Scholarship Mess for Malaysians

The recent upheaval about the scholarships not being properly awarded to deserving students is just a ploy. A ploy or a decoy to divert your attention from something more serious. Or the next general election is upcoming and something has to be stirred up. Subsequently the government will come in to 'right' the matter and potrayed to be the hero again. A government that looks into the welfare of its citizen.

Why am I saying that it's a ploy?

This scholarship issue is an annual issue and when government exams' results are announced each year, you'll see people all over Malaysia crying unfairness where the government has either rejected or didn't even process their scholarship applications properly.

These news had been on-going more than a decade ago or even for the last two decades. Why is it being brought up now?

Why is the Public Service Department ("PSD") being picked on now? They should have been investigated twenty or ten years ago for the yearly issue. Why now?

Every year, many top students have been "robbed" off their eligibility to apply for a government scholarship. This is nothing new. Suddenly, the Chief Secretary to the government announced that they will look into allegations where scholarships have not been awarded accordingly to the rules. Then it's also the government's fault for not acting on it ten to twenty years ago. It took the government (say ten years) to act on such discrepancy after seeing so many top students not getting their scholarships year in year out.

Then MCA is now seen coming into the picture to help those "poor" students who have been "robbed" off their scholarship chances. They are blaming PSD also. But this is an annual affair. MCA just realised this?

Is PSD really at fault? Or were they instructed to do so otherwise? Certain people are calling for PSD's staff to be dealt with or taken to task or severely disciplined. Really want to know how will they be reprimanded after all these years of discrepancy.

Let me tell you, if you want to put up a show please do put up a better show.

Then there's this ngo (not naming as not to give them any chance of gaining useless publicity) coming into the picture asking for 67% of the government scholarships to be given to his race. In the first place, please do the first thing right first. What's that? Get a job for each and every single person of your race. Then I will say that your ngo's existence is valid and useful.

Then I read about the Pahang state government's scholarship offer for all of their sportsmen and sportswomen that are representing the state in the upcoming 14th Malaysian Games. Is this done in accordance with the nation's interest? Are we moving in this direction for the future as well? The USA and South Korea governments do have such annual budgets for scholarships for top sportsmen and sportswomen. That's the reason why theirs people are doing so well in sports.

But is the state government awarding it to the right people as in all of them are so bright in their respective sports? I hope that these awards won't go to waste just like that.
Tags: Malaysian Scholarship, Government Scholarship, Public Service Department, 14th Malaysian Games, Pahang State Government, PSD

The 99 Club

A very apt article depicting the rat race that all of us are involved in our day to day life. Please read and if you happen to be a member of this 'elite club, then quit this club today itself and give an opportunity for happiness and pPeace of mind to enter your life. It is really worth a try.

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.

One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, 'Why are you so happy?'

The man replied, 'Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies.'

The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor.

After hearing the King's woes and the servant's' story, the advisor said, 'Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club.'

'The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?' the King inquired.

The advisor replied, 'Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep.'

When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!

He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, 'What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!' He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.

From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, 'Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club.'

He continued, 'The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 saying to themselves: 'Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life.'

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires.

That's The 99 Club.
Tags: The 99 Club, Never Contented

Right Way of English Spelling

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm.

Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Tags: English Spelling

Who Invented English Language?

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England .

We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends
and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns
down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

And if people from Poland are called Poles
then people from Holland should be Holes
and the Germans, Germs
Tags: English Language, Crazy Language, Germans, Poles, Plural, Pronouns

PTAs Asking For Status Quo

Parents are voicing out now since they knew that their kids' PTAs could be used as an official channel to request the gahmen or the Ministry of Education to allow their kids' schools to remain status quo, i.e. to teach the Mathematics and Science subjects in the English language instead of reversing it back to the Malay language.

What to do? The gahmen went ahead without consulting the parents at schools. They are the ones that should be consulted but who cares about them. That's the gahmen that some have voted for and I hope that those voters are not the same people that are voting for the two subjects to be taught in English language now.

As PAGE has highlighted a possible avenue for PTAs to voice out their preferences, which was the school'one school did it via a PTA EGM as written in a previous blogpost.

Another school tried to do the same but was not that fortunate. The school authority of SMK Seri Hartamas managed to lock the school and bar those parents from entering the school premise to conduct the PTA meeting. The parents were adamant about the vote and it was conducted outside the school premise where majority of the parents that responded (more than 90%) voted for status quo.

The heat is picking ........ Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister apologised in a press conference saying that the parents or teachers shouldn't have been barred from entering the school to convene a PTA meeting.

