Thinking Innovation: Innovating an innovative culture.

The PM just announced that the year 2010 is the innovation year for Malaysia, and we should all try to innovate as and when we can, since this will ensure that we achieve a nation with a developed status and are at par with other advanced countries in the world. In the following paragraphs I will write some of my thoughts on innovation.

Innovation is not just about a breakthrough discovery. It does not have to be science related at all. Innovation is about a new way of doing things. Innovation is also about a novel solution to an old problem. Innovation can also be about a revolutionized thinking style. No more “old school” line of thoughts if it no longer applies in the now.

Whilst a raft of thoughts has been shared by various experts on the relevance of innovation in Science and Tech, not many have spoken about innovative economy…innovative policies…innovative management and innovative leaderships. These other forms of innovations, which I shall refer herein as primary innovations, are much more pertinent than scientific innovation alone. Don't get me wrong, scientific innovation is critical, but looking at the way we are right now, the innovation culture is not yet deeply ingrained within us, the laymen and the scientists and researchers alike.

The concept on innovation in this country is very university-centric and is largely driven academically. We expect universities, researchers, scientists and academics to be innovative in their research cultures and drive the nation forward by commercializing their products. But a lot of the time, there is a huge gap between academic research and industrial applications or consumer demands. Academic research can be very academic, very idealistic and sometimes very much in the exploratory stages. This is good for fundamental science understanding and there is nothing wrong with that given that they are knowledge centres. But it does not necessarily lead to commercialization as it is still very far away from the developmental and realization stages. For commercialization to take place, there have to be a stronger linkage between industries and universities. Industries will have to drive and help shape university researches so that academics are more aware of the niche areas that still need scientific and technological attention. Industrial needs, which are derived from consumer demands, will dictate the kind of technological breakthroughs that are required!

Ideally, industries should conduct researches themselves so that intellectual properties can be secured and protected. But industries in Malaysia are not yet equipped to conduct independent researches simply because the focus here is still very short term and profit driven. Starting a research centre can be very expensive as for the equipments that you need are costly, sometimes in the range of millions and billions of ringgit. Such investments are not seen as having good returns. However, there are multinational companies that are willing to invest in a research centre. But unfortunately, these centres are being offshored to countries like India where the local talents have good education, are relatively cheap, and speak good technical English (see where we are going with the teaching of Science and Math in Malay?). So what we need is a stronger collaboration between industries and universities. Universities have the expensive equipments and all that industries have to do is fund the research programs. It's a win-win situation. Industries would get to tap into the university talents whilst the universities get funding for research. This is not something that could happen naturally. The government will have to create opportunities for this to happen. And this is where an innovative policy to drive an innovation based economy will help.

The primary forms of innovation are necessary to create a more innovative culture. Having innovative leaders, managing the country in an innovative way would send the message across to the entire nation that we are serious when we talk about making 2010 an innovation year for Malaysia. I don't want to see programs being devised to help Malaysians be more innovative. I don't just want financial packages to help stimulate innovation in the country. I also want our leaders to show us the way. Lead by example. The old way of doing things are not necessarily the best way of doing it. Find innovative solutions to solve an old problem. Find an innovative way to stop our neighbors from profiteering from our subsidized fuel. Find an innovative way to put a stop to corruption. Find an innovative way to solve our racial divide and lack of integration. Find an innovative way to improve our quality of education. Find an innovative solution to our everlasting problem of public transport. And the list could go on and on forever. In short, find an innovative way to innovate!

There is a real need to innovate innovation itself. We talk about innovation and how we should make it part of our life. I am very sure that in the not too distant future we will hear about an elegant and complex plan to inculcate innovation into us. But that is not sufficient. If we have policies that would curb innovation, then there is no point talking about an “innovation culture”. We are not open to new ideas. We are not open to new ways of doing things. We are not ready to face the modernized way of thinking. We come up with outrageous reasons to curb innovation and creativity. The arrest of Dr Asri is an obvious example that we are not prepared for innovative thinking. And most of these on the pretext of religiosity. I know not of any religion that would restrict innovation!

Innovation is not something that you can plan. There is no such thing as “thou shall practice innovation” and everyone innovates. Innovative culture stems from an innovative mind. A mind that is free to question and challenge. A mind that explores every other possibilities without fear of repercussions. An innovative culture would only thrive in an environment that is conducive. Any policies or laws that restrict innovation must be amended. To bring about innovation into our culture, there must be a revolutionary change. Gradual improvements will not be sufficient. We need the change to be impactful so that the people would know that we mean business and we are serious to bring about change. That is what I call an innovative way to towards bettering innovation.

And to all the leaders out there, I hope to see some innovation in creating innovation itself. A lack of such would be taken as a sign that this is just another subtle political campaign with a catchy slogan, which I hope this is not the case here.

Nazri says Dr M is a racist...and calls himself a hypocrite!

The Selangor state government, under Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, claims that the BTN course is a political machine used by UMNO to brainwash/indoctrinate the people. Not having gone for any BTN courses myself, I am in no position to comment with the greatest certainty, but I can say that I am not surprised. Well actually, I am surprised that it has taken so long for this to be brought to light.

