Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Respect Mercy Malaysia

I really have respect for those volunteer doctors that went into Gaza amidst the bombings from Israel front. They are the people that put words into action rather than just talk / protest / ridicule about it at their home sweet home here.

Through the persistency of Datuk Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, MERCY Malaysia was set up to provide medical care to people who need it be it locally or internationally. And their team was there when Gaza was bombarded by Israel.

Not only that they tried to provide medical assistance but now they are having a long term plan which is to build a rehabilitation centre that will cater to those war victims that have lost their limbs. The set up may require US$1 million (money involved politics could build mega hospitals).

This posting is dedicated to the MERCY Malaysia team members who risked their lifes to ensure others have a life.

Reading: Mercy aims to build rehabilitation centre - Star
Tags: MERCY Malaysia, Datuk Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Gaza

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Teachers Caned For Poor Exam Results

My thoughts have been that the Malaysian schooling system was quite exam oriented and schools / parents would ensure that their kids obtain good results that would bring honour to the school's name and parents would be proud of their children.

Schools that produces good results will bring honour to the staff (teachers) that sacrifices their time to bring the best out of the kids. But what if the students didn't do well. What if the results were worst than last year's examination.

Teachers, you can consider yourself lucky for being born and able to teach in Malaysia itself.

If your cschool's students didn't perform well or having all the students to pass their exams, you will be in great problem if you were in Tanzania, a nation in the African continent.

Nineteen teachers from three schools in the northern region of Kagera, Tanzania have been hauled up to explain on why their schools' examination results were poor.

Some of these nineteen teachers were late for classes or didn't show up for work during the past year that could be counted and the "little napoleon" found in District Commissioner, Albert Mnali, decided to take things into his own hands. He decided that such teachers should be caned for it was their lateness or absence that had caused students to have learnt lesser and as a result of that, the bad examination results.

Albert Mnali brought policemen to the schools to hunt for those teachers. A female teacher will only get caning on her palm. But I pity the male teachers for they have lie down on the floor to be caned on their backside.

The Tanzania Teachers' Union will be taking legal action against Albert Mnali for such uncalled for actions.

Reading: Shock as Tanzania teachers caned - BBC News/Africa
Tags: Tanzania, Africa, Kagera, Teacher, Albert Mnali, Tanzania Teachers' Union

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

People Can Hear What You Say

I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying: 'Hi, how are you?'

I'm not the type to start a conversation in the restroom and I don't know what got into me, but I answered, somewhat embarrassed, 'Doin' just fine!'

And the other person says: 'So what are you up to?'

What kind of question is that? At that point, I'm thinking this is too bizarre so I say: 'Uhhh, I'm like you, just traveling!'

At this point I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I hear another question. 'Can I come over?'

Ok, this question is just too weird for me but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation. I tell him 'No..I'm a little busy right now!!!'

Then I hear the person say nervously... 'Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the next stall who keeps answering all my questions.

Cell phones, don't you just love them.

Tags: Cell Phone, Mobile Phone, Handphone, Funny, Humour

Monday, February 09, 2009

Once Rich Becomes More Greedy?

Once a person reaches certain higher status, more options or avenues were opened to them in gaining more financial rewards or even to boost their personal egos .......... sometimes legal, sometimes illegal. Is this a myth?

It does happen to me too ...... once you have more money, your mind tends to float higher and the thoughts of wanting this and that becomes real. The 'want' overruled the 'need'.

Unfortunately, someone couldn't control that thought.

Satyam Computer Services Limited's ("Satyam"), founding Chairman, Ramalinga Raju has been implicated in a scandal where he manipulated Satyam's profits and reserves up to an amount of US$1 billion. He has quit as of now. What a letdown. After bringing Satyam (since 24 June 1987 ) to where they are right now, an intellectual person has to commit such fraud.

For what reason? To show his peers that his company is capable of generating more profits and reserves in the IT industry?

Satyam is already employing 53,000 ++ people and operating in 66 countries ...... how can those inflated profits and reserves help even more in this case?

One thing that baffles me is how did the external auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers India, missed out or unable to detect those fraud. As a result, the India government would be investigating the auditors' duties and the directors' roles.

Whoever recommended Satyam for the 2008 Global Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance by World Council For Corporate Governance ("WCFCG") must be hitting his head against the wall. WCFGG may revoke the award (read here) amidst the fraud case.

Will Ramalinga Raju's Ernst & Young's 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year award be revoked for this fraud case? The juries in India for the award must be scratching their heads now ....... to revoke or not?

Such prestige status, all down the drain.