On the other hand, the education ministry’s director-general Alimuddin Mohd Dom, has other feelings about it. Reason given - the PTA was not allowed to convene an EGM as its agenda to discuss the PPSMI policy placed the school’s teachers in a tight spot.

Now, more of the schools' PTAs are joining in .......... they are from SMK St Francis, SMK Gajah Berang, SMK Tinggi St David, SMK Canossa Convent, SMK Infant Jesus Convent, SM Catholic, SMJK Tinggi Cina, AM Yok Bin, SMK Tun Tuah, SM Pulau Sebang, Sekolah Tinggi Methodist Melaka and SMK (P) Methodist Melaka.

Is the gahmen or the education ministry doing anything about those requests? Or turn a deaf ear?

Related post - Parent Action Group for Education
Tags: Parent Action Group for Education, PAGE, Ministry of Education, Parent Teacher Association, PTA, Sekolah Kebangsaan, PPSMI, Science and Math in English, SMI, SMK Seri Hartamas

Parent Action Group for Education

The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) met with several key PTA Chairmen or their representatives today at a closed-door session to brainstorm its next course of action.

Earlier, the Prime Minister had expressly stated that due consideration may be given to schools that desire to maintain the teaching of science and math in English (SMI) in their schools, either primary or secondary.

All schools that want to do so are advised to urge its PTA to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to agree to maintain the policy and to convert the status of the school from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) to SK(SMI) or SMK(SMI).

Failing that, parents are to initiate a signature drive to garner support for the cause indicating the name of the school, the name of the parent and the age of the child.

Meanwhile, PAGE urges the Ministry of Education to conduct its own studies as to which schools have benefited from the policy and which desire to maintain it.

Parents and stakeholders are also strongly urged to write to the Malay press (Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia) seeking for the fourth option, that is, to maintain the policy in your school.

For secondary schools that want to retain the English option, you are encouraged to work with your primary feeder schools, to do likewise, to ensure the continuity of learning and to maintain the standards already proudly upheld by your school.

It is most important that PAGE needs to know the names of the schools interested. We need the numbers to succeed. Let us help each other out.

Copies of all EGM resolutions or signatures will be sent to PAGE for compilation and which will be forwarded to the Prime Minister in due course. PAGE may be contacted via email at pagemalaysia@gmail.com or visit our blog at PAGE Malaysia.

Thank you.

By Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, Chair
Parent Action Group for Education
--------------------------------------------

One school did convene such an EGM to decide on whether the school should maintain teaching Science and Math in English Language. Which school? In the EGM, the PTA of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara even changed the status of the school from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) to Science and Math in English (SMI).

97% of the parents voted for the school to continue with the English Language for that two subjects. I think the parents should have their say and not just leave it to the politicians to decide our young kids' future. Did the government seek the public's viewpoint before this?

The school or PTA will have to let the Ministry of Education know of their EGM outcome. Must be a slap on the face of the ministry. Will there be more schools conducting such EGM too?
Tags: Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, Parent Action Group for Education, PAGE, Ministry of Education, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara, Parent Teacher Association, PTA, Sekolah Kebangsaan, PPSMI, Science and Math in English, SMI

Most Frighteningest Story Ever

One of the reason why implementation of english language under science and math was revised?????

Tags: English Language, Science, Maths

Change of Language for Students

reIs my country the only country in the world that changes the language of learning Mathematics and Science subjects in schools?

It was taught in English in the early days, for example, my dad's era. By the time I started schooling, at age 7, all subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia, the national language except for English subject of course.

Six years ago, under the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir, the government changed the language for the teaching of Mathematics and Science subjects only. Main reasons for the change was to improve the learning of the English language and that English language is the lingua franca for both of these subjects amongst Mathematicians and Scientists in the world. So be it.

Six years later today, my government thought it was unwise to do so and now they have reverted the situation. But it won't be implemented immediately as I'm sure school textbooks won't be ready for next year's new school term.

The government mentioned that both of the subjects will be taught in Bahasa Malaysia from year 2012.

I really pity those students out there. For they have learnt these two subjects in English for the last six years, now they have to unlearn what they have learnt in English terms and absorb new terms in Bahasa Malaysia.

Not that I'm against the Bahasa Malaysia language as I was taught in this language from Primary 1 all the way to Secondary 5.

Let's look at the following scenario:-
a) Students in Secondary 1 in year 2009 will still be taught in English for that two subjects till year 2011 where they will be in Secondary 3.

Come year 2012, both of these subjects will be taught in Bahasa Malaysia. Will the Secondary 4 students by then be able to catch up fast enough so that they will be ready for the SPM in the following year.