The cabinet has approved for the course to be revamped. Good news for some, but not all. Tun Mahathir says that it is not necessary because the allegations were mere exaggerations. Nazri then slammed Tun Mahathir saying that he is a racist for defending the current BTN syllabuses as it only promotes the so-called “Ketuanan Melayu” and is not in line with the 1Malaysia spirit. Hhhmmm…kuru…kuru… Nazri is indirectly saying that the BTN course is indeed racially inclined. Aiyooo, membuka pekung di dada BN ka bro?

What I could not understand is, if Nazri strongly feels that way, then why has it taken so long for him to voice this out? The BTN syllabuses have been there for ages… but he is only voicing his discontent when the PM has introduced the 1Malaysia concept.? So selama ni (pre-1Malaysia) racism is accepted as part of the BN culture? Takkan nak jump into the 1Malaysia boat to bodek boss? Selama ni tak boleh fikir ka bro? Takkan kena tunggu boss to show the way baru nak guna otak… alamak, kacau la lu bro…

Okayla, maybe time Tun dulu si Nazri ni takut nak kecoh-kecoh….ye la apparently Tun ni kan dictator.. but to think about it, time Pak Lah takkan takut gak kot ? Takut Pak Lah terlena ka bro?

Okayla, in the spirit of “giving Nazri the benefit of the doubt”…yela, kita Islam kenala bersangka baik kan… so now let’s just ASSUME that Nazri did voice it out… he opposed very strongly to the BTN syllabuses… I wonder why it never received any news coverage? Aiyooo…so now you are saying that the press deliberately kept you out? So there is no freedom of press? All the papers only report what they are told to report? No transparency? Newspapers are political machines of BN? So BN controls the news in Malaysia so that the rakyat can be kept in the dark, like a katak bawah tempurung?

Nazri, you seriously need to clarify what you meant by calling Dr M a racist for opposing the revamp of the BTN course… from a superficial level it seems like you are a good natured person fighting for a just Malaysia. But for the thinking person, you bring shame to yourself and the party. It says a lot about your integrity, or lack thereof. Do not be fooled, the rakyat are thinking people too! You say things that YOU THINK the rakyat wants to hear but in reality only make a fool of yourself.

Stop hijacking/politicizing/sloganeering/manipulating/commercializing the 1Malaysia concept…it does not have a clear direction as yet…but everyone is jumping on-board and trying to navigate it as we go along..in the end we are not going anywhere…but it seems like the whole 1Malaysia ship may even sink!

RSPO - The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a voluntary standard which provides a framework for the definition of a sustainable palm oil. The crux of the RSPO framework revolves around three key sustainability elements; those are social responsibility, economic development and environmental aspects of the palm industry, which basically ranges from the oil palm plantation, through the processing stages and all the way to the final use. The RSPO was initially formed with the view of guiding the entire industry globally towards an industry that is not only deemed as profitable but also responsible, and hence ensures its competitiveness in the global market, especially in countries where sustainability is vital, such as in Europe where the NGOs have been particularly critical towards palm oil, alleging that it destroys natural forests as well as endangering the orang-utans. The RSPO Principles and Criteria, in its current form, is relatively robust in defining practices that are socially and economically responsible, such as the deterrents of child labour, respecting the rights of indigenous land owners and responsible towards all legal obligations. However, recently with the surge in interest in climate change, the palm industry have been severely criticized for its rampant clearings of tropical rainforest (and its subsequent release of Greenhouse Gases, GHG) in the development of oil palm plantations and hence the RSPO too was/is condemned for not including a sufficiently robust environmental-sustainability criteria to mitigate such GHG-intensive practices. As such, the RSPO has, by the directives of the executive board, commissioned a committee dubbed the GHG Working Group (GHG WG) to further deliberate on this issue so that amendments to the RSPO Principles and Criteria could be made for it to be equally robust from an environmental perspective.

The GHG WG, which is a multi-stakeholder committee, which is composed of representatives from the palm oil producers (MPOA, GAPKI etc), consumers (Neste, Unilever) and relevant technical experts, was tasked to amend the existing RSPO standards so that the GHG-intensive steps currently being practiced are improved to reduce these nasty global warming gasses. I have been keeping myself abreast with the discussions happening in the RSPO GHG WG, as well as attended the recent Palm Oil conference on GHG emissions organized by MPOC, and I am absolutely surprised and frustrated by the quality of arguments being put forth by our so-called technical experts in the industry. I appreciate that a much stricter standard would mean a higher capital investment and operational expenditure for a lot of the smallholders, and the resistance displayed is very much within expectation. However, a scientific and technical argument must never be countered by emotionally driven arguments and lack of professionalism. I was very disappointed to see that even our so-called “associate professor” from a reputable local university made the blunder of being technically “questionable” in his effort of supporting the industry’s “fight” for a lenient standard on behalf of the palm oil producers. The relevant foreign experts on GHG emissions from palm oil industry would present his case, backed-up by scientific data, and our fellow Malaysian experts would counter the arguments emotionally, bordering being unprofessional!