Reading: India IT boss quits over scandal - BBC News/Business
Tags: Satyam Computer Services Limited, Satyam, Ramalinga Raju, PricewaterhouseCoopers India, IT Industry, Ernst & Young, Ernst & Young's 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year, Corporate Governance, World Council For Corporate Governance, WCFCG, Fraud

Friday, February 06, 2009

New Proton MPV in Factory

The hot item in the local car industry ....... the latest MPV in town which is to be released by Proton Holdings Berhad.

Six colours available for the customers to choose? Just wait and see.

One of those test car being used for various tests before putting it on the road for the public. The MPV's name has yet to be announced and I'm wondering whether the name will be chosen from the 'name the car competition' that was held last year.




Interior will somehow look like this unless Proton is willing to spend large amount of money to change this facade.














How do you like the design?

Related post - Proton's Latest Model?
Tags: Proton MPV, MPV, Proton Holdings Berhad

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Con Job Involving Four Local Banks

A friend's friend working in one of the mentioned banks below warned his circle of friends not to reveal any of their personal or banking particulars if they were to receive any emails requesting for such. Banks will not request their customers to respond via emails at all.

A sample of such scrupulous emails is shown below. Worst of all, there are people who will still fall for it .......... no matter how many times it was reported in the mainstream media.

------------------------------------
From: Online Banking [mailto:alexanderaubuchon@bankinginfo.com.my]
Sent: 19 May 2005 7:28 AM
Subject: *****SPAM***** HIGH * Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank

Dear Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank Member,

This email was sent by the Bank server to verify your e-mail address. You must complete this process by clicking on the link below and entering in the small window your Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank online access details. This is done for your protection - because some of our members no longer have access to their email addresses and we must verify it.

To verify your e-mail address and access your account, click on the link below:-

If You Have Hong Leong Bank Account:
http://www.hlb.com.my/DF3RwiNBzvjz37l7c1h1p

If You Have Alliance Bank Account: http://www.alliancebank.com.my/86uZyaeeCm8nf5tu31i0vdq

If You Have Bumiputra Commerce Bank Account:
http://www.channel-e.com.my/0khaSRO3JT2s7q09iu53j26e33

If You Have AmBank Group Account:
http://www.ambg.com.my/s55a3m02A007h703iyr9
------------------------------------

I really wonder how the con job could be executed with a url connection that ties in with the actual bank's url address. The exception was Bumiputra Commerce's url address where it's totally different ......... it's a local e-commerce website promoting local products.

Something's very fishy somewhere ...............

P/S - don't know where will those url address lead you too ......... I didn't try as I'm not wasting my time with it

Related post - Scammers Used Malaysian Bank Without Fear
Tags: Hong Leong Bank Berhad, Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Berhad, AmBank Group Berhad, Alliance Bank Berhad, E-Channel, Con Job

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Special Food

This dish is known as Yee Sang, something like a mixed vegetable salad ala Chinese style.

Took this picture when I dined at Golden Sun Restaurant at Jalan Kuchai Lama. That was my first taste of yee sang for this year bearing in mind we ate this few days prior to Chinese New Year.

My sis who was there said that would be her fifth time. Fifth time before Chinese New Year has even started ??????????

Those days, yee sang would be served by restaurants on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year. Later on, restaurants started to serve it within the second or the third day. Nowadays, the over commercialised yee sang could be ordered two weeks prior to Chinese New Year.

The same thing goes for the chinese restaurants. Those days (when I was young of course), chinese restaurants would be closed beginning from the eve to maybe the third day of Chinese New Year. Nowadays, chinese restaurants made its bulk of profits on the eve as people tend to eat out for the reunion dinner. The chinese restaurants would only close for business right after the full fifteen days of Chinese New Year.

The last minute shoppping for Chinese New Year brought me to Tesco at Taman Midah area.

Saw this pricing tag for the chiffon cakes - RM009. My itchy fingers were telling me to place the numeric 9 right at the front to make it RM900 ................. HAHA









First time buyer of the Big Apple Donuts And Coffee's donuts (or doughnuts). Those days I have only one choice or you can say no choice. Nowadays, there were too many choices to pick. Selecting this six donuts gave me a hard time ....... had to forego others which I wanted too.


Was fascinated by the way they baked the donuts. Instantly placed on a conveyor belt and it turned colour upon going through a 'burner'. Instant donut?

Not long after that, a hole caved in right at the centre of the donut as it travels along the conveyor belt.

Oh yea, Big Apple is a local food company ...... what a success!
Tags: Yee Sang, Chinese New Year, Golden Sun Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant, Tesco, Big Apple Donuts And Coffee, Instant Donut, Donut, Doughnut

Pattaya International Fireworks Festival

Pattaya is definitely firing up its presence internationally. Covid19 has hit many nations really hard and Pattaya wasn't exempted from ...