2009年10月18日星期日

Road Not Taken.. Choices in Our Life

Choice in Our Life, Road Not Taken---

Study in a Residential School or a Non-residential School instead

Adolescence, undoubtedly is the most crucial and critical stage throughout the life of a human. I believe that most, if not all the students and parents will be stand beside me and see eye to eye with me regarding to this context. We say so not just because of the physically and mentally development of the teenagers, but also the gradual changes of the attitude as well as mind set of our youngster. It will be the most important time decode a teenagers personal characteristics and nevertheless the suitable time to cultivate some crucial moral value among the teenagers. As such, your choice for yourself or your offspring to either study in a residential school or a normal non-residential school will fundamentally be the prime factor that shaping the teenagers future and this issue cannot be handled by using a take-it-easy attitude. That’s how and why such decision bring headache to all parents and students as well.

So now, what will be best choice for students in our country? A residential school or a non-residential school instead? My answer will definitely be the residential schools if you ask me this question. Why do I say so? My opinion is supported by many strong and unchallengeable reasons. In order to be clear, let me explain it one by one. First and foremost, a student that study in residential school normally will have a better discipline and their daily life. The daily schedule has been fixed by the school authority that it is a must for them to follow. They are given time to study, revise, doing homework, carrying out co-curriculum activities, as well as exercise and involve in sports. By doing all these, they need not to worry about the lacking of time to study and nevertheless encourage a good time management attitude among the students. They will never wasting their time in some negative activities such as hanging around at the shopping complex, involved in illegal racing, abuse of drugs, gambling, free-sex and so forth that happened frequently among the students in non-residential school. Undeniably, the students must be given freedom to do what they want, but I think it is not suitable to give freedom without any proper regulation and scrutinize them from time to time, as they are still green and not even mature enough to determine whether what’s right to do….

Next, the students will have a better achievement in academic and co-curriculum activities, since the competition of the students among each other will be the main forward thrust to drive them for improvement and betterment, no matter what they take part in. Ya, I understand that some of you will say that this will only bring stress to the students. I know.. But the drawback of stress among the students due to the competition can never be neglected as well! The truth is always cruel, but we have to face up with reality. Please be clear that it’s actually the best remedy to bring improvement and awareness of the students regarding to their weakness and of course they will try to get rid of it or they will be left behind in this cruel society, in line with the trend of globalization and competitive career arena. Students will appreciate what they acquire, after undergoing hardship and obstacle. They will keep on remind themselves that there are always mountain to climb day by day and I believe they will surely be capable to face all kind of difficulties in the future.

By the way, the students who study in residential school are also enjoying advantages as they become more and more independent in whatever they do, especially in handling their daily life. All students that live in the hostel are asked to responsible to their personal hygiene as well as the cleanliness of the surrounding environment. They are needed to carry out their obligation as part and parcel of school to clean the school washroom, cutting grasses, planting trees, and cleaning rubbish, besides take care of their self-cleanliness. All these are something that the students will never have an opportunity to do. By experienced all these, ones without a doubt can have a clearer image about their obligation to maintain the balance of the natural environment and therefore, make the eco-friendly lifestyle no longer a herculean task among our younger generation.

Moreover, students who study in residential school and live in hostel are allowed to spend more time with their fellow schoolmate, no matter studying, eating, playing basketball, revising and so forth. This, undoubtedly forge a closer bond among the students of the same age, curbing problems whereby teenagers are said to reluctantly socialize with others through real conversation, but prefer using online technology like facebook, msn online messenger, frienster, and twitter instead. We did not deny about the benefit of the advanced technologies nowadays, but we too feel that a real and close relationship in the society need to be conserve by communicating face-to-face. Students in residential school can learn more from each other, helping each other when facing problems in study, spending leisure hour together. It’s especially true and crucial when students in residential schools are made up of different races, religion, culture, language…from all walks of life! Doesn’t it can forge a good understanding among youngster in our motherland and enhance mutual respect by leaps and bounce? It’s totally in line with the new concept of 1Malaysia that brought by our beloved new Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, which drive home about the importance of acceptance but not only tolerance among the member of society.

In light of all these, study in residential school is obviously a better choice which bring numerous benefits to the students in our country. They can engrossed in study without any unnecessary disturbances, leading a more disciplined life and nevertheless have a whale of time throughout their secondary school and high school life. It will definitely be a good choice for students. Why I know? I’m too a student what! Haha.. What about you?

2009年10月8日星期四

无题

累..儡...泪...

