, 700 people and 10,000 tonnes of supplies from reaching the Palestinian enclave.
They forced the international volunteers into the Israeli port of Ashdod for questioning.
The attack in international waters some 68km from Gaza took place at about 9am Malaysian time.
Crises Management Team for LL4G Malaysia chairman Zulkifli Mohd Nani issued the following statement:
“1. As have been widely publicised, the Lifeline4Gaza flotilla has come under attack by the Israeli armed forces. Israeli aggressors have boarded the capital ship Mavi Marmara and open fire resulting in 3 volunteers dead and more than 30 others seriously injured. Mavi Marmara is one of the 7 strong flotilla enroute to Gaza to deliver the much awaited material aids to the besieged people of Gaza.
2. Twelve volunteers including media representatives from Malaysia is on board the capital ship Mavi Marmara. Their participation is purely humanitarian in nature.
3. All the objectives and movement of the flotilla is in compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1860 (2009) and all relevant maritime regulations. Resolution 1860 stated among others:
a) Appeal for deliverance of humanitarian aid to Gaza including food, fuel and medical assistance.
b) Urge efforts to ease passage and other mechanisms for the unimpeded deliverance of aids.
c) Call for all nations to support such efforts at the international level to alleviate the dire humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza
d) condemns acts of agression and attacks on civilians and all forms of acts of terrorism.
Every Malaysian participants in the flotilla are holding fast to the international regulations and laws and vow to uphold the good name of Malaysia and our national aspirations.
4. The flotilla is laden with 10,000 tonnes of material aid. Over 540 volunteers are on board Mavi Marmara, including Parliamentarians, academics, journalists, scholars, an infant less than a year old and a senior citizen over 80 years old. No weapons were brought in this flotilla even for self defense which testifies to the wholly humanitarian nature of the mission.
5. Based on these facts it is very clear indeed that Israel has violated international laws. Whatmore the raid took place in international waters and on an unarmed aid ship on a humanitarian mission. Israeli rash action deserve a worldwide condemnation in the strongest possible term.
6. We appeal to the Government of Malaysia under the premiership of YAB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak and Datin Seri Paduka Rosmah Mansor in her capacity as patron for the Palestinian Aid Donations Drive to issue a statement condemning Israel for the murderous aggression on a peaceful flotilla whose objective is to deliver aid to the beseiged people of Gaza.
7. We call for the UN to convene an emergency assembly to pass a strong resolution against Israel and to summon Israeli leaders to the international court of justice for crime against humanity.
8. We call upon the Malaysians from all walks of life to express their utmost concern of the grave situation and to be ready to respond to any need for action and calls for our support in dealing with the incident.
9. We appeal to all political leaders, NGOs and the Malaysia people to join together in coming to the aid of the volunteers.
10. We also call upon every strata of the society to continue to supplicate and pray for the success of this mission and the safety of the volunteers from further untoward incidence.”
Sunday, May 30, 2010
From the heart ...
Good deeds come from the heart. If the heart is sincere in wanting to do something good, it will make the person happy, bringing him joy in giving and helping others.
“Kalau hati itu seperti bulan, jangan biarkan ia gerhana.
Kalau hati itu seperti awan, jangan biarkan ia mendung.
Kalau hati itu seperti air, jangan biarkan ia keruh,” says religious teacher Rujhan Muhamed Razali on the third and final segment of the week’s topic of “The Joy in Giving” live on “Tanyalah Ustaz” programme over TV9 this morning.
Literally, it means if the heart is like the moon or cloud or water, let it not be dark.
As he highlights the importance of good deeds, he quoted a story from a long hadith about a prostitute who was forgiven by Allah (S.W.T) and granted eternal Paradise for helping a thirsty dog.
The woman had came across the dog which was hanging about a well. Sensing the dog was thirsty, she took off her shoe, filled it with water from the well and gave it to the dog.
“If a woman whose work is despised of by society and religion could be forgiven for her good deed, imagine what it would be like for those who are always sincere in helping others,” he said.
To summarise, Rujhan quoted a famous hadith about deeds which we can do that will continue to reward us even after we are gone.
The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) told us: "When the son of Adam dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, knowledge from which others may benefit after he is gone, and a righteous son who will pray for him." (Muslim)
“The three relates to giving – charity, knowledge and providing a good upbringing for our children,” he said.
“Kalau hati itu seperti bulan, jangan biarkan ia gerhana.
Kalau hati itu seperti awan, jangan biarkan ia mendung.
Kalau hati itu seperti air, jangan biarkan ia keruh,” says religious teacher Rujhan Muhamed Razali on the third and final segment of the week’s topic of “The Joy in Giving” live on “Tanyalah Ustaz” programme over TV9 this morning.
Literally, it means if the heart is like the moon or cloud or water, let it not be dark.
As he highlights the importance of good deeds, he quoted a story from a long hadith about a prostitute who was forgiven by Allah (S.W.T) and granted eternal Paradise for helping a thirsty dog.
The woman had came across the dog which was hanging about a well. Sensing the dog was thirsty, she took off her shoe, filled it with water from the well and gave it to the dog.
“If a woman whose work is despised of by society and religion could be forgiven for her good deed, imagine what it would be like for those who are always sincere in helping others,” he said.
To summarise, Rujhan quoted a famous hadith about deeds which we can do that will continue to reward us even after we are gone.
The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) told us: "When the son of Adam dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, knowledge from which others may benefit after he is gone, and a righteous son who will pray for him." (Muslim)
“The three relates to giving – charity, knowledge and providing a good upbringing for our children,” he said.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The joy in giving ….
“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” – Winston Churchill
Sometimes the greatest joy can come from giving something that costs nothing at all. A simple note written with care or teaching others to bake a butter cake can speak volumes.
We’ve often heard that if there is nothing to give, a smile will do.
The topic on the joy of giving was highlighted by the popular talk-show “Tanyalah Ustaz” screened live over TV9 this morning.
Host for the week Rujhan Muhamed Razali, speaking on the topic "Keseronokan Memberi", reminded Muslims that giving reflects our gratitude to Allah for what we have been blessed with.
Many people have this positive quality of sharing and giving. They feel the need to give to others and that makes them feel better than even receiving something.
Rujhan, who frequently quotes the al-Quran and hadith and highlights interesting anecdotes, got me thinking when he posed this question:
“Someone with RM1,000 donates RM1 and another person who only has RM10 also gives out RM1. The amount may be similar but is the value (in giving) the same?”
One of the callers asked him whether time could be regarded as an asset when giving is concerned.
"I have a friend, a well-to-do guy but he has no time for his children…can time be considered a joy for giving?” asked the male caller.
Rujhan agreed that some people found it difficult to allocate time for their family and neighbours, let alone for religious obligations.
“Time is Allah’s gift to everyone – no matter rich or poor, everyone has 24 hours a day…the question is how we manage time,” he said.
He used a traveller as an analogy.
“Imagine after putting his clothes and other items into the travel bag, he finds it difficult to zip it – over packed and no more space.
“However after taking out everything and fold back the clothes and arranging them nicely into the bag, he may find that there are actually enough space for more.
“So, this is what time is – those who say they do not have time for others are the ones who are not able to arrange their clothes properly inside the bag,” said Rujhan.
Sometimes the greatest joy can come from giving something that costs nothing at all. A simple note written with care or teaching others to bake a butter cake can speak volumes.
We’ve often heard that if there is nothing to give, a smile will do.
The topic on the joy of giving was highlighted by the popular talk-show “Tanyalah Ustaz” screened live over TV9 this morning.
Host for the week Rujhan Muhamed Razali, speaking on the topic "Keseronokan Memberi", reminded Muslims that giving reflects our gratitude to Allah for what we have been blessed with.
Many people have this positive quality of sharing and giving. They feel the need to give to others and that makes them feel better than even receiving something.
Rujhan, who frequently quotes the al-Quran and hadith and highlights interesting anecdotes, got me thinking when he posed this question:
“Someone with RM1,000 donates RM1 and another person who only has RM10 also gives out RM1. The amount may be similar but is the value (in giving) the same?”
One of the callers asked him whether time could be regarded as an asset when giving is concerned.
"I have a friend, a well-to-do guy but he has no time for his children…can time be considered a joy for giving?” asked the male caller.
Rujhan agreed that some people found it difficult to allocate time for their family and neighbours, let alone for religious obligations.
“Time is Allah’s gift to everyone – no matter rich or poor, everyone has 24 hours a day…the question is how we manage time,” he said.
He used a traveller as an analogy.
“Imagine after putting his clothes and other items into the travel bag, he finds it difficult to zip it – over packed and no more space.
“However after taking out everything and fold back the clothes and arranging them nicely into the bag, he may find that there are actually enough space for more.
“So, this is what time is – those who say they do not have time for others are the ones who are not able to arrange their clothes properly inside the bag,” said Rujhan.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Only hotel in Malaysia to hold Friday prayers ...
It might still be the only hotel in Malaysia that holds Friday prayers.
But going by the large congregation today, the De Palma Hotel in Ampang would need to expand its surau to cater for the growing numbers.
Located on the third floor, the surau now receives 1,000 people each week for Friday prayers.
Apart from hotel guests and staff, those who perform Friday prayers at the surau are workers from offices and business premises within its vicinity, staff of foreign embassies and a nearby hospital and residents from surrounding areas.
A hotel staff says if not for the public holiday today, the congregation would have been larger.