I guess this batch of students are still considered lucky.

b) Students in Secondary 2 in year 2009 will still be taught in English for that two subjects till year 2011 where they will be in Secondary 4.

In the year where they are supposed to sit for the public examination at the end of year 2012, both of these subjects will be taught in Bahasa Malaysia or in their mother tongues (Mandarin or Tamil). Will both of these subjects be examined in English or Bahasa Malaysia during the SPM examination? Will it affect alllllllllllllllllllllllllll the students?

This is the exam that will determine whether they'll be furthering their studies at STPM or local universities.

c) The same situation goes on for the Primary students who are in Primary 3 now. This batch of students will be sitting for the Primary 6 public examination in year 2012 and they'll be learning Maths and Science in Bahasa Malaysia for the first time and their exams will be in Bahasa Malaysia too.

Really sorry for the students who are in Secondary 2 this year as by year 2012, they won't have any past year exam papers to refer to (that is in the same language).

Teachers have been attending courses in English language so that they will know how to teach the students.

Students have been learning in English language and they are being tested.

All those textbooks printed in English language will have to be thrown away and more dump sites have to be located in preparation for millions of textbooks / workbooks / teaching materials.

Bravo!

Reading: Hard On The Kids - Malaysia Today
Tags: Mathematics, Science, English Language, Bahasa Malaysia, Primary School, Secondary School

No Future With Future Graduates

What is Malaysia's future with the graduates from local universities joining the workforce in the future?

After reading the following news you judge it for yourself:-

- Lecturer sacked because she failed students
Islamic Science University of Malaysia has decided to sack a lecturer after she has failed to give sympathy marks to a number of her students. Those students failed of course. The university thinks that with that number of failures, news will get out that the university is lousy and can't produce graduates and this might affect future student applications.

In this case, passing such students even though they don't deserve it is practically telling all the university students that you don't have to work for it as you'll be presented whether you deserve it or not.

Will this help the students in the future? Definitely not! The university couldn't care less about their future but more of its own future or reputation to survive the competitive education industry.

- Lecturer demands for sex & money for passing marks
A lecturer took advantage on a master's degree student by telling her that if you want to pass your papers, you have to sleep with me.

When that proposal failed, he requested for money instead, RM800. Is that lecturer really that desperate for money?

What if the student has agreed on the sex proposal or the money? The student would be passed on that basis but not on merit instead. What does it hold for Malaysia's future workforce then?

The good news is that the student reported it to the authorities and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has brought the lecturer in for questioning.

Have a good guess which private university is it in Cyberjaya? There are three located within that vicinity.

Reading: Out goes the lecturer - Star
Reading: MACC nabs lecturer who demanded sex and money to pass students - Star
Tags: Malaysian Education, University Graduate, University Lecturer, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Islamic Science University of Malaysia, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Cyberjaya

Do Well Also No Use

In Malaysia, can I say that we are the only country that you won't be guaranteed a scholarship even though you are a top student in the country?

Every year, we get to hear such news. It's just news to the students out there that you won't qualify for a scholarship even though you score straight A's.

Ong Tee Keat, the MCA president, has already mentioned that current selection criteria for a Public Service Department ("PSD") scholarships is based on - merit (20%), race (60%), Sabah and Sarawak citizens (10%) and students from underprivileged groups (10%).

Previously, the government has mentioned that government scholarships were handed out based on meritocracy. But Ong Tee Keat has revealed something different now. On one hand, they will hold a press conference telling us something. On the other hand, someone else revealed something different altogether.

Can you imagine that top scorers are feeling bewildered on why their excellent results do not put them on top of the scholarship listing.

So much for the hyped up 1Malaysia that was mentioned just last month. So much for the new song that tries to bring people together. It doesn't mean anything if it's not being practised.

Even the world's not the end for such unfortunate top students, Malaysia is just going to lose those bright fellas to many countries who can't wait to adopt them.

So, what's the point of trying to draw Malaysians who are experts in various fields to return to Malaysia? You could have prevented it right from the beginning. A wrong plus a right do not equal a right.

Reading: Top scorers discover again PSD scholarships are not guaranteed - Star

Related posts -
* Why Bother Waking Up at 3am to Study?
* PSD Scholarships
Tags: PSD Scholarships, Public Service Department, PSD, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam, JPA, 1Malaysia

New Country to Study Medicine

Two of Romania's universities have been recognised by Malaysia, namely Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest and Petroleum-Gas University in Ploiesti recently. You can't go wrong when MARA is sponsoring local students to study there. So it must be recognised by Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam too.