2009年8月20日星期四

H1N1 Pandemic and The Public Awareness

H1N1 Pandemic and The Public Awareness

Apparently, our world is undergoing a hardship due to the outburst of H1N1 diseases… The disease seems to be spread in a neck-breaking speed all over the world and of course our beloved motherland which has a highly mobilizing society will never be the exceptional case as such... Day by day there will be a tremendous number of visitors and tourists visiting Malaysia and nevertheless Malaysia students that study in oversea who returning home. So, It is not so hard to understand and theoretically of sound mind that transmission of virus can easily invade through the defense system of our country in spite of the various precaution measure that had taken by the authority. No matter how you try to stop that, either demanding tourists to fill the health report or placing dozen of medical staff in major airport of the country. It’s just like finding a ring in Atlantic Ocean or fighting in the losing battle!

Despite of the big response from the government, I myself as a normal Malaysian never take it seriously since the term of “H1N1” introduced 2 months ago. I believe that most, if not all of Malaysian will have the same feeling like me and undoubtedly stand beside me when asked. We are all whom have gone through the horrifying SARS pandemic in 2003 and feel that our country will always be the lucky one where hardly to find the life-threatening diseases spreading widely on our land, just like what we have experienced since that.. But incidentally, the truth has proven that we are all wrong… Just look at the hiking number of locally transmitted cases and the escalating death number due to the H1N1 and relating complication. Hospitals are crowded with patients along with flu symptom seeking for medication, schools that had been shut down in line with disease outburst, numerous schools, public service department and higher study institution which still struggling in dilemma, on decision whether to be closed or not. It’s full of chaos and mess now and we seems to be in the hot soup due to the lack of public awareness and proper preparation…

So what’s now? Shall we still think that it’s not our problem and continue to hold government to account in all of these? Once again blame the government on not doing their obligation well? Although it’s undoubtedly that the government play a dominant role in stopping spreading of H1N1, but all efforts will be end up in smoke without public alert and awareness in such context. In light of this, efforts to stop such disease will always be a herculean task for the authority since the habit of concern about ourselves has not been cultivated. Who will be the one responsible for your own health if not yourself? Again, there is still the same festering problem of our society--- the take-it-easy habit that forged since last century. And obviously we are the jail-bird regarding to this no matter in what happening in our country, but not only the prevention and precaution of disease instead. In view of this, when will be the time to take initiative for a betterment and great chance, Malaysian??

2009年8月11日星期二

我在麦当劳..天气晴....

每个人都有去过麦当劳,我也不例外。(ps这是我小学老师教的,不要打我。)

故事是这样开始的,很久很久以前,在一个遥远的地方.....这是~~

一个热得要命的下午,两张湿透的纸巾,三节道德教育作答技巧工作坊,四个呆坐的傻佬,五分钟的路程,六零吉的廉价快餐,七上八下的心情,九个十五分钟的等待,十米外的她.....



2009年8月9日星期日

2009年8月6日星期四

给我们的信

社会事件与种族主义之反思

连串哄动社会各界的社会事件,接连不断的示威演练...却被串连成同一个陈腔滥调的普遍出发点....

当赵明福离毙命事件,雅思敏病逝, 反内安法令示威一一浮出台面的同时,来自四面八方社会角落不同的研看法与立场也随之出现...但所见观点却永远游走在种族主义悬崖的边缘, 每一宗在这土地上所上演的事件总能在最后与种族隔阂扯上关联。

就好比最近赵明福,一起离奇坠楼案件,无可避免引起众人的揣测与猜想..每个人都会有想要知道真相的欲念。但无论知识水平有多高, 社会地位有多显赫的我们, 再如何显现出无私包容性的我们,总像难逃宿命似地以本身的利益与族群立场基础, 推想着附合自已要求的事件演变, 并将之奉为无法挑战的真理及事实。我们更多的想要让自已所想的变成事实, 尽管理由连自已也许也无法被说服。这所谓的事实却往往与种族思想挂勾, 或者说一定在某层面上与种族脱离不了关系。就在事件发生的第三天, 某主流马来报章发表批判性言论, 指控华裔社会就明福死亡事件所提出的质疑为挑战马来人权益与能力之反叛行为, 所给的原因是所有包括反贪委员会, 警方, 验尸官, 法官, 检察署等都是以马来人为主导。所以质疑当中任何一方的办事能力等同否定马来人的能力。此等毫无逻辑可言的攻击性言论固然为华社所不能接受, 也是同受明理马来社群所严词谴责的。

但难道华裔社会就没有半点以族群为出发点的思想及思考模式吗? 倘若今天发生坠楼事件的受害者是来自马来社群的话, 华社会引发如丝轩然大波吗? 中文报章会如此大篇幅的报导, 促起社会各界巨大回响吗? 当然明福的记者与反对党领袖助理的身份占据引起争议的大比重, 一个将为人父与新郎的明富也成熟为华社悲愤的关键。但无可否认我们身为华人却也站在华社立场上对事件进行思考。这思考方式当然不会止于单一事件, 因此也就会造成当有任何事件发生华印社会就毫不犹豫地牵扯到族裔关系的习惯。相对马来社群也如出一彻地将所有事件想象为有意侵犯特权的行为。