In October 2008, the De Palma Hotel Ampang became the first hotel in the country to be given the nod to hold Friday prayers at its surau – Surau Nurul Hikmah.
The surau has won the "Best Surau award in the hotel industry" given by the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association.
The hotel employs four full-time imam for the surau. Apart from the five obligatory daily prayers, they handle various religious programmes including tazkirah during lunch time for twice a month, free Quran-reading classes and also tahlil functions.
The surau holds tazkirah, tarawih and Qiamullail functions during the fasting month of Ramadan.
News reports have highlighted about the hotel rebranding itself as a fully syariah compliant business entity.
Some of these include changing of staff uniform for Muslim ladies by subscribing to the appropriate dress code.
The hotel's meeting packages are also syariah-compliant. Meetings start with zam zam water, dates and raisins as snacks.
Meals are prepared in moderation, according to syariah rules.
A hotel staff helps to fold prayer mats after Friday prayers today.
But going by the large congregation today, the De Palma Hotel in Ampang would need to expand its surau to cater for the growing numbers.
Located on the third floor, the surau now receives 1,000 people each week for Friday prayers.
Apart from hotel guests and staff, those who perform Friday prayers at the surau are workers from offices and business premises within its vicinity, staff of foreign embassies and a nearby hospital and residents from surrounding areas.
A hotel staff says if not for the public holiday today, the congregation would have been larger.
In October 2008, the De Palma Hotel Ampang became the first hotel in the country to be given the nod to hold Friday prayers at its surau – Surau Nurul Hikmah.
The surau has won the "Best Surau award in the hotel industry" given by the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association.
The hotel employs four full-time imam for the surau. Apart from the five obligatory daily prayers, they handle various religious programmes including tazkirah during lunch time for twice a month, free Quran-reading classes and also tahlil functions.
The surau holds tazkirah, tarawih and Qiamullail functions during the fasting month of Ramadan.
News reports have highlighted about the hotel rebranding itself as a fully syariah compliant business entity.
Some of these include changing of staff uniform for Muslim ladies by subscribing to the appropriate dress code.
The hotel's meeting packages are also syariah-compliant. Meetings start with zam zam water, dates and raisins as snacks.
Meals are prepared in moderation, according to syariah rules.
A hotel staff helps to fold prayer mats after Friday prayers today.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The man who could have been a 'kick-boxer' ...
“Thank you UiTM…Because of you, I am here” -- Prof. Ir. Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar, UiTM Vice- Chancellor
He once dreamt of becoming a ‘kick-boxer’ but Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar ended up being the vice-chancellor of the country’s largest university.
His story has become an inspiration to many youngsters to succeed in life.
Although determined to support his family, his poor SPM result was like a black spot in his early life. It shattered the hopes and aspiration of his mother and family.
Being poor gave him little choice. As the eldest of nine siblings, he decided to forget about school and instead, look for job.
It was nothing new for him though as poverty had forced him to work at the tender age of eight as a part-time sweeper at a barber’s shop.
Unlike other youths, he took the bold step to leave behind his ‘kampung’ and headed to town in search of work.
But it was to be a rough journey and work did not come easy.
The young Sahol became a vagabond.
With his tough physique, he began to train as a fighter and harbour the dream of becoming a ‘kick-boxer’.
It was then that his life began to change when he was approached by a MARA officer who advised him to continue with his studies and forget about his ring dream.
It was to be a different fight for the young man but the sincere advice of the MARA officer left a deep impact on him.
He was certain that education could change the destiny of a wayward youth.
Having made good in life, he will always be thankful of getting the second chance – a new lease of life that has made him what he is now.
Today, as he spoke at the university’s 72nd convocation, Prof Dr Sahol started off with this poignant line:
“UiTM sentiasa di hati.” (UiTM forever in my heart).
He said it not once but twice as the jubilant new graduates cheered loudly.
“To parents who are here, I must apologize for this deafening noise made by them…but as vice-chancellor, I forgive them,” he quipped and again the graduates roared.
He was quick to remind them not to be carried away by their achievement.
“Your journey does not end here, it is only the beginning,” said Dr Sahol.
He pledged that the university would continue to produce professionals of high-calibre to take the country to greater heights.
Some 400,000 have graduated from the university.
He reminded the graduates not to forget the sacrifices of their parents and be prepared to give back to society.
“Tak ada makna jika kita tak tahu bersyukur… ibarat kacang lupakan kulit. Jangan sekali-kali menjadi anak derhaka,” he said.
"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals" -- Zig Ziglar
He once dreamt of becoming a ‘kick-boxer’ but Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar ended up being the vice-chancellor of the country’s largest university.
His story has become an inspiration to many youngsters to succeed in life.
Although determined to support his family, his poor SPM result was like a black spot in his early life. It shattered the hopes and aspiration of his mother and family.
Being poor gave him little choice. As the eldest of nine siblings, he decided to forget about school and instead, look for job.
It was nothing new for him though as poverty had forced him to work at the tender age of eight as a part-time sweeper at a barber’s shop.
Unlike other youths, he took the bold step to leave behind his ‘kampung’ and headed to town in search of work.
But it was to be a rough journey and work did not come easy.
The young Sahol became a vagabond.
With his tough physique, he began to train as a fighter and harbour the dream of becoming a ‘kick-boxer’.
It was then that his life began to change when he was approached by a MARA officer who advised him to continue with his studies and forget about his ring dream.
It was to be a different fight for the young man but the sincere advice of the MARA officer left a deep impact on him.
He was certain that education could change the destiny of a wayward youth.
Having made good in life, he will always be thankful of getting the second chance – a new lease of life that has made him what he is now.
Today, as he spoke at the university’s 72nd convocation, Prof Dr Sahol started off with this poignant line:
“UiTM sentiasa di hati.” (UiTM forever in my heart).
He said it not once but twice as the jubilant new graduates cheered loudly.
“To parents who are here, I must apologize for this deafening noise made by them…but as vice-chancellor, I forgive them,” he quipped and again the graduates roared.
He was quick to remind them not to be carried away by their achievement.
“Your journey does not end here, it is only the beginning,” said Dr Sahol.
He pledged that the university would continue to produce professionals of high-calibre to take the country to greater heights.
Some 400,000 have graduated from the university.
He reminded the graduates not to forget the sacrifices of their parents and be prepared to give back to society.
“Tak ada makna jika kita tak tahu bersyukur… ibarat kacang lupakan kulit. Jangan sekali-kali menjadi anak derhaka,” he said.
"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals" -- Zig Ziglar
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
A non-NATO man ...running for his life!
The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility and pushing their luck! ~Author Unknown
Every morning, Rani will be in his running shoes to sweat himself out at a park in Taman Setiawangsa in the federal capital.
He would jog at least 10 rounds of a 400-metre lap and still find strength for more physical exercise.
The 58 year-old, who now concentrates on multi-level marketing of health and wellness product, does not look his age.
I headed for the park early this morning, after a two-month break, and as expected, saw him there.
He had completed four rounds by then and was raring to go for more.
“My biological age varies from 41 to 65,” he says with a smile.
To him, it is not difficult to keep fit if you are disciplined.
“The important thing is exercise, that is the foundation.”
“You can do whatever you want with your body but without exercise, you won’t be healthy,” he said.
“I make sure that apart from exercise, I have a good sleep, a balanced diet and able to manage stress.
“I just can’t be bluffing myself by not following this four requirements
“After all this is what I’ve been telling my friends.
“I don’t want to be a NATO man – No Action Talk Only, ” he said as he accompanied me for the brisk walk.
*A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs. ~Joan Welsh
Every morning, Rani will be in his running shoes to sweat himself out at a park in Taman Setiawangsa in the federal capital.
He would jog at least 10 rounds of a 400-metre lap and still find strength for more physical exercise.
The 58 year-old, who now concentrates on multi-level marketing of health and wellness product, does not look his age.
I headed for the park early this morning, after a two-month break, and as expected, saw him there.
He had completed four rounds by then and was raring to go for more.
“My biological age varies from 41 to 65,” he says with a smile.
To him, it is not difficult to keep fit if you are disciplined.
“The important thing is exercise, that is the foundation.”
“You can do whatever you want with your body but without exercise, you won’t be healthy,” he said.
“I make sure that apart from exercise, I have a good sleep, a balanced diet and able to manage stress.
“I just can’t be bluffing myself by not following this four requirements
“After all this is what I’ve been telling my friends.
“I don’t want to be a NATO man – No Action Talk Only, ” he said as he accompanied me for the brisk walk.
*A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs. ~Joan Welsh
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Enriching lives ....
"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down" -- Oprah Winfrey
In our busy lives, we often ignore things which we consider petty but are important to our loved ones.
Sometimes, their habits and their needs could even be annoying when we are drowned in work.
A phone call from a friend may be regarded as disturbance.
We even get upset that they have to call at that very moment.
We forget how important other people are to us and we to them.
“It is a blessing when someone calls us…the more calls, the more blessings we get,” says a friend.
To be really happy, we need others. Being alone has its advantages but not all the time.
Our lives would only be enriched if we can interact with others.
In this inter-connected world, ‘smart partnership’ is a key word.
It is about governments, organisations and people working together for long-term mutual gains so that collectively they help bring about global harmony and co-operative prosperity.
It entails the sharing of experiences and wisdom, adopting a “prosper-thy-neighbour” philosophy and guided by universal value, trust and understanding of one another.