Generally, converting natural forest for the development of oil palm plantation, is commonly practiced in the East, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia, and this will contribute significantly to the release of sequestered carbon from the forest (locked in the form of biomass) to the atmosphere in the form of CO2, a typical climate change related gas. And whilst I fully appreciate, without the slightest doubt, that such forest conversions could improve the socio-economic status of the people in remote Sabah and Sarawak, and therefore lifting them off poverty, it is from a GHG perspective still undesirable no matter how much socio-economic improvements it enables. If socio-economic development of our country is deemed more important than the “rich-man’s” GHG standard, then by all means please do convert the forest into oil palm plantations! No one is stopping you especially since RSPO is a VOLUNTARY standard, which means that if you comply, well done, but if you don’t, no one will penalize you! But do not ask the RSPO to certify it as being sustainable. Because it is not. It is scientifically wrong! If RSPO, currently regarded by the larger community as an impartial non-profit organization responsible for the definition and certification of sustainable palm oil, certifies a non-sustainable palm oil as sustainable, then the entire certification scheme will be useless and the credibility of the RSPO will be in question!

The World Is Also Flat in Malaysia

I have read 176 pages of “The World if Flat”, and I absolutely love it. Yes, I have only read a couple of chapters, but I still think that the author, Thomas L. Friedman, is a brilliant writer. The entire book is about how technology and innovation enables companies to work faster, cheaper and more efficiently across borders. Whilst we all have heard of the word globalization in our everyday lives, Friedman dubbed this phenomenal turn of event “A Flat World”, which in a way is ironic given how decades ago scientists argued, some at the expense of their lives, that this world we live in is indeed spherical instead of a flat one as popularly believed by the Church back then.

In this book, Friedman presented his argument that this world is flat by using examples of how major companies in the US are outsourcing work and offshoring plants to Bangalore as a cost-efficient solution to an increasingly competitive economy. Initially, this outsourcing phenomena started with the IT industry, whereby local Bangalore firms were paid, cheaply in the US but competitively in India, to take over the task of re-setting computers in the US for the then so-called impending “Y2K-bug”, which in retrospect were proven to be nothing more than another new year! Having proven to be capable of such task, words began spreading and companies began realizing that these are effective measures of reducing overheads/OPEX (operating expenditures) without compromising output quality. And over the years, many more companies have taken a much bolder step by offshoring plants onto the Indian soil, thereby further enhancing their cost competitiveness. Major companies like IBM, Shell and many more have offices in Bangalore to take advantage of this low cost operating environment, compared to the conventional US/Europe locations. This not only benefitted those Western companies but also the local Indian individuals as they were not only paid competitively in India with much more perks than what they are used to getting, but exposed to the global business model.. What only started off as a 24/7 IT call centre soon evolved into a major industrial hub for the services and manufacturing economy, at a surprisingly fast pace. India as a country has benefitted tremendously from this as their economy began to prosper.

In addition to that, Friedman also argued that Dalian is to Japan what Bangalore has become to the US and other English speaking countries, mainly because the people of Dalian (a port city in China) speaks perfect Japanese. At this point, it got me thinking, what made Dalian and Bangalore an attractive location for major companies to outsource or offshore to is the fact that they have sufficient local talent, who could perform a task cheaply and most importantly speak the same language that these companies speak in.

Now, Malaysia as a country would obviously benefit a lot from such investments. Ideally we should aspire to be the outsourcer instead of the outsourcee, if there is such a word. But realistically, we are a developing nation and our companies are not in a major multinational position to outsource/offshore. However, even if we do have a Malaysian-based large international company (I suppose Petronas and Proton could fall under this category) the country would benefit more if these companies were to keep the work in-house but still providing for the international market in order to generate the local economy. So, because we are still developing we should do all we can to be the most attractive location amongst other developing nation so that we are the preferred outsourcee.

To be an excellent outsourcee, we need to make sure our graduates are sufficiently competent, and this is achievable by improving our education system, not just tertiary education, but also our primary and secondary schools as they form the basis of university education. Secondly, we have to be relatively cheap, which comparatively we are. And finally, our talents must speak fluently in the language of the market that we cater our talents for. So if we aspire to provide services to the Japanese, then our graduates will have to be able to speak Japanese fluently. If we are targeting the US and Europe, then English should be the language our graduates are taught to speak in. And I think that our graduates should be taught to communicate in English, instead of Japanese or German etc, simply because it increases our chances of becoming an outsourcee given the relevance of English globally. It’s a simple law of probability..the more opportunities you open yourselves to, the more chances of you striking a hit! But I guess now that we have gone back to teaching Math and Science in Malay is an indication that we are hoping to serve the Indonesian market ? Unless those fellow ministers in the cabinet foresees Indonesia turning into a developed nation in the near future and becoming a major outsourcer, then unfortunately I see a bleak future looming ahead!

A parting word of advice, read this book!

Potong Saga

I received this link from a colleague.

The video clip attached below is a laugh-out-loud film about a Chinese boy’s misguided attempts at opening an Islamic bank account. Its quite hilarious.

There are a few more clips that you can watch at the following website:

http://15malaysia.com/

When in Rome, do as the Africans do...