But why these two universities? Cheaper alternatives compared to those ranked in the THE-QS World University Rankings? These two universities are not even ranked amongst the top European universities or even Top 500 in the world.

Funny thing is it was the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development that executed the memorandums of understanding with these two universities instead of the Ministry of Education.

Reading: MARA Will Sponsor 200 Students To Romania - Bernama
Tags: Romania, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Petroleum-Gas University, THE-QS World University Rankings, MARA, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam, Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development, Ministry of Education

Pathetic Advertorial by Local University

The advertorial as below was placed by a local university, University Tun Hussein Onn ("UTHO"), in the New Straits Times ("NST") newspaper on 23 Aug 08. Three days later, NST placed an apology for publishing that advertorial. NST stated that the advertorial contained gross factual and grammatical errors. I should say that UTHO should have apologised for those terrible mistakes.

Furthermore, this advertorial was placed in honour of a royal family's princess by the name of Raja Zarith Sofiah, for obtaining a degree from UTHO. In the advertorial, UTHO was so confused about Raja Zarith Sofiah being a male or female.
If this is the sort of english language that is being taught in Malaysia's current education system coupled with zealous politicians that were fighting for reverting back to Malay language for the Maths and Science subjects, then good luck.

For those zealous politicians, these are the type of english language that you wanted our students to possess and you have succeeded. Congratulations!

Reading: A disgrace to Malaysian tertiary education - Adrian Hoe
Related post - The State of Malaysian Students Education
Tags: Education, Malaysian Education, University Tun Hussein Onn, Raja Zarith Sofiah, Convocation Ceremony, Honorary Degree Award, English Language, Malay Language

The State of Malaysian Students

Here are some reasons to show why the teaching profession is so pressurised:-
Tags: Education, English Test, Teaching Profession

She's A Woman!

A very frustrated student who was fed up with an examination question could provide 'brilliant' answer. I wonder how will the examiner react.
Tags: Examination, Funny, Humour, Jokes, Examiner

Learn Chinese Fast for Olympics

Learn Chinese in 5 minutes (you MUST read them aloud)

English - (Chinese in bracket)
That's not right! - (Sum Ting Wong)

Are you harbouring a fugitive? - (Hu Yu Hai Ding)

See me ASAP - (Kum Hia Nao)

Small Horse - (Tai Ni Po Ni)

Did you go to the beach? - (Wai Yu So Tan)

I think you need a face lift! - (Chin Tu Fat)

It's very dark in here! - (Wai So Dim)

I thought you were on a diet! - (Wai Yu Mun Ching)

This is a tow away zone! - (No Pah King)

Our meeting is scheduled for next week! - (Wai Yu Kum Nao)

Staying out of sight - (Lei Ying Lo)

He's cleanng his automobile - (Wa Shing Ka)
Tags: Chinese, English, Learning Chinese, Funny, Humour

The Slow Turtles

A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outing. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found a place ideal for them at last!

For about six months they cleaned the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home.

Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.

Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years... then on the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and begun to unwrap a sandwich.

At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, 'See! I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt.'

[Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we don't do anything ourselves.]
Tags: Expectation, Turtle

Malaysia's Space Science University

Malaysia will be on the space science map again after having the first Malaysian astronaut up in space last Oct 2007. This time Malaysia will be ensuring that space science are being taught here to generate more interest in it. This won't be a government project but the proposed Space Science University of Malaysia would be financed privately by a local private company and an overseas partner.

This proposed university will be located in Kota Tinggi, Johore and maybe our two Malaysian astronauts or spaceflight participants (as defined by NASA still, wonder why?) will be there to cut the red ribbon during the opening ceremony of the proposed university.

Faculties that could be found in the proposed univeristy:-
* Space Engineering and Aeronautics
* Mechanical Engineering
* Bioengineering encompassing Biomolecular Engineering and Medicine
* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
* Computer, Robotic and Software Engineering
* Electrical Engineering and Electronics
* Geological, Atmospheric and Planetary Engineering
* Mathematical Engineering, Physics and Astronomy

Possible laboratories for research purposes:-
* Fusion Reactor or Thermonuclear Reactor
* Linear Collider
* Large Binocular Telescope-Neural Network Telescope
* High Performance Computing
* Supersonic Wind Tunnel
* Three Dimensional Simulation

Personally, we are aiming something too high for a nation that is still considered as a developing nation status. Not that we can't dream of having for which I would envisage it fully but not at this point of time.