It was in this spirit of 'smart partnership' that a group of officers from the International Division of the Information Communication and Culture Ministry visited the NAM News Network (NNN) this morning to explore areas of collaboration.
The division runs the South-South Information Gateway (SSIG) –- a depository and information exchange centre for countries in the South.
It provides broadcast materials, printed materials, news exchange and organizes seminars and roundtable conferences.
It was set-up following the Langkawi International Dialogue (LID) held in July 1999 to promote “smart partnership” among the South countries.
The SSIG portal www.ssig.gov.my currently registers 615,000 hits a month.
In our busy lives, we often ignore things which we consider petty but are important to our loved ones.
Sometimes, their habits and their needs could even be annoying when we are drowned in work.
A phone call from a friend may be regarded as disturbance.
We even get upset that they have to call at that very moment.
We forget how important other people are to us and we to them.
“It is a blessing when someone calls us…the more calls, the more blessings we get,” says a friend.
To be really happy, we need others. Being alone has its advantages but not all the time.
Our lives would only be enriched if we can interact with others.
In this inter-connected world, ‘smart partnership’ is a key word.
It is about governments, organisations and people working together for long-term mutual gains so that collectively they help bring about global harmony and co-operative prosperity.
It entails the sharing of experiences and wisdom, adopting a “prosper-thy-neighbour” philosophy and guided by universal value, trust and understanding of one another.
It was in this spirit of 'smart partnership' that a group of officers from the International Division of the Information Communication and Culture Ministry visited the NAM News Network (NNN) this morning to explore areas of collaboration.
The division runs the South-South Information Gateway (SSIG) –- a depository and information exchange centre for countries in the South.
It provides broadcast materials, printed materials, news exchange and organizes seminars and roundtable conferences.
It was set-up following the Langkawi International Dialogue (LID) held in July 1999 to promote “smart partnership” among the South countries.
The SSIG portal www.ssig.gov.my currently registers 615,000 hits a month.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Seeing light at the end of the tunnel …
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak met his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in the island republic today, summing up the outcome as positive for greater collaboration.
"If you are looking for a positive signal, this is it," he told a joint media conference with Lee following their retreat meeting.
He said the many decisions made during the retreat should signify a very positive signal for both sides to engage in more investment, education, trade and greater collaboration between the two countries.
They had met a year ago when they decided not to allow outstanding bilateral issues to be in the way of developing and strengthening bilateral ties.
With that positive mindset, they had achieved much within a year, starting with meetings at various levels of the government to find a common ground.
"And today is quite historic as we see now the light at the end of the tunnel with respect to the outstanding issues that have been lingering for almost 20 years," said Najib.
With what that had been achieved in today's meeting, Najib said he could more or less say that the Points of Agreement (PoA) on Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd land in Singapore should finally be put to rest when Lee meets him in Kuala Lumpur next month.
Malaysia today decided to move the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to the Woodlands train checkpoint by July 1 next year under the enhanced PoA.
When the PoA was signed by both countries in 1990, Malaysia had agreed to move the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station only to Bukit Timah after five years but it did not materialise.
Najib said the spirit and the political understanding to find a resolution on a mutually beneficial manner so that both countries could benefit from the finalisation of the enhanced PoA agreement had led to the positive result.
The prime minister said the settlement of the enhanced PoA would lead to a better connectivity and flow of people, followed by investment, and goods and services between the two neighbourly countries, linked by a causeway and a bridge.
"We believe that the connectivity between Singapore and Johor Bahru will be achieved by 2018," said Najib.
Meanwhile, Lee said both countries decided to move forward in their bilateral relationship as they needed to work together in the face of global challenges now with many competitive alternative centres growing in Asia.
He described his meeting with Najib as fruitful as both countries managed to clear issues that had been hanging for almost 20 years. They could now move forward and develop their relationship.
On the water issue, Lee said upon the expiry of the 1961 Water Agreement on July 1 next year, Singapore would hand over the Skudai waterworks to the Johor water authorities free of charge and in good working order.
Singapore has been using the waterworks to extract water from the Skudai river for its water supply.
The city-state has another waterworks in Johor where it is allowed to extract 250 million gallons of water per day (Mgd) from the Johor river based on the 1962 Water Agreement which will only expire in 2061.
(Story and photographs by Bernama)
"If you are looking for a positive signal, this is it," he told a joint media conference with Lee following their retreat meeting.
He said the many decisions made during the retreat should signify a very positive signal for both sides to engage in more investment, education, trade and greater collaboration between the two countries.
They had met a year ago when they decided not to allow outstanding bilateral issues to be in the way of developing and strengthening bilateral ties.
With that positive mindset, they had achieved much within a year, starting with meetings at various levels of the government to find a common ground.
"And today is quite historic as we see now the light at the end of the tunnel with respect to the outstanding issues that have been lingering for almost 20 years," said Najib.
With what that had been achieved in today's meeting, Najib said he could more or less say that the Points of Agreement (PoA) on Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd land in Singapore should finally be put to rest when Lee meets him in Kuala Lumpur next month.
Malaysia today decided to move the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to the Woodlands train checkpoint by July 1 next year under the enhanced PoA.
When the PoA was signed by both countries in 1990, Malaysia had agreed to move the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station only to Bukit Timah after five years but it did not materialise.
Najib said the spirit and the political understanding to find a resolution on a mutually beneficial manner so that both countries could benefit from the finalisation of the enhanced PoA agreement had led to the positive result.
The prime minister said the settlement of the enhanced PoA would lead to a better connectivity and flow of people, followed by investment, and goods and services between the two neighbourly countries, linked by a causeway and a bridge.
"We believe that the connectivity between Singapore and Johor Bahru will be achieved by 2018," said Najib.
Meanwhile, Lee said both countries decided to move forward in their bilateral relationship as they needed to work together in the face of global challenges now with many competitive alternative centres growing in Asia.
He described his meeting with Najib as fruitful as both countries managed to clear issues that had been hanging for almost 20 years. They could now move forward and develop their relationship.
On the water issue, Lee said upon the expiry of the 1961 Water Agreement on July 1 next year, Singapore would hand over the Skudai waterworks to the Johor water authorities free of charge and in good working order.
Singapore has been using the waterworks to extract water from the Skudai river for its water supply.
The city-state has another waterworks in Johor where it is allowed to extract 250 million gallons of water per day (Mgd) from the Johor river based on the 1962 Water Agreement which will only expire in 2061.
(Story and photographs by Bernama)
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Be thankful for what we have …
"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses" -- French journalist Alphonse Karr (1808-90) known for his caustic commentaries on the events and personalities of the Parisian literary scene.
One thing I gained after watching the movie Shrek Forever After is to appreciate what I have. Never mind about being among the ‘lucky people’ in Malaysia who have seen the movie even before it hit cinemas in most developed countries including the United Kingdom.
The American animated film was released just two days ago in cinemas in the United States and Canada. It is the fourth and final installment in the Shrek movie series.
While some reviews hinted that the latest movie was not as witty as the earlier ones, it is still funnier and more exciting.
I love the scene where Shrek sang “You’ve Got A Friend” when Donkey could not recall who he was.
But one particular line by Shrek that I remember most was when he said: “I didn't know what I had until it's gone”.
Yes, many of us take for granted what we have. More often than not, we only realize its worth when that something is no longer around.
The film depicts Shrek as as an utterly domesticated and completely overwhelmed family man.
There is a crushing, bewildering repetition to his daily life, so much so that he can't even take a mud bath in peace.
As devoted and loving as he is to his wife – Fiona and their three little kids, Shrek misses being the fearsome ogre he once was.
He is looked at by acquaintances and strangers alike as some sort of a sideshow attraction.
Shrek is finally driven to his breaking point during his kids' first birthday party when a pushy dad and his kid badger him to "do the roar."
His explosive outburst causes a scene that mortifies Fiona.
He snaps at her that he wishes things could go back to the way they used to be, when he was the boss of his own life and was left in peace.
And there, ready to make his wish come true is trickster Rumpelstiltskin who sets out to ensnare Shrek in a trap…
With Shrek, Fiona and Donkey at Arbat Street in Moscow in 2007.
One thing I gained after watching the movie Shrek Forever After is to appreciate what I have. Never mind about being among the ‘lucky people’ in Malaysia who have seen the movie even before it hit cinemas in most developed countries including the United Kingdom.
The American animated film was released just two days ago in cinemas in the United States and Canada. It is the fourth and final installment in the Shrek movie series.
While some reviews hinted that the latest movie was not as witty as the earlier ones, it is still funnier and more exciting.
I love the scene where Shrek sang “You’ve Got A Friend” when Donkey could not recall who he was.
But one particular line by Shrek that I remember most was when he said: “I didn't know what I had until it's gone”.
Yes, many of us take for granted what we have. More often than not, we only realize its worth when that something is no longer around.
The film depicts Shrek as as an utterly domesticated and completely overwhelmed family man.
There is a crushing, bewildering repetition to his daily life, so much so that he can't even take a mud bath in peace.
As devoted and loving as he is to his wife – Fiona and their three little kids, Shrek misses being the fearsome ogre he once was.
He is looked at by acquaintances and strangers alike as some sort of a sideshow attraction.
Shrek is finally driven to his breaking point during his kids' first birthday party when a pushy dad and his kid badger him to "do the roar."
His explosive outburst causes a scene that mortifies Fiona.