(source:http://malaysiana.pnm.my/01/01pgenln_adatresam.htm)

I see Malaysia/fellow Malaysians moving into a characterless future, all on the pretext of “modernization”. Sadly a lot of the time, modernization is westernization. Nothing wrong with wanting to be westernized. But I don’t see anything wrong with still wanting to be Malaysian/Eastern, and yet modern. Why is it when we say modern, it immediately means western. I have heard of arguments from many people about how we Malaysians are very conservative, “mundur”, “kampung” and backwards, and it always, more often than not, refers to our un-westernized characters, attitudes, and way of life. We feel the need regulate certain aspects of our way of life… but when we oppose such ideas, oftentimes the arguments put forth is based on what is being done in the West, which is seen as the ideals of many, or the absolute definition of a modern society. We change the way we behave, the way we talk and the way we dress, just so we are seen as “modern”. We look to the West, we look to other countries to help us decide what the best course of action is. We define humanity, human rights, legal rights and all other rights based on what is done in the West. Nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with wanting to learn from the experiences of other countries, but not all that is done in the West is the gospel way of doing things. They have done many mistakes too, after all they are humans, just like we are. Not everything that works in the West, would work well here. We have different values, background and history that defines who we are. Why change that in the name of modernity. Losing something so precious that took decades to be established..

People look up to the Westerns. The views of white layperson is always much more appreciated than the views of an expert Asian. Why is it that dating a Western chic/boy is more glamorous than dating a fellow Asian. Why is it that when fellow Asians travel to the West, they lose their identity? It is as if we, Asians, are ashamed of our origins. Is pretending to be Westernized (okay, Modern in your dictionary!) better than being who you are, the real you? Pretend for too long, and we would eventually lose our identity. We would all be modern-wannabes.

But what is “modern”? My not so proficient vocabulary says that it is something that is the latest…be it an idea, a design, or even a way of life. A recent/new way of thinking in Malaysia/Asia, is still a state of being modern. Modernity, is not limited to the recent/current thinking in the West. Hence, a new trend initiated in Malaysia, is a modern trend! It does not have to come from the West for it to be modern. Have your own identity…its more precious than being a so-called modernized western-wannabe. In years to come, we would be bland. No more uniqueness that makes us Asian.

Let’s think for a bit. How much longer are gonna look highly to the West and adopt to their way of life. People say, when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do. Masuk kandang kambing mengembek, masuk kandang lembu eerr…(cant remember the ending…mengelembu perhaps?). But why? Why can’t we be Japanese when we are in Rome? Why can’t we mengiau bila masuk kandang kerbau? I know these proverbs meant to say that we should adapt to the surroundings…but really, adapt is one thing, but to lose identity for the sake of being accepted/adaptable is not worth it. There are things that we can freely adopt for us to be adaptable, but there are things that we should not compromise. Let no one tell you otherwise. Have your own principles. Without principles and values, who are we anyway?

I am sleepy, and I am beginning to sound like a broken record. So I might as well stop now.

Oi, Jeff...Oooi!

The following is an article from today’s TheStar, which only shows the utter bollocks that goes through the retarded-mind of an Islamo-phobic asshole!

Sunday August 2, 2009
Ooi wants JIM-linked Razali out
By IAN MCINTYRE

GEORGE TOWN: Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi is continuing his verbal war with Penang PKR municipal councillor Mohd Razali Abdullah, saying the council should not allow a “religious extremist” in its administration.

Ooi, who is Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s chief of staff, said the state was setting a dangerous precedent by allowing an alleged extremist religious activist to infiltrate the local government system.

“Razali has confirmed that he is a Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) member,” he said, adding he would call on Lim and state DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow to handle the matter.

Ooi, who is a member of the DAP central executive committee, printed out literature from JIM’s portal at www.jim.org.my which stated that the organisation’s mission statement was to develop Malaysia into a country which fully adopted Syariah law by 2020.

“How can the Penang people accept someone who prioritises Syariah law ahead of the Pakatan Rakyat state and the people?” he said at a press conference yesterday.

“We are transparent. Before my public outburst, I had raised the matter internally with Penang PKR chairman Datuk Zahrain Mohd Hashim and the state government about two PKR councillors including one who is constantly absent. But there were no answers,” he said.

Zahrain, when contacted, said he would address the issue at the next state Pakatan meeting scheduled for Monday in Lim’s office at Komtar.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/2/nation/4440859&sec=nation

Oi, Jeff Ooi what da hell is wrong with you?! Can’t you think straight for once...please, help me understand here...what is wrong with wanting to establish Syariah Laws by 2020? Everyone will have their own personal views for just about everything. If this Razali fellow personally believes that Syariah Laws is the way to go for the future, then what is wrong with him associating himself with JIM? It is only wrong if/when he tries to force people to see and accept his views. Only then he is a religious extremist! There is nothing wrong with what he has done so far. Do you mean to say that if i were to believe in something associated with religion which happens to be against what you believe, then i am a religious extremist?! Following the same logic, then you are an extremist. Simply because you are against establishing Syariah Laws. I dont know which religion you profess in, or if you believe in God at all, but following your same line of thoughts, having a different set of believes would make you a religious extremist. What a fucked-up logic.