Definition of a developed nation:-
A country with a relatively high standard of living, achieved primarily through social, economic, and technological infrastructure. The nations of Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are referred to as developed, or industrialized, nations.

Definition of a developing nation:-
A country with a low standard of living, generally indicated by severe poverty, low income and education levels, high birth rate, and poorly developed social, economic, and technological infrastructure. This term has become favored over "Third World," which gained popularity in the mid-20th century. Many countries of Africa, Asia (except Japan), Latin America, and Oceania (except Australia and New Zealand) are referred to as developing nations.

To spend RM6.1 billion (US$1.84 billion) on just one university in an industry where Malaysia is not even at an infant level is wasteful and not viable. I am sure that all the proposed university's technologies and professors would be externally sourced.

Countries which have huge space exploration programmes like China, India, Japan and Russia do not have such space science university. In comparison, their annual investments in space programmes are as follows:-
* India - US$450 million
* Russia - US$500 million
* China - US$2 billion
* European countries - US$4.5 billion
* USA - US$16.2 billion

The proposed Malaysian university was to emulate the world's only two space science universities, namely Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, United States and International Space University in Strasbourg, France.

By the way, Malaysia has a similar private university by the name of Malaysia University of Science and Technology ("MUST") which has been established since Dec 2000. Why not combined the efforts cohesively which will generate better economies of scale.

Really hope that this proposed Space Science University of Malaysia won't go down the same road as what MUST has gone through where MUST received financial assistance from the government when the plans couldn't 'take-off' as anticipated. I really wonder how well is MUST doing nowadays after reading MUST a flop of "smart partnership" with 10 students after 5 years.

Reading: RM6.1 Billion Space Science University Planned In Kota Tinggi - Bernama
Tags: Space Science University, Space, Space Science Education, Tertiary Education, Space Science University of Malaysia, Kota Tinggi, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, International Space University

Malaysian Schools Lack Basic Utilities

It was shocking to learn that one-third of a total 9,806 schools in Malaysia lacked water and electricity. That worked out to 3,268 schools. Can you imagine that your children do not have basic facilities in the toilet.

The Deputy Education Minister, Razali Ismail, was quoted saying that a four year development plan would put all this basic facilities into the 3,268 schools. The cost of related upgrades for schools is around RM1.15 billion (US$482 million).

But the government found that sending an astronaut up to space was more beneficial for the students. The goverment was more concerned of setting up a space industry. This is the reason why many criticised the space programme. Wastage of money for non-importance project over important and urgent developments.

Come on, the children's basic and early education foundation is far far far more important and with proper education, children would get to learn about space and its related space industry in time to come. Somehow such politician cum minister has myopic hindsight on the future and this would hamper the nation's future.

With almost anything in this world costing more than usual, ain't proper basic utilities be given priority before anything else. You call this a government that cares for its citizens??????

Reading: Shocking state of some schools in Malaysia - Today Online
Tags: Malaysian School, Water, Electricity, School

Brain Teasers

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wo nderful dinner together. How can this be?

3. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

4. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out.

ANSWERS:

1. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.

2. The woman is a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.

3. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!

4. The letter "e" - the most common letter in the English language - is missing from the entire paragraph
Tags: Brain Teaser, Lion, Photographer, Days, Common Letter

Difficult Questions & Intelligent Answers

Questions and the Answers given by candidates for, oh sorry they are examination entry for the IAS (Indian Administrative Services), THE most difficult examination in India. Candidates are graduate officers now.

Q. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
A. Concrete floors are very hard to crack! (UPSC Topper)

Q. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
A. No time at all it is already built. (UPSC 23 rd Rank Opted for IFS)

Q. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have?
A. Very large hands. (Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank Opted for IPS)

Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
A. It is not a problem, since you will never find an elephant with one hand. (UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)

Q. How can a man go eight days without sleep?
A. No probs, he sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)

Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
A. It will be wet or sink, as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)

Q. What looks like half apple?
A. The other half. (UPSC - IAS Topper )

Q. What can you never eat for breakfast?
A. Dinner.

Q. What happened when wheel was invented?
A. It caused a revolution.

Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state?
A. Liquid (UPSC 33 Rank )

Interviewer said "I shall either ask you ten easy questions or one really difficult question. Think well before you make up your mind!"

The boy thought for a while and said, "my choice is one really difficult question." "Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice! Now tell me this. "What comes first, Day or Night?"

The boy was jolted into reality as his admission depends on the correctness of his answer, but he thought for a while and said, "It's the DAY sir!" "How" the interviewer asked, "Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!" He was selected for IIM!
Tags: Funny, Humour, India, IAS, Indian Administrative Services