He snaps at her that he wishes things could go back to the way they used to be, when he was the boss of his own life and was left in peace.
And there, ready to make his wish come true is trickster Rumpelstiltskin who sets out to ensnare Shrek in a trap…
With Shrek, Fiona and Donkey at Arbat Street in Moscow in 2007.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
'Selamat Datang' to a top travel destination...
It was a difficult year for global tourism but Malaysia remained a prefered travel destination in 2009.The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) had in fact ranked Malaysia as the ninth most travelled to destination in the world last year.
Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen says the tourism industry contributed RM1 billion per week to the economy in 2009, providing employment to over one million Malaysians.
"It is the government's commitment to ensure that the Malaysian tourism industry continues to flourish and to provide the best tourism experience to tourists from all over the world," she said at the Colours of 1Malaysia 2010 programme at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur tonight.
The annual event, organised by the Tourism Ministry, was opened by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.
The vibrant "Colours of 1Malaysia" truly lived up to its tagline - Greatest Tourism Malaysia Parade.
It was interspersed with street performances to show off Malaysia's unique tourism products.
Among those featured were homestay, food and fruit fair, mega sales, shopping, beautiful beaches and resorts and eco-tourism.
Fireworks lit up the sky and the show began with a thunderous performance of a variety of drums which were reflected in “Gendang 1Malaysia”.
The jidor, Chinese, Indian, Sarawak and Sabah drums along with the kompang and rebana were used in the performance.
Other performances included a dikir barat, involving 5,500 participants, a performance which has been entered into the Malaysia Book Of Record as a show with the largest number of participants.
Dr Ng said the Colours of 1Malaysia was one of the country's signature events since 1999 and had contributed significantly in raising awareness worldwide about the nation's tourism products.
“It is a night of celebration, a night of sharing Malaysia's diverse culture and tourism products with all Malaysians and the world,” she said.
The parade of 6,000 participants from around the nation was telecast live in over 20 countries.
The night ended with the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia dance by more than 5,000 performers aimed at promoting peace and harmony.
Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen says the tourism industry contributed RM1 billion per week to the economy in 2009, providing employment to over one million Malaysians.
"It is the government's commitment to ensure that the Malaysian tourism industry continues to flourish and to provide the best tourism experience to tourists from all over the world," she said at the Colours of 1Malaysia 2010 programme at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur tonight.
The annual event, organised by the Tourism Ministry, was opened by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.
The vibrant "Colours of 1Malaysia" truly lived up to its tagline - Greatest Tourism Malaysia Parade.
It was interspersed with street performances to show off Malaysia's unique tourism products.
Among those featured were homestay, food and fruit fair, mega sales, shopping, beautiful beaches and resorts and eco-tourism.
Fireworks lit up the sky and the show began with a thunderous performance of a variety of drums which were reflected in “Gendang 1Malaysia”.
The jidor, Chinese, Indian, Sarawak and Sabah drums along with the kompang and rebana were used in the performance.
Other performances included a dikir barat, involving 5,500 participants, a performance which has been entered into the Malaysia Book Of Record as a show with the largest number of participants.
Dr Ng said the Colours of 1Malaysia was one of the country's signature events since 1999 and had contributed significantly in raising awareness worldwide about the nation's tourism products.
“It is a night of celebration, a night of sharing Malaysia's diverse culture and tourism products with all Malaysians and the world,” she said.
The parade of 6,000 participants from around the nation was telecast live in over 20 countries.
The night ended with the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia dance by more than 5,000 performers aimed at promoting peace and harmony.
Friday, May 21, 2010
No longer safe...
Public sector jobs are no longer considered “safe” as the Government and society now expect more from them, says the country’s top civil servant.
Chief Secretary to the Government Sidek Hassan says public officials are now forced to re-look at how they do business, including doing away with redundancies.
Merit has become very important in a globalised and competitive world.
“When I first joined 36 years ago, public service was not the best-paying job, but it was almost a ‘guaranteed’ job as long as you didn’t commit a big boo-boo until retirement,” he told reporters after delivering a talk at a leadership workshop organised by the Muslim Council of Britain in Kuala Lumpur today.
He says there is now higher expectation of the public sector and civil servants have no choice but to improve or be replaced.
“If you don’t perform, we will have to find better ways to make you perform. If we don’t do things as expected, other people will do those things.
“Where public sector jobs was once seen as ‘safe’, it is not the case anymore in Malaysia.
He also reminded high ranking officers in the civil service to make their contact details public so they are accessible by e-mail and phone.
“Complainants must receive a response within 48 hours. We engage all media – print and online alike.
“We need to clarify queries raised both through the media and complaints bureaus. In short, nothing is sacrosanct to probe and questioning.
Sidek says the public sector need to drive the private sector by setting higher standards of service delivery.
He warned against complacency although Malaysia now ranked 23 out of 185 countries in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, 24th in the World Economic Forum’s competitiveness ranking and 10th in the Swiss-based IMD competitive ranking.
“Although we are ahead of countries like China, Italy, New Zealand in our competitiveness, it is still not good enough,” says Sidek.
Chief Secretary to the Government Sidek Hassan says public officials are now forced to re-look at how they do business, including doing away with redundancies.
Merit has become very important in a globalised and competitive world.
“When I first joined 36 years ago, public service was not the best-paying job, but it was almost a ‘guaranteed’ job as long as you didn’t commit a big boo-boo until retirement,” he told reporters after delivering a talk at a leadership workshop organised by the Muslim Council of Britain in Kuala Lumpur today.
He says there is now higher expectation of the public sector and civil servants have no choice but to improve or be replaced.
“If you don’t perform, we will have to find better ways to make you perform. If we don’t do things as expected, other people will do those things.
“Where public sector jobs was once seen as ‘safe’, it is not the case anymore in Malaysia.
He also reminded high ranking officers in the civil service to make their contact details public so they are accessible by e-mail and phone.
“Complainants must receive a response within 48 hours. We engage all media – print and online alike.
“We need to clarify queries raised both through the media and complaints bureaus. In short, nothing is sacrosanct to probe and questioning.
Sidek says the public sector need to drive the private sector by setting higher standards of service delivery.
He warned against complacency although Malaysia now ranked 23 out of 185 countries in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, 24th in the World Economic Forum’s competitiveness ranking and 10th in the Swiss-based IMD competitive ranking.
“Although we are ahead of countries like China, Italy, New Zealand in our competitiveness, it is still not good enough,” says Sidek.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Time to reflect .....
Clad in yellow t-shirts, 96 Bernama staff trod the various floors in Wisma Bernama looking for answers in a treasure hunt to celebrate Bernama's 42nd anniversary today.
Divided into 24 teams -- up from 18 last year, the participants had to tackle 35 mind-boggling questions.
The answers were ‘hidden’ in signages, frames and photos on the walls and along the corridors.
Even the automated teller machine (ATM) and a fund-raising box in the lobby made into the list of questions.
Making the occasion a joyous one, teams that produced ‘funny’ answers were also ‘rewarded’ with hampers.
While the search for answers occupied the minds of the participants during the hour-and-a-half long hunt, Bernama chairman Abdul Rahman Sulaiman said the anniversary was a timely occasion for Bernama to do some soul-searching.
Are we satisfied with what we are doing?
Can we fit into the present environment where the new media is a challenge for the traditional media in the dissemination of news?
How can we attract the IT-savvy young Malaysians who are turning to the internet for their news supply either from blogs or social networking platforms.
“To stay relevant, we must be prepared to change,” said Rahman in his ‘maiden speech’ to the staff since becoming chairman before presenting prizes to the winning teams.
But in doing so, he said Bernama must not forget the objective of its formation in 1967 – ten years after the country’s Independence.
Bernama’s services to subscribers especially in Sabah and Sarawak was vital to meet the spirit of national integration.
Spearheaded by the Father of Independence – Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the idea of setting-up Malaysia’s own news agency was crucial so as to relay government policies to the whole nation. It was to be what Antara was to Indonesia.
Having our own news agency was further justified to reduce dependency on the ‘Big Four” – United Press International, Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Presse – which then controlled over 80 per cent of global news flow.
The debate for a New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) was gaining momentum then over media representations of the developing world, who sought for more equitable and balanced news coverage.
Bernama was set-up on August 30, 1967 by an Act of Parliament and began operations on May 20,1968 from a now-demolished government bungalow, not far from Wisma Bernama.
From a pioneer team of seven at the start of its operation, Bernama now has some 600 staff.
In its first phase of operations, coverage was confined to Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas. Within a year of its operation, the agency established bureaus in Pulau Pinang, Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
The third phase launched in 1970/1971, provided coverage for the whole nation with a network of state correspondents and stringers.
This was followed by the setting-up of overseas buraeus in Jakarta and Bangkok and the introduction of specialised services -- Economic Service and the Features and Foreign News Service.
Charting the progress of Bernama from a news agency to a multimedia organisation, Rahman said Bernama should strive to seek a balance between commercial need and maintaining professionalism.
“We have to make money and at the same time serve our subscribers.
“This would require creative and innovative ideas,” says Rahman, whose appointment as Bernama chairman on Feb 1, could be described as the Malay saying of “sirih pulang ke gagang” (back to the grove).
After working as a radio reporter with RTM, he joined Bernama in 1971 and rose to become Editor-in-Chief before opting for retirement in 1995 to contest in the general election as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Parit Buntar Parliamentary constituency.