Secondly, since when are you open to comment publicly on such sensitive topics?! Hey, don’t get me wrong, i have no qualms over public discussions on topics relating to religion, beliefs and other potentially sensitive subjects. But it is amazing that you apply such double standards. When a Malay dude in Penang casually said that the Chinese WERE immigrants, you made so much noise saying that it is an insensitive comment which should not have been uttered in a multiracial country. An now you say this publicly? For your info, many Muslims believe that an Islamic country should be based on the Syariah laws. I don’t know enough about the laws of Islam, and i have not fully understood the Quran to form a conclusive view on this topic, but i do feel that people are entitled to believe in what they want to believe in. And most importantly, no one should be penalized for having such beliefs (as long as they dont go breaking the Laws)! If you think that i am an asshole, then whatever mate, i just couldn’t care less. Life goes on. Even if my father is the Prime Minister, i won’t ask him to penalize you. So live with it mate. You will always find people having views against yours, and that will never make them an extremist. But you acting all foolishly because someone don’t share your views, that is extremism.... nate bengong mu nih!

Thirdly, what could possibly be so wrong with being a part of JIM? Really, if it is an organisation for religious extremists, then do you honestly think that our legal and enforcement system is so screwed up to allow such thing to go unnoticed. We live in Malaysia for heaven sake…we come up with fatwas on everything, and we have the ISA being used freely on everyone…so, seriously, we could not be any stricter in monitoring religious NGOs….if there is something wrong with JIM, then the JAIS/JAWI/JAetc would have been all over it….

Fourthly, you said:

“We are transparent. Before my public outburst, I had raised the matter internally with Penang PKR chairman Datuk Zahrain Mohd Hashim and the state government about two PKR councillors including one who is constantly absent. But there were no answers,”

You, being holier-than-thou with a know-it-all attitude, think that this Razali fellow should be stripped from his position simply because he is part of JIM and believes that the Syariah Laws should be the laws governing the country, and you have done all that is within your power to make sure he is penalized, then why the fuck are you all numb and dumb and quiet about the Pakatan Rakyat, which has PAS as one of its components…owh, I forgot, you can’t say anything…it will be a political suicide for you… what a hypocrite! Typical, fight for the limelight, silence over what really matters!

1Malaysia

I am very happy to see the many things happening in Malaysia ever since Najib took the seat. Many initiatives were devised to hopefully improve the economic and social well-being of the country and the rakyat. The 1Malaysia concept is good. Stop criticizing it folks, it is a concept developed with only the best intentions in mind and heart for the people of Malaysia. Hopefully someday we will be a true nation, not merely existing as a country. It wishes to see fellow Malaysians being united under the same umbrella, all striving towards excellence, moving the country forward, pushing through obstacles, jumping over hurdles through loops of fires into a developed nation, without intentionally or unintentionally allowing any sectors of the rakyat being left behind, be it by race, religion or geographical locations. It benefits both, the haves and the have nots, and it does not discriminate between the politically-connected and those without any connections. It is for you and for me to enjoy.

Now that we have this wonderful concept briefly outlined, I could not help but wonder:

1. What is the baseline scenario, i.e have we agreed where we stand now? I have heard arguments that we ARE multiracial and we DO live together in harmony. So where are we, people? Where are we starting from?

2. Where are we heading to? Is there a target we all aspire to achieve? To be honest, I do feel that the 1Malaysia concept was announced without much deliberation and description of what we hope to be and….(continue in point 3 below)

3. …by when? Timescale people… if it is not time-bound, then it will never be achieved. But of course, it has to be reasonable too.

4. What are we doing to get there? What specific steps are we taking to get to where we want to be? Any implementation strategy? Who is responsible, and who is accountable for making sure of this ? And don’t tell me everyone is responsible, because it will not work…I have heard that far too many times before, and trust me, it has never worked in the past and it will never work in the future!

5. How do we know if/when we are there? What will be used as the yardstick? A target without any defined way of measuring “national unity” is as good as not having any targets at all. We need a clearly defined methodology.

My view is, without the above, the idea of 1Malaysia will be just that, a concocted “concept”. A make-believe idea for political gains. I hope it is not the case here. I may sound very pessimistic, but I do believe in the concept, and I sooooo want it to work. I just hope that all politicians will want it to work more than I do, so that at least I can be rest assured that someday we will get there (wherever that is)! I have heard far too many talks, but seen much less effective actions. Be different Najib!

RON 95 - An introduction to Gasoline Octane

I have been very busy lately, consumed by the many things that are happening personally and professionally. Hence why i have not been updating my blog for a very long time. I am now tired of writing on politics…a subject that I am not very well versed and I have less control over. I figure that i might as well write on something that I have expertise in. But I doubt it will be long before I start rambling about the things that happen around me…in short bebel la!

The government very recently announced the introduction of RON95 fuel to replace RON92, and ever since then, I have received numerous questions pertaining this from many of my friends and acquaintances . The following is my attempt to explain RON in a not too technical way (oftentimes I fail miserably, as my fellow colleagues in External Communications would testify):

RON, which stands for Research Octane Number, is a measure of octane quality of gasoline/petrol fuels whereby Octane is the ability of the fuel to resist engine knocking. So what is engine knocking?

This is where I really struggle to articulate in laymen terms. Engine knocking is an undesirable phenomenon that happens when a section/pocket of the fuel and air mixture in the engine ignites spontaneously and prematurely before it is consumed by the flame that is ignited by the spark plug. In a normal combustion, the flame in the engine is ignited by the spark plug, which then propagates to consume the entire fuel and air mixture. So essentially engine knocking is one of the many examples of when abnormal combustion happens in an engine. Two common symptoms of engine knocking are sudden loss of power, and pinging/rattling sound that originates from under the hood. Engine knocking, if persists over a long period, could lead to severe and costly engine damage.