无论如何, 这一在多元种族国家人民常发生的现像似乎也在我国看似无可避免地继续发酵着..追诉起国家的历史, 英殖民时期的分散治理, 各个以族裔为条件所组成带表各自社群利益的政党, Dato Onn’ Jaafar以各族同一政党同一理念瓦解种族思想隔阂的努力之挫败,各族长年累月先入为主的猜忌, 演变成今日因肤色与文化合异或种族二字无法坦诚接受彼此为自已一部份的困境。反观现今, 部份虽已了解瓦解种族分隔思想重要性的政治人物, 却为了眼前政治利益抓住人民思考弱点, 煽动远离并憎恨他族, 方能捍卫自身权益。这无论在华或巫裔政党都历历在现。问题就出现在一开始就以种族为基础的政治结构与社会管治上。眼看社会各政策, 资源分配, 教育, 人文, 艺术也都以种族褂帅, 社会和谐与互相接受也难以实现。因为这生活上的一切都将不断地提醒自已与不同肤色的朋友区隔, 人民将不断告诉自已我是马来人, 他是华人我是华人,他是印度人”…华人将不断主观认为马来人操纵了权力, 马来人也不断控诉华人掌握经济。毫无疑问, 我们凡事现入为主互想猜疑的中心思想将延续, 我们的后代也会将彼此隔离, 就算到了独立第二个五十年, 第三个五十年也都一样我所说的是我们, 是包括所有在这片土地上长大的我们。不是kami而是kita的我们要想改变一切, 塑造一个互相接受并真心包容的社会, 就得从最根本的国民思想教育开始做起….

当种族问题不再是敏感话题, 种族的字眼在你我的字典里消离, 当所有种族为基础的规定不再成为你我的围篱, 当我们相遇时只会想到用马来西亚人介绍自已, 当我们站在同一片天空下呼吸着同等的空气, 当我们清晰地知道就是你

2009年7月18日星期六

Betrayer of Malaysian Education System

As what we have experienced since the implementation of PPSMI in 2003, it had been a burning topic among the publics from all walks of life. Always, we can hear sound of objection as well as disagreement from certain of body or groups in the society. " By using English as the language in the subject of Science of Mathematics, the mother tongue language of Malays as well as Chinese will be neglected and facing tremendous destruction by days and days... ", this is what they thought that was the truth.

I'm sorry to say that they are deliberately relating the education to the other unrelated polemic, and of course i beg to differ. Just like all Malaysian who raise an eyebrown since last 2 weeks, i myself was taken aback and found it hard to accept the stupid decision made by the new government as specifically our 'honourable' new education minister Mr Muhyiddin. How can the government change their mind just after 6 years of implementation of this significantly vital decison. By right we shouldn't make speculation that the PPSMI is a failure in 6 years of time since the education sector was a long term investment and process. I don't understand why the executive forces can lose heart although so much of effords had been put inside. Dozen of million ringgit was thrown in order for the project to be effectively carried out but the it was let to be end in smoke just like that when the cabinet say a "tukar" in the air-conditioned meeting room. Did they ever think about the circumstances beyond this decision??

Pityful students will be the one who suffer and sacrifice under the new policy. It may be a plain sailing incident for all those who make decison. But all the students will be needed to suit themselves in the new academic environment, besides cope with study of Science and Mathematics in Malays language. Vernacular school students, using Chinese language from standard 1-6, switch to Bahasa Malaysia when getting into secondary school, but change back to English when enter tertiary study... Did you all thought that we are transformer?? How can students adopt themselves in such kind of education system despite of their race, livelihood and culture.

Futhermore, English in Science and Mathematics was obviously important. What i mean was not improving students' English language through this policy, but the matter of connection between field of science in Malaysia to the worldwide Science arena instead. English, was the universal language of Science and it doesn't make sense for Malaysia to be isolated by using BM in this field, what's more ironic was that we are actually translate English scientific term into BM by using one or two letter, just like 'sperm' to 'sperma', and 'photosynthesis' to 'fotosinthesis', and claimed loudly to the world that we are study Science using our own language. It seem like we were make a fool of ourselves.

I felt sorry for pouring cold water on this policy, although i knew that nobody wil care about my piece of mind. However, I believed that most, if not all of the Malaysian stand beside me.English in Science and Mathematics was not only vital, but fundamentally a necessary in our country. This can be proved by the polls held by former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir's blog. 86% of voters were found against the government decision. Why don't we try our best to enthusiastically improve our study of science in english? Why don't we ride over the storm together despite of facing any problems? Remember, it's not only for our own good, but the rights of our young generation to obtain the best. What do u think??