Although he was not among the seven pioneer staff, Rahman has an emotional attachment with Bernama as he was involved in the structuring of the editorial operations.
His illustrious career in the agency spanned from being the bureau chief in Johor (1971–1972), correspondent in Thailand and Indochina (1976-1978), chief sub-editor (1978 - 1979), chief news editor (1979 – 1980), Editor Domestic News Service (1983-1984) and eventually to Editor-in-Chief (1989-1995).
On Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s call today for the media to be the Government’s partner in efforts to bring greater transformation to the country, Rahman said being a government agency, it was only logical for Bernama to carry out that responsibility.
This would mean explaining to the people the 1Malaysia concept, New Economic Model and Government Transformation Programme, among other things.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad’s new headquarters at Jalan Chan Sow Lin, Najib said the media must give priority to news that was more knowledge-oriented so that the society could think in a more intellectual and objective manner.
“I know that journalism in the West would stress that conflict sells stories but don’t be obsessed with sensational stories because we want the nation to achieve physical success and intellectualism,” he said.
Divided into 24 teams -- up from 18 last year, the participants had to tackle 35 mind-boggling questions.
The answers were ‘hidden’ in signages, frames and photos on the walls and along the corridors.
Even the automated teller machine (ATM) and a fund-raising box in the lobby made into the list of questions.
Making the occasion a joyous one, teams that produced ‘funny’ answers were also ‘rewarded’ with hampers.
While the search for answers occupied the minds of the participants during the hour-and-a-half long hunt, Bernama chairman Abdul Rahman Sulaiman said the anniversary was a timely occasion for Bernama to do some soul-searching.
Are we satisfied with what we are doing?
Can we fit into the present environment where the new media is a challenge for the traditional media in the dissemination of news?
How can we attract the IT-savvy young Malaysians who are turning to the internet for their news supply either from blogs or social networking platforms.
“To stay relevant, we must be prepared to change,” said Rahman in his ‘maiden speech’ to the staff since becoming chairman before presenting prizes to the winning teams.
But in doing so, he said Bernama must not forget the objective of its formation in 1967 – ten years after the country’s Independence.
Bernama’s services to subscribers especially in Sabah and Sarawak was vital to meet the spirit of national integration.
Spearheaded by the Father of Independence – Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the idea of setting-up Malaysia’s own news agency was crucial so as to relay government policies to the whole nation. It was to be what Antara was to Indonesia.
Having our own news agency was further justified to reduce dependency on the ‘Big Four” – United Press International, Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Presse – which then controlled over 80 per cent of global news flow.
The debate for a New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) was gaining momentum then over media representations of the developing world, who sought for more equitable and balanced news coverage.
Bernama was set-up on August 30, 1967 by an Act of Parliament and began operations on May 20,1968 from a now-demolished government bungalow, not far from Wisma Bernama.
From a pioneer team of seven at the start of its operation, Bernama now has some 600 staff.
In its first phase of operations, coverage was confined to Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas. Within a year of its operation, the agency established bureaus in Pulau Pinang, Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
The third phase launched in 1970/1971, provided coverage for the whole nation with a network of state correspondents and stringers.
This was followed by the setting-up of overseas buraeus in Jakarta and Bangkok and the introduction of specialised services -- Economic Service and the Features and Foreign News Service.
Charting the progress of Bernama from a news agency to a multimedia organisation, Rahman said Bernama should strive to seek a balance between commercial need and maintaining professionalism.
“We have to make money and at the same time serve our subscribers.
“This would require creative and innovative ideas,” says Rahman, whose appointment as Bernama chairman on Feb 1, could be described as the Malay saying of “sirih pulang ke gagang” (back to the grove).
After working as a radio reporter with RTM, he joined Bernama in 1971 and rose to become Editor-in-Chief before opting for retirement in 1995 to contest in the general election as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Parit Buntar Parliamentary constituency.
Although he was not among the seven pioneer staff, Rahman has an emotional attachment with Bernama as he was involved in the structuring of the editorial operations.
His illustrious career in the agency spanned from being the bureau chief in Johor (1971–1972), correspondent in Thailand and Indochina (1976-1978), chief sub-editor (1978 - 1979), chief news editor (1979 – 1980), Editor Domestic News Service (1983-1984) and eventually to Editor-in-Chief (1989-1995).
On Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s call today for the media to be the Government’s partner in efforts to bring greater transformation to the country, Rahman said being a government agency, it was only logical for Bernama to carry out that responsibility.
This would mean explaining to the people the 1Malaysia concept, New Economic Model and Government Transformation Programme, among other things.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad’s new headquarters at Jalan Chan Sow Lin, Najib said the media must give priority to news that was more knowledge-oriented so that the society could think in a more intellectual and objective manner.
“I know that journalism in the West would stress that conflict sells stories but don’t be obsessed with sensational stories because we want the nation to achieve physical success and intellectualism,” he said.
Congrats for excellent service …
In conjunction with Bernama’s 42nd anniversary, the agency presented Excellent Service Award to SSM and commercial staff.
It is an appreciation to them who have exceeded expectations in their duties and gone beyond the normal responsibilities of the job.
Evaluations are conducted annually.
Each recipient of the Excellent Service Award receives a certificate and a cash prize of RM1,000. The roll of honour for 2009:
It is an appreciation to them who have exceeded expectations in their duties and gone beyond the normal responsibilities of the job.
Evaluations are conducted annually.
Each recipient of the Excellent Service Award receives a certificate and a cash prize of RM1,000. The roll of honour for 2009:
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Xiong Ping says goodbye ...
After slightly more than four years in Malaysia, Xinhua's chief correspondent Xiong Ping is leaving for home. As he bids farewell to contacts and friends, the senior journalist will take home with him lots of memories about Malaysia.
He is leaving at a time when China had just celebrated its Thomas Cup victory -- the most prestigious prize in badminton. They beat Indonesia in the final after stopping home team Malaysia in the semi-final.
Asked what he would miss most, he says simply: "The blue skies, white clouds and all-year round summer".
His successor Yan Liang had spent the last one-and-a-half years in Kabul as Xinhua's correspondent.
"The experience is unforgettable," says Yan.
Apart from our cooperation under the Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA), Bernama and Xinhua have had a close relation. While Xinhua has its bureau in Kuala Lumpur, Bernama has a correspondent in Beijing.
Xiong Ping (left) bids farewell as he introduces his successor Yan Liang when they dropped by at Bernama today.
He is leaving at a time when China had just celebrated its Thomas Cup victory -- the most prestigious prize in badminton. They beat Indonesia in the final after stopping home team Malaysia in the semi-final.
Asked what he would miss most, he says simply: "The blue skies, white clouds and all-year round summer".
His successor Yan Liang had spent the last one-and-a-half years in Kabul as Xinhua's correspondent.
"The experience is unforgettable," says Yan.
Apart from our cooperation under the Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA), Bernama and Xinhua have had a close relation. While Xinhua has its bureau in Kuala Lumpur, Bernama has a correspondent in Beijing.
Xiong Ping (left) bids farewell as he introduces his successor Yan Liang when they dropped by at Bernama today.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Broadening regional contacts...
A group of eight information officers – four each from Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, got to know more about Bernama during their visit today as we broadened our regional networking.
The visit was part of their four-day familiarisation programme organized by Malaysia’s Information Department.
Just a month ago, a group of senior officers from Brunei’s Information Department visited Bernama and requested to send their editorial staff and photographers for short photo-journalism courses.
An interesting question was raised during the briefing by one of the visitors who wanted to know why Bernama send a reporter to an event when other media representatives were present.
Being the national news agency, our subscribers are varied and widespread.
An important role of Bernama that is often overlook is being the ‘bridge’ in supplying news to our subscribers in Sabah and Sarawak and vice-versa -- in the true spirit of ‘1 Malaysia’.
The visit was part of their four-day familiarisation programme organized by Malaysia’s Information Department.
Just a month ago, a group of senior officers from Brunei’s Information Department visited Bernama and requested to send their editorial staff and photographers for short photo-journalism courses.
An interesting question was raised during the briefing by one of the visitors who wanted to know why Bernama send a reporter to an event when other media representatives were present.
Being the national news agency, our subscribers are varied and widespread.
An important role of Bernama that is often overlook is being the ‘bridge’ in supplying news to our subscribers in Sabah and Sarawak and vice-versa -- in the true spirit of ‘1 Malaysia’.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Of the KLIA mosque …
For many first-time visitors to Malaysia, the Sultan Abdul Samad Mosque is a lasting impression.
In fact, it is the first impression of Malaysia from the air other than the KL International Airport (KLIA) for a large number of them.
With its distinctive location on the eastern part of the KLIA, the mosque is a symbolic landmark that greets visitors to the country.
Come August 25, the blue-and-green dome mosque will mark the 10th anniversary of its opening.
Construction began in August 1997 and completed two years later.
Apart from local residents and airport employees, the mosque serves travellers plying the highway to and from the airport. It can accommodate up to 8,000 people.
The design of the mosque was envisaged to complement the overall nature theme of KLIA being "The building in the forest and the forest in the building".
In fact, it is the first impression of Malaysia from the air other than the KL International Airport (KLIA) for a large number of them.
With its distinctive location on the eastern part of the KLIA, the mosque is a symbolic landmark that greets visitors to the country.
Come August 25, the blue-and-green dome mosque will mark the 10th anniversary of its opening.