Basically, the number after the RON acronym, denotes the octane level of that fuel, which means that a RON 97 has higher octane level than RON95, thereby are more resistant towards engine knocking than the latter. So what is the significance of it? Which cars are compatible with RON95 ? It depends on your car. Check it out for yourself la…. I cannot have all the information in my tiny little head. So I would suggest that you start by looking at your vehicle manual under the “fuel” section. It should specify the minimum RON recommended/required for your car make and model. Just be sure that you always fill-up with a fuel that has a RON value that meets or exceeds the minimum RON required by your car. For example, if your car requires a RON of 92, then you could fill-up with any fuel that has a RON value of 92 or higher, therefore RON95 and RON97 is compatible with your car. But if your car requires a minimum RON of 97, then unfortunately you can only fill-up with a RON97 fuel (or higher). If you insist on using a lower RON fuel, you may get your car re-tuned (i.e. retard your spark timing), but at the expense of power and fuel economy deterioration.

So hope that helps. I am too sleepy to write more, and you can probably tell from my "direct-to-the-point" way of writing.

The Joy of Multi Flavoured Ice Creams

Everybody likes ice cream. I like ice cream. In fact, I know of no one who dislikes ice creams. We have chocolate ice creams, vanilla ice creams, strawberry ice creams and many other interesting flavors, durian included. Some people prefer eating chocolate ice creams whilst others prefer vanilla ice creams. For me, I prefer ice creams with mixed flavors, in particular a mix of chocolate and vanilla. I don’t know why, perhaps because you get to taste both. Perhaps it looks better. Or perhaps, because it just taste better. But even if you were to mix two scoops of different flavored ice creams in a single bowl, u can easily tell them apart. If you were to mix chocolate and vanilla, you can tell them apart by their distinct colours. Moreover, if you were to let them melt, naturally one would melt faster than the other (usually vanilla melts faster). But once melted and homogenously mixed, both of the ice creams lose their original chocolate and vanilla identity. You can no longer tell them apart. They taste different and they look different. They are neither chocolates nor vanilla. They are just eerr….molten ice creams. Do we still like it? Some say yes. Will we still buy one if it were pre-blended beforehand ? Maybe. Or do we still prefer to have individual scoops of different flavored ice creams so that we can experience the different taste and richness it has to offer ?

So should Malaysia be a bowl with many individual ice cream scoops or a single scoop of homogenously mixed ice cream flavors?

Haagen Dazs anyone?

Malaysianisation

I lived in the UK for 3 years. I absolutely loved it. If given the opportunity to work there again, I would not even think twice. It is not just for the money, seriously it’s not. Back then, there were many things in the UK that I truly liked and enjoyed doing, and I am very sure I still will. People there can be very courteous, but obviously not all of them are. Life is more relaxing and laid back, and everyone seems to have a balanced work-life. Weekends were always enjoyable since a group of us will somehow find something to do, or somewhere to visit, where most of the times it would involve some outdoor activities in the remote but picturesque areas of Wales.

So have I ever considered living there longer? Yes, many times.

Do I see myself being a permanent resident in the UK at some point in time? Never.

Why? It may sound a bit corny, but I honestly love Malaysia! It may be hard to believe, but I am very loyal to the country. I wish that someday we can all live as Malaysians without being unduly bothered by our cultural, religious and ethnic differences. Malaysia, I feel, is a unique country with huge potentials. Don’t judge Malaysia by Malaysians. Don’t judge Malaysia by the politicians, especially those selfish ones. Don’t judge Malaysia by the ongoing and subtle (but not so subtle lately) racial tension between races. Would you judge a car by the driver or by the car itself? Same stuff.

To continue digressing, I sometimes wonder, what it means to be a Malaysian. Is there a definition of Malaysian in the Malaysian constitution? Any legal experts with insights on this? Anyway, to think about it, what is the Rukun Negara then….is the Rukun Negara a pre-requisite of being a Malaysian?

The Rukun Negara says:
Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan
Kesetian kepada Raja dan Negara
Keluhuran Perlembagaan
Kedaulatan Undang-undang
Kesopanan dan Ketatasusilaan

So does it mean that if you are an atheist then you are not a Malaysian because you are in direct violation of the first Rukun Negara? So are those blatantly rude drivers on Malaysian roads, non-Malaysian?

Perhaps we should re-look at what it means to be a Malaysian. We talk about pushing aside racial identities and the promulgation of the concept of Bangsa Malaysia. We aspire to be Malaysians all-round in the spirit of one Malaysia. But really, what does it mean? What does it mean to be Malaysian, or what does it mean to be Bangsa Malaysia? We are on a mission, but what is the vision. Perhaps it’s just my ignorance and naivety. I just hope that we won’t launch a rocket to nowhere!

Politics 101: Introduction to Politics

Politics is an intricate subject by itself. But Malaysian politics, I have to admit, adds a fourth dimension, taking the entire topic to another level of complexity. To all the Chemists out there, if Politics were Organic Chemistry, then Malaysian Politics is perhaps equivalent to Quantum Chemistry, which goes so far as saying that the politics in Malaysia is highly convoluted and mind boggling. Therefore, to all of the newbie (myself not spared) out there, the following is an extract from an email I recently received, which gives a rather general, but realistic, view on the basics of politics.