Construction began in August 1997 and completed two years later.
Apart from local residents and airport employees, the mosque serves travellers plying the highway to and from the airport. It can accommodate up to 8,000 people.
The design of the mosque was envisaged to complement the overall nature theme of KLIA being "The building in the forest and the forest in the building".
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Eco-friendly JICA seeks feedback from Malaysians...
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) started engaging with Malaysia in 1966 when it first provided technical cooperation. Since then, some 10,000 Malaysians have gone to Japan for training under JICA’s programme. The agency has also sent 3,000 experts to Malaysia who stayed in the country for more than a year.
The JICA Malaysia office was opened in 1975 and undertook the first training programme for the Look East Policy in 1982.
But despite its long involvement in the country, JICA’s Chief Representative in Malaysia Tsutomu Nagae says Malaysians still do not know the agency well.
"We’d like to know what Malaysians feel about our activities," he said during his visit to Wisma Bernama.
Nagae, who was a JICA volunteer himself in Kota Kinabalu 30 years ago, says the agency has provided 920 billion Yen (or RM30 billion) to implement 74 projects in Malaysia.
Being eco-friendly, JICA is prepared to join hands with local companies and government agencies to promote green technology in the country.
Nagae says JICA could provide appropriate financial and technical assistance in green technology which has the potential to become an important sector in Malaysia's economic development.
As part of its social reasponsibility, the agency is promoting social participation for persons with disabilities. It had organized a drawing exhibition by people with disabilities with the support from a leading shopping center-chain.
JICA collected more than 500 drawings from several handicapped homes and displayed the drawings to let the shopping centre customers pick their favourite.
Ten winning drawings were then selected and printed on reusable shopping bags which are now on sale at the shopping centre chain.
The funds generated from the sale will be contributed to the selected homes and centres for persons with physical disabilities that participated in the drawing exhibition.
JICA says the collaboration is a marriage between doing good for the handicapped people and doing good for the environmental protection.
The bag is made from a durable, light-weight and water-resistant material. It is suitable to replace the disposable platics bags. Using one of the bag, replaces the usage of 200 to 500 disposable plastic bags.
The JICA Malaysia office was opened in 1975 and undertook the first training programme for the Look East Policy in 1982.
But despite its long involvement in the country, JICA’s Chief Representative in Malaysia Tsutomu Nagae says Malaysians still do not know the agency well.
"We’d like to know what Malaysians feel about our activities," he said during his visit to Wisma Bernama.
Nagae, who was a JICA volunteer himself in Kota Kinabalu 30 years ago, says the agency has provided 920 billion Yen (or RM30 billion) to implement 74 projects in Malaysia.
Being eco-friendly, JICA is prepared to join hands with local companies and government agencies to promote green technology in the country.
Nagae says JICA could provide appropriate financial and technical assistance in green technology which has the potential to become an important sector in Malaysia's economic development.
As part of its social reasponsibility, the agency is promoting social participation for persons with disabilities. It had organized a drawing exhibition by people with disabilities with the support from a leading shopping center-chain.
JICA collected more than 500 drawings from several handicapped homes and displayed the drawings to let the shopping centre customers pick their favourite.
Ten winning drawings were then selected and printed on reusable shopping bags which are now on sale at the shopping centre chain.
The funds generated from the sale will be contributed to the selected homes and centres for persons with physical disabilities that participated in the drawing exhibition.
JICA says the collaboration is a marriage between doing good for the handicapped people and doing good for the environmental protection.
The bag is made from a durable, light-weight and water-resistant material. It is suitable to replace the disposable platics bags. Using one of the bag, replaces the usage of 200 to 500 disposable plastic bags.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Bernama wins library excellence award ...
Bernama Informaton Centre and Library (InfoLib) made the agency proud when it emerges among three winners of the country’s Library Excellence Award 2009 presented today.
Bernama InfoLib came out top for the small library category, the Tun Abdul Razak Library of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam in the large library category, and the Malay Documentation Centre of Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (DBP) in the category for medium-sized libraries.
The winners received their awards from the National Library of Malaysia (PNM) director-general Raslin Abu Bakar in conjunction with the annual general meeting of the Librarians Association of Malaysia.
Bernama was represented by general manager Hasnul Hassan.
Bernama InfoLib information manager Hasnita Ibrahim says the award will inspire the staff to be more creative in presenting and disseminating information.
This is in line with the effort of making Bernama InfoLib as a one-stopcentre for information.
She says participating in the competition for the first time was not too difficult as Bernama InfoLib already possessed the collection of information to meet the criteria.
Started in 2005, the award winners are picked based on their creative and innovative ways of presenting information to attract users.
Their good collection of information material and facilities are also considered.
Bernama InfoLib came out top for the small library category, the Tun Abdul Razak Library of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam in the large library category, and the Malay Documentation Centre of Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (DBP) in the category for medium-sized libraries.
The winners received their awards from the National Library of Malaysia (PNM) director-general Raslin Abu Bakar in conjunction with the annual general meeting of the Librarians Association of Malaysia.
Bernama was represented by general manager Hasnul Hassan.
Bernama InfoLib information manager Hasnita Ibrahim says the award will inspire the staff to be more creative in presenting and disseminating information.
This is in line with the effort of making Bernama InfoLib as a one-stopcentre for information.
She says participating in the competition for the first time was not too difficult as Bernama InfoLib already possessed the collection of information to meet the criteria.
Started in 2005, the award winners are picked based on their creative and innovative ways of presenting information to attract users.
Their good collection of information material and facilities are also considered.
Then and now ....
In 1974, we were like this ...
Yesterday, when a few of us turned up to honour 'Ibu', we were like this ...
A picture or two do tell a thousand words.....
Yesterday, when a few of us turned up to honour 'Ibu', we were like this ...
A picture or two do tell a thousand words.....
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Bad's masterpiece ...
Badrul Hisham A.Aziz stayed up late to complete this 'sajak' for Ibu. The former Hulu Langat Member of Parliament could not hold back emotion when he chokingly delivered his masterpiece.
It was a beautiful composition, so well-written that I just have to reproduced it here.
IBU - Inilah Bingkisan Untukmu
I B U
Inilah Bingkisan Untukmu
IBU
Inilah Buah Usahamu
IBU
Ikhlasmu Bukan Untukmu
Ikhlasmu Bukan Ungkitan
Ikhlasmu Bekalan Untukku
Ikhlasmu Barakah Usiaku
IBU
Ibu Berkhidmat Untukku
Ibu Berjasa Usaha
Ibu Bersimpul Urat
Ibu Berkorban Usia
IBU
Ini Bukan Ungkitan
Ini Bukan Upahan
Ini Bukan Usikan
IBU
Inilah Banggaan Untukmu
Ingat Balasan Untukmu
Indahnya Belaian Unggul
Insaf Bersama Usia
IBU
Inilah Bangsa Usahamu
Ikrar Bantu Umat
Ikut Belaian Unjurmu
Ikut Bicara Urusan
IBU
I B U H A L I M A H
Hendak Aku Limpah Ingatan Menghimbau Awal Hidupku
Henti Air Linangan Imbas Mengenang Asrama Hingar
Harapan Agar Luput Igauan Mengusik Amannya Hidup
Halimah Ada Lipur Interaksi Menyelesai Apa-apa Halangan
IBU
Kaulah ibu dari usiaku 12 tahun
Ibu kandung pergi tanpa kembali sembilan tahun kemudian
Ibulah pengganti umi - hingga kini
Semasa sakit, Ibulah mengheret daku ke HBKL
Tatkala istirehat di Ampang Puteri, Ibulah yang muncul diri
Ibu inilah lah yang menyuap nasi….
Ibu inilah memicit kaki…sedangkan dia sendiri sukar berdiri
Tatkala di puncak jaya usahaku direstui
Doanya sering mengiringi
Mengingatkan daku jangan lupa diri
Bantu rakan-rakan yang kurang menjadi
Akhir bicara daripada anakmu ini
Kasih sayangmu kami hargai
Pesanan dan didikan jadi akujanji
Mustahil kan kami lupai
Biar putus bak tali
IBU TERSAYANG TETAP DI HATI KAMI…………….
PANJANG USIA JUMPA LAGI
Curahan hati LT. KOL (PA) BADRUL HISHAM ABD AZIZ, DPMS, ASa, PhD
Khas untuk Ibu Halimah Karnawi sempena Hari Ibu 9 Mei 2010
It was a beautiful composition, so well-written that I just have to reproduced it here.
IBU - Inilah Bingkisan Untukmu
I B U
Inilah Bingkisan Untukmu
IBU
Inilah Buah Usahamu
IBU
Ikhlasmu Bukan Untukmu
Ikhlasmu Bukan Ungkitan
Ikhlasmu Bekalan Untukku
Ikhlasmu Barakah Usiaku
IBU
Ibu Berkhidmat Untukku
Ibu Berjasa Usaha
Ibu Bersimpul Urat
Ibu Berkorban Usia
IBU
Ini Bukan Ungkitan
Ini Bukan Upahan
Ini Bukan Usikan
IBU
Inilah Banggaan Untukmu
Ingat Balasan Untukmu
Indahnya Belaian Unggul
Insaf Bersama Usia
IBU
Inilah Bangsa Usahamu
Ikrar Bantu Umat
Ikut Belaian Unjurmu
Ikut Bicara Urusan
IBU
I B U H A L I M A H
Hendak Aku Limpah Ingatan Menghimbau Awal Hidupku
Henti Air Linangan Imbas Mengenang Asrama Hingar
Harapan Agar Luput Igauan Mengusik Amannya Hidup
Halimah Ada Lipur Interaksi Menyelesai Apa-apa Halangan
IBU
Kaulah ibu dari usiaku 12 tahun
Ibu kandung pergi tanpa kembali sembilan tahun kemudian
Ibulah pengganti umi - hingga kini
Semasa sakit, Ibulah mengheret daku ke HBKL
Tatkala istirehat di Ampang Puteri, Ibulah yang muncul diri
Ibu inilah lah yang menyuap nasi….
Ibu inilah memicit kaki…sedangkan dia sendiri sukar berdiri
Tatkala di puncak jaya usahaku direstui
Doanya sering mengiringi
Mengingatkan daku jangan lupa diri
Bantu rakan-rakan yang kurang menjadi
Akhir bicara daripada anakmu ini
Kasih sayangmu kami hargai
Pesanan dan didikan jadi akujanji
Mustahil kan kami lupai
Biar putus bak tali
IBU TERSAYANG TETAP DI HATI KAMI…………….
PANJANG USIA JUMPA LAGI
Curahan hati LT. KOL (PA) BADRUL HISHAM ABD AZIZ, DPMS, ASa, PhD
Khas untuk Ibu Halimah Karnawi sempena Hari Ibu 9 Mei 2010
A tribute to 'Ibu'
She is and will always be our ‘Ibu’ (Mother). We will never forget how she stood up for us when we got into trouble. When one of us fell sick, she took him to hospital. She even kept him company, without fail, during visiting hours throughout his hospital stay.
She went out of her way to meet our request for the food we wanted. It was not cheap to have the food laid on the table. Once, she had the cook fry eggs from 9am to 3 in the afternoon just to serve us boys.
‘Sardin sambal tumis’ and ‘labu masak lemak’ were the favourite for most of us then as she recalled today when we gathered to honour her for ‘Mother’s Day’.
She had not seen many of us for years but she still remembered their names. She even remembers what or how they were like those days.
She was close to us for she had brought us up in her own special ways. She was our mother -- not to one or two but hundreds of us!
She is Halimah Karnawi – our ‘Ibu’ -- officially the hostel matron. Although the hostel – Asrama Dr Latif(ADL) is history – demolished and gone – to make way for a flood mitigation and a highway project, the memories remain in our hearts.
The ‘hi-tea’ event today is special in many ways. Though wheel-chair bound, ‘Ibu’ took the trouble to be with us.
“I just have to come to see you all,” she says with a tinge of happiness – tears welling in her eyes.
‘Ibu’ is 80 but as Nazam – the emcee for the day remarked -- her ‘memory card’ is tremendous!
The evening was also special because we had our ‘ustaz’ (religious teacher) – someone many of us have not seen for over three decades since we left school.
Ustaz Shaifuddin Yasin has this ability to recognize many of us just by the way we walked and some by their smell!
“It’s true, I can know them just by their smell,” he said and recalled the various nicknames that we had.
“Even now, I smile on my own when I recall the students of ADL and my wife would wonder why,” says Ustaz, now 66. He even sang an old favourite – “Kenanganku” , giving us a hint of his singing prowess.
The event was also special because it was the first time that we were able to get together after our buddy Aziz Shahrin took the effort to organize a grouping of former ADL hostelites. His ‘never say no’ attitude is showing progress.
For a start, our proposed name – Asrama Dr Latiff Alumni Network (ADLAN) – has been accepted by the Regisrar of Societies.
The hostel took in the first batch of students in 1971 – thanks to the vision of former Selangor Menteri Besar, the late Datuk Harun Idris.
Through his efforts, students from the various districts in Selangor who did well in their Stardard Five assessment examination held nation-wide were offered places to pursue their secondary education in Kuala Lumpur either at the Victoria Institution, St John’s Institution or Methodist Boys School.
As Protem committee chairman Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Jamil Maah paid tribute to Datuk Harun, he said it is now “pay back” time for us to serve the society.
“Although the hostel is gone, the spirit remains and let’s keep it alive,” says the University Malaya Deputy Vice-Chancellor, who was among the first batch of form four students in 1971.
Others who turned up today include Director-General of Valuation and Property Services Datuk Abdullah Thalith Md. Thani, Bursa Malaysia CEO Datuk Yusli Yusoff, Chemical Company of Malaysia Group Managing Director Datuk Dr Mohd Hashim Tajudin and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM) Head of Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Prof Dr Abdullah Sani Mohamed. Former Hulu Langat Member of Parliament Datuk Badrul Hisham Abdul Aziz recited a self-penned, choking ‘sajak’ entitled ‘Ibu’.
She went out of her way to meet our request for the food we wanted. It was not cheap to have the food laid on the table. Once, she had the cook fry eggs from 9am to 3 in the afternoon just to serve us boys.
‘Sardin sambal tumis’ and ‘labu masak lemak’ were the favourite for most of us then as she recalled today when we gathered to honour her for ‘Mother’s Day’.
She had not seen many of us for years but she still remembered their names. She even remembers what or how they were like those days.
She was close to us for she had brought us up in her own special ways. She was our mother -- not to one or two but hundreds of us!
She is Halimah Karnawi – our ‘Ibu’ -- officially the hostel matron. Although the hostel – Asrama Dr Latif(ADL) is history – demolished and gone – to make way for a flood mitigation and a highway project, the memories remain in our hearts.
The ‘hi-tea’ event today is special in many ways. Though wheel-chair bound, ‘Ibu’ took the trouble to be with us.
“I just have to come to see you all,” she says with a tinge of happiness – tears welling in her eyes.
‘Ibu’ is 80 but as Nazam – the emcee for the day remarked -- her ‘memory card’ is tremendous!
The evening was also special because we had our ‘ustaz’ (religious teacher) – someone many of us have not seen for over three decades since we left school.
Ustaz Shaifuddin Yasin has this ability to recognize many of us just by the way we walked and some by their smell!
“It’s true, I can know them just by their smell,” he said and recalled the various nicknames that we had.
“Even now, I smile on my own when I recall the students of ADL and my wife would wonder why,” says Ustaz, now 66. He even sang an old favourite – “Kenanganku” , giving us a hint of his singing prowess.
The event was also special because it was the first time that we were able to get together after our buddy Aziz Shahrin took the effort to organize a grouping of former ADL hostelites. His ‘never say no’ attitude is showing progress.
For a start, our proposed name – Asrama Dr Latiff Alumni Network (ADLAN) – has been accepted by the Regisrar of Societies.
The hostel took in the first batch of students in 1971 – thanks to the vision of former Selangor Menteri Besar, the late Datuk Harun Idris.
Through his efforts, students from the various districts in Selangor who did well in their Stardard Five assessment examination held nation-wide were offered places to pursue their secondary education in Kuala Lumpur either at the Victoria Institution, St John’s Institution or Methodist Boys School.
As Protem committee chairman Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Jamil Maah paid tribute to Datuk Harun, he said it is now “pay back” time for us to serve the society.
“Although the hostel is gone, the spirit remains and let’s keep it alive,” says the University Malaya Deputy Vice-Chancellor, who was among the first batch of form four students in 1971.
Others who turned up today include Director-General of Valuation and Property Services Datuk Abdullah Thalith Md. Thani, Bursa Malaysia CEO Datuk Yusli Yusoff, Chemical Company of Malaysia Group Managing Director Datuk Dr Mohd Hashim Tajudin and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM) Head of Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Prof Dr Abdullah Sani Mohamed. Former Hulu Langat Member of Parliament Datuk Badrul Hisham Abdul Aziz recited a self-penned, choking ‘sajak’ entitled ‘Ibu’.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
EU engages the Malaysian media …
To mark Europe Day, the “national” day of the European Union, the EU delegation office in Kuala Lumpur organized a luncheon between the 17 EU ambassadors in Malaysia and senior representatives of the Malaysian media.
Head of EU delegation Vincent Piket says the union wants to step up relations with Malaysia as part of their expanding relations with Southeast Asia.
"And because we recognize that, to realize that goal, it is vital to have close and open working relations with the media," he said.
With 27 member states presently and close to 500 million citizens, the EU says it deserves attention.
"Over the past 53 years, the EU has become the most advanced project for regional integration the world has seen so far. It is one of Malaysia’s most important trade partners.
And over the past decade, Malaysia and the EU have engaged politically at bilateral level, to promote stability and integration in Southeast Asia, and to address global issues," says Piket.
Dutch ambassador Paul Bekkers addressed the luncheon on Economy, Danish ambassador Svend Waever on Environment and Austrian ambassador Andrea Wicke on Values.
Spanish ambassador Jose Ramon Baranano gave the closing remarks as the EU Presidency-in-Office.
Footnote: During their summit in Milan in 1985, EU leaders decided to celebrate 9 May as Europe Day. Today, Europe Day is an annual celebration of the diversity of cultures within Europe and provides an opportunity to learn more about the European Union
Head of EU delegation Vincent Piket says the union wants to step up relations with Malaysia as part of their expanding relations with Southeast Asia.
"And because we recognize that, to realize that goal, it is vital to have close and open working relations with the media," he said.
With 27 member states presently and close to 500 million citizens, the EU says it deserves attention.