One day, a son asked his father “Dad, what is politics?”
And the dad replied…

“Son, since I bring home the money, so I am the CAPITALIST.”
“Your mother administrates the money, therefore she is the GOVERNMENT.”
“Your grandpa, who keeps an eye over the whole thing, is the UNION.”
“Our maid is the WORKING CLASS”
“ We all want just one thing, your well-being. Hence you are the PEOPLE, meanwhile your younger brother who is still in his nappy is the FUTURE.”

And when the father asked if the kid understood it, the little one thought about it and told his father that he wanted to sleep it over for one night.

Then during the night the boy was woken up by his younger brother’s constant crying and the foul smell in the room. As he didn’t know what to do, he wandered into the parents’ bedroom but only to find the mother in the room sleeping all alone. The mother was so sound asleep that the little boy failed to wake her up. So he then went over to the maid’s room, but this time only to realize the father was having “fun” with the maid, whilst the grandpa was secretly peeping through a hole. They were all so engrossed into their own activities that no one realized the boy was standing there in the room. Seeing that he didn’t know what else to do, he decided to get back to bed and force himself to sleep.

On the following morning, the father asked the little boy if he could, in only a few words, explain what he understood about politics.

Confidently the boy said that he could and started explaining:

“The CAPITALIST abuses the WORKING CLASS”
“The UNION watches without doing anything”
“While the GOVERNMENT sleeps”
“The PEOPLE are completely ignored”
“And the FUTURE is in a shitty mess!”

What can I say..that is politics! :)

To ALL Malaysian Politicians

Stop politicising every little thing, and get on with managing the country and leading the nation through these highly uncertain times. You are all paid to do so. But most importantly, you are shouldering a huge responsibility and many are counting on you. Politics wont save the country. Politicians wont save the nation. Clear and rationale thinking leaders working together as Malaysians is what we need. Put your political differences aside. Take religious differences out of the equation. And remove those personal grudges out of the picture. Your barkings amongst yourselves will do no good to no one. Chasing for power to prove a point will take the the nation nowhere. Put the interest of the nation first and you wont go astray. Let what is beneficial for the rakyat be your guide.

An open letter by Anas Zubedy to ALL Malaysian Politicians. Very well articulated and it gets my support 110% !

Dear Malaysian Politicians,

Please stop the power chase, call for a truce and focus on the economy.

I do not claim to speak on behalf of all Malaysians, but I have strong convictions that many share my sentiments.

Our concern today is not who rules the country or heads the state governments but the looming bad economy.

Whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat leads, it is meaningless if Malaysians have no job to go to, no money to pay rent and no means to put food on the table.

I am a business owner, like other business owners and managers of corporations I have a responsibility to ensure people under my care and payroll continue to have jobs and a decent income to take home. We work hard and willing to go the extra mile to make sure our nation not only survive this crisis but come out stronger and wiser. We need your help.

Let me explain. I am in the business of Training, Development and Consultancy and have 20 people in my team.

Saedah is 42. She keeps the office clean and helps organise the training rooms. She has four children and her husband is unemployed. She was first hired on a part time basis, because she is very hard working and has a great attitude, we offered her a full time job to help provide a stable income for her family. Even then, when her third child started school this year, it was a struggle for her to buy new school uniforms and other necessities. Saedah lives on a ‘kais bulan, makan bulan’ basis, so, if she is jobless, her tap runs dry.

Samsuri is 27 years old. He lives with his sister and her family in a low cost government flat in Sunway. He does our despatch, helps with various clerical works and occasionally acts as a driver. During the first week at zubedy, we learned that he not only did not have money to buy new clothes and shoes for work, he had no money for lunch. Like Saedah, if he has no job, his tap runs dry too.

Alicia in Client Servicing turns 26 this year. She lives with her dad who is 71 years old and retired. Her mom passed away when she was little. Alicia is a hard-working team member, has a gentle caring outlook and fun to be with. (We like to poke fun at her as she blushes easily). Last May her dad went through a major operation, thank God he has recovered well. Alicia needs a job, both for herself and her dad.

Sudesh, 38, is one of our facilitators. When his father passed away last year, he moved back and lives with his mother in Seremban. He shuttles between Kuala Lumpur and Seremban daily, leaving home sometimes as early as 4 in the morning and returning late at night. He is no stranger to hard work and sacrifice, he knows what he needs to do to survive and to care for his mother, but he too needs a job.

Like fellow Malaysians, every one of us in zubedy needs employment, those that live from hand to mouth like Saedah and Samsuri and others like Alicia and Sudesh with family to care for. We Malaysians need the Malaysian economy to be strong. We need you, our leaders, to work hard and to work together to make our economy viable.

So this is my plea.

Pakatan Rakyat, please stop your attempts to take over the federal government and persuade BN’s lawmakers to join you. Stop all legal proceedings, no more 916 and let go, just let go. The nation can wait till the next general elections if they want change. By doing so, Malaysians will see your party as caring, unselfish and gracious and give you their support in the next elections.

Barisan Nasional, please stop any attempts to take over PR states and win over PR’s lawmakers. You have proven your point with Perak. The nation can wait for the next general elections if they want your party. Focus all your talent, energy and hard work in steering the country out of an economic downturn. By doing so, Malaysians will see your party as caring, unselfish and smart and give you their support in the next elections.