"Over the past 53 years, the EU has become the most advanced project for regional integration the world has seen so far. It is one of Malaysia’s most important trade partners.
And over the past decade, Malaysia and the EU have engaged politically at bilateral level, to promote stability and integration in Southeast Asia, and to address global issues," says Piket.
Dutch ambassador Paul Bekkers addressed the luncheon on Economy, Danish ambassador Svend Waever on Environment and Austrian ambassador Andrea Wicke on Values.
Spanish ambassador Jose Ramon Baranano gave the closing remarks as the EU Presidency-in-Office.
Footnote: During their summit in Milan in 1985, EU leaders decided to celebrate 9 May as Europe Day. Today, Europe Day is an annual celebration of the diversity of cultures within Europe and provides an opportunity to learn more about the European Union
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Malaysian media directory...
A directory of the Malaysian media has been published -- thanks to the Information Department.
The 755-page directory not only list out "Who's Who" in the various print and electronic media organisations but also press secretaries of all ministers and public relations officers of government ministries and agencies.
The directory also contained contact information foreign media correspondents based in Kuala Lumpur. Even magazines, journals and prominent local news portal were not left out.
It is the first-time that such a thick directory has been published.
The department says: "The 2010 PUBLIC MEDIA DIRECTORY is published to assist users in locating media practitioners in various government departments, media agencies and other relevant organizations".
For more information:
Media and Corporate Communication Division
Department of Information Malaysia
12th Floor, East
Wisma Sime Darby,
Jalan Raja Laut
50350 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: 03-21734400/4600
Fax: 03-21734554
The Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) too has painstakingly took the effort to published a directory of "Who's Who" in the Malaysian media. The directory is also available on its website http//mpi.com.my .
MPI chief executive Chamil Wariya hopes the 2011 edition would be more comprehensive.
The 755-page directory not only list out "Who's Who" in the various print and electronic media organisations but also press secretaries of all ministers and public relations officers of government ministries and agencies.
The directory also contained contact information foreign media correspondents based in Kuala Lumpur. Even magazines, journals and prominent local news portal were not left out.
It is the first-time that such a thick directory has been published.
The department says: "The 2010 PUBLIC MEDIA DIRECTORY is published to assist users in locating media practitioners in various government departments, media agencies and other relevant organizations".
For more information:
Media and Corporate Communication Division
Department of Information Malaysia
12th Floor, East
Wisma Sime Darby,
Jalan Raja Laut
50350 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: 03-21734400/4600
Fax: 03-21734554
The Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) too has painstakingly took the effort to published a directory of "Who's Who" in the Malaysian media. The directory is also available on its website http//mpi.com.my .
MPI chief executive Chamil Wariya hopes the 2011 edition would be more comprehensive.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Strong endorsement for proposed Bernama-Antara summit...
The proposed summit between the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Indonesian News Agency (Antara) will be held before the end of the year.
Malaysia’s Information, Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim and Indonesia’s Communication and Informatics Minister Tifatul Sembiring gave the nod when the proposal was presented to them among a host of new initiatives to enhance bilateral cooperation.
"They will discuss the suitable programmes that both news agencies can work together on,” he told a media conference at the end of the 10th Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Committee Meeting on Information and Communication at the Craft Complex in Kuala Lumpur.
The two agencies also agreed to produced talk shows that would feature influential personalities and highlight current issues faced by both countries.
"For instance, we may invite my Indonesian counterpart to speak to Malaysians through our media channels. This will prevent sensitive issues from getting out of control," says Dr Rais.
Bernama and Antara will also exchange video clips and documentary films they produced.
They will also cooperate in launching Antara TV that could modelled Bernama TV round-the-clock all news channel. Antara TV currently operates as content provider for other TV stations in Indonesia.
Both parties concur that TV Antara could help realize the TV Nusantara vision that would further strengthen the Malay language as the lingua franca of the region.
Malaysia’s Information, Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim and Indonesia’s Communication and Informatics Minister Tifatul Sembiring gave the nod when the proposal was presented to them among a host of new initiatives to enhance bilateral cooperation.
"They will discuss the suitable programmes that both news agencies can work together on,” he told a media conference at the end of the 10th Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Committee Meeting on Information and Communication at the Craft Complex in Kuala Lumpur.
The two agencies also agreed to produced talk shows that would feature influential personalities and highlight current issues faced by both countries.
"For instance, we may invite my Indonesian counterpart to speak to Malaysians through our media channels. This will prevent sensitive issues from getting out of control," says Dr Rais.
Bernama and Antara will also exchange video clips and documentary films they produced.
They will also cooperate in launching Antara TV that could modelled Bernama TV round-the-clock all news channel. Antara TV currently operates as content provider for other TV stations in Indonesia.
Both parties concur that TV Antara could help realize the TV Nusantara vision that would further strengthen the Malay language as the lingua franca of the region.
Monday, May 03, 2010
A new milestone...
Malaysian and Indonesian senior officials got down to discuss efforts to strengthen cooperation in the information and communication sectors.
The Malaysian side was led by Information, Communication and Culture Ministry Secretary General Kamaruddin Siaraf while Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Informatics Secretary General Dr Basuki Yusuf Iskandar led his delegation.
Both had gone to the same university -- Vanderbilt University in the United States although Kamaruddin was there much earlier.
That alone set a conducive start to the talks aimed at reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding on Information signed by both countries in 1984. The review was necessary with the expansion of the Malaysian ministry to include the communications and culture sectors.
While Kamaruddin said the talks would enable them to take into account the new perspective, Basuki regarded the meeting as a new milestone in enhancing the cooperation.
Activities that have been implemented include exchange of radio and television news, production of radio and television programmes, production of drama and films, and exchange programmes for information officers, media practitioners and technical personnel.
Decisions made by the senior officials will be forwarded to the ministerial-level meeting tomorrow. Malaysian Information, Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim is scheduled to the Indonesian Communication and Informatics Minister Tifatul Sembiring tomorrow.
The Malaysian side was led by Information, Communication and Culture Ministry Secretary General Kamaruddin Siaraf while Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Informatics Secretary General Dr Basuki Yusuf Iskandar led his delegation.
Both had gone to the same university -- Vanderbilt University in the United States although Kamaruddin was there much earlier.
That alone set a conducive start to the talks aimed at reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding on Information signed by both countries in 1984. The review was necessary with the expansion of the Malaysian ministry to include the communications and culture sectors.
While Kamaruddin said the talks would enable them to take into account the new perspective, Basuki regarded the meeting as a new milestone in enhancing the cooperation.
Activities that have been implemented include exchange of radio and television news, production of radio and television programmes, production of drama and films, and exchange programmes for information officers, media practitioners and technical personnel.
Decisions made by the senior officials will be forwarded to the ministerial-level meeting tomorrow. Malaysian Information, Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim is scheduled to the Indonesian Communication and Informatics Minister Tifatul Sembiring tomorrow.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Bernama-Antara agree to hold summit….
A top-level meeting between Bernama and Antara has been agreed upon to bolster their existing solid relationship.
The proposal was endorsed by both agencies in Kuala Lumpur today at a pre-council meeting ahead of the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Committee on Information and Culture Meeting (JCICM).
The Bernama-Antara Summit will enable both sides to deliberate on issues of common interest and formulate initiatives that could boost Malaysia-Indonesia ties.
The idea had cropped up on the sideline of the recent Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) summit meeting in Seoul.
To put the inaugural summit in place, Antara, represented by its international and economic division head Bambang Purwanto, proposed that a preparatory meeting of “three or four editorial staff” from each side be held. Bernama General Manager Hasnul Hassan agreed on the ‘prep meeting” – the date and venue to be suggested by Antara.
Another new initiative agreed at the meeting was the exchanging of video clips -- in line with the decision taken at the OANA summit. Antara currently provides news content for various television stations in the republic.
With its experience in running an all-news, round-the-clock Bernama TV, the Malaysian national news agency was prepared to cooperate with Antara should it decides to set-up its own TV station.
Apart from exchanging video clips, both sides agreed to collaborate in the joint-production of TV talk show and even documentaries.
On existing cooperation, they agreed to expand the journalist attachment programme to include photographers. Both sides also agreed to step-up the marketing of their news – a potentially lucrative area.
The proposal was endorsed by both agencies in Kuala Lumpur today at a pre-council meeting ahead of the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Committee on Information and Culture Meeting (JCICM).
The Bernama-Antara Summit will enable both sides to deliberate on issues of common interest and formulate initiatives that could boost Malaysia-Indonesia ties.
The idea had cropped up on the sideline of the recent Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) summit meeting in Seoul.
To put the inaugural summit in place, Antara, represented by its international and economic division head Bambang Purwanto, proposed that a preparatory meeting of “three or four editorial staff” from each side be held. Bernama General Manager Hasnul Hassan agreed on the ‘prep meeting” – the date and venue to be suggested by Antara.
Another new initiative agreed at the meeting was the exchanging of video clips -- in line with the decision taken at the OANA summit. Antara currently provides news content for various television stations in the republic.
With its experience in running an all-news, round-the-clock Bernama TV, the Malaysian national news agency was prepared to cooperate with Antara should it decides to set-up its own TV station.
Apart from exchanging video clips, both sides agreed to collaborate in the joint-production of TV talk show and even documentaries.
On existing cooperation, they agreed to expand the journalist attachment programme to include photographers. Both sides also agreed to step-up the marketing of their news – a potentially lucrative area.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)