BN and PR! Call for a truce. Get together and compromise. Someone has to give in. Or has hate consumed your heart till it blinds you? You can do it. You have enough intelligent people between you. I am sure you can find solutions. Take the nation to heart. That is why you are in politics in the first place.

Focus on the people.

Focus on the economy.

Anas Zubedy

Managing Director

Zubedy (M) Sdn Bhd

A Tribute to Tunku

An excellent article on the late Tunku by Prabhakaran S. Nair (Feb 15, 2009, The Star). A story about a compassionate human being and a true leader for all races. Some people are just naturally great leaders, but some try too hard because of the power that comes with it and the possibilities of reaping personal gains from corrupt practices. We were lucky to have Tunku as the first Prime Minister. Hopefully someday we will have a leader of such calibre once again.

Last Sunday, the birthday of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra passed unnoticed in the midst of dramatic political developments. The commemoration of Tunku’s birth could have provided a perfect occasion for Malaysians to reflect on our ideals and aspirations as a nation made up of people of different races, cultures and religions.

THE birth of Tunku is a story of compassion that Menjelara, his mother, never tired of recounting. According to various sources, the story is that before Tunku was born, his father (the Sultan of Kedah) had sentenced the Keeper of the Royal Seal to death, and ordered that the right thumb of his wife and that of all his children be severed. This was punishment for deceitfully misusing the royal seal to sell state land for personal gain.
The Keeper’s wife was in a state of great sorrow, unable to imagine the pain and suffering that her innocent children would have to undergo. She ran to Menjelara, the Sultan’s favoured wife, and pleaded in tears for her innocent children to be spared the ordeal.

Being a loving mother herself, Menjelara could feel her pain and sorrow, and promised to speak to the Sultan. But she knew she could not directly ask him or intervene in his prerogative.
Menjelara thought of an idea. She lied to the Sultan that she was pregnant, and expressed her fear that if he proceeded with the punishment, their unborn child might be born without a thumb, or perhaps without a limb.

Her arguments were helped by an age-old belief that the husband should do no evil during his wife’s pregnancy, otherwise something bad may come upon the unborn child. The Sultan ordered the dishonest official to be imprisoned instead, and revoked the sentence on the rest of the family.

Kind Soul: True to his name, Rahman, the Tunku did grow up to be a man of great compasion, with a forgiving nature.

It was now Menjalara’s turn to be worried. She had lied to the Sultan, and she was afraid he would discover the truth. She prayed fervently, and fortunately became pregnant soon after. The child, who was conceived in the womb of the compassionate queen, was named Rahman, meaning “compassionate”.

Interestingly, the words “womb” and “compassion” have a common root in Arabic, suggesting that the womb is not just the seat of life, but also the dawning place of compassion.
The people in Kedah believe that Menjelara’s act of compassion had enabled her to conceive, and that her own qualities of compassion, generosity and open-heartedness were passed on to the child.

True to his name, Tunku did grow up to be a man of great compassion, with a forgiving nature. His life story came to reflect the three most important duties of a human being: “The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” (Henry James).

Click here to read more (and you should!)

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/15/focus/3215398&sec=focus

Elizabeth Wong

I was searching for Elizabeth Wong on the web, and no, I wasn’t attempting to get hold of pictures of her in the nude. Although, to think about it, I wouldn’t have minded reviewing some of them to see what the fuss is all about… :) Anyway I digress and i jest! Somehow I stumbled upon her blog and read through her latest press statement pertaining her resignation etc…

I found something profoundly perplexing. On the one hand she says:

“I have done nothing wrong. I wish to state that I am not ashamed of my sexuality as a woman and as a single person. I have broken no law. I stand by the fundamental principle in a democracy that everyone has a right to privacy.”

And on the other hand she tenders her resignation, as if she is agreeing that she has done something awfully wrong! I am in no position to judge, and indeed I am not judging, especially since I don’t know the content of the pictures. It could be something totally immoral, or it could be something perfectly usual. I don’t know and I don’t want to know.

The way I see it, there are only 3 reasons why she would resign:

Reason One:
The pictures revealed an immoral side of hers that no one ever knew about. IF that is the case, then indeed she should resign given that she is a public figure!

Reason Two:
A top down pressure from the leaders of PKR insisting that she resigns in order to avoid further damage to the party. IF this is the actual reason, then she shouldn’t have resigned especially since she is convinced that she has done nothing wrong! Resigning would only mean that she is acceding to an instruction that is against her personal conviction. She should instead be resigning from the party, and not from the responsibilities entrusted upon her by the voters.

Reason Three:
To regain lost privacy! I would probably not understand this as much as I hope to, given that I have never experienced an undoubtedly life-changing episode such as this. But from the outside looking in, I don’t think resignation would do much good. Whats done is done, and isolating yourself from the eyes of the public will not undo it, and neither heals the scar. Only time heals. How long can you be a media recluse ? Chua Soi Lek is a living proof. Resigned once and now crawling back into politics. So why not just hold your head up high, and weather the storm in these trying times and hopefully everything will wither away with time. You are getting the support from almost everyone, the BNs included! You should be proud to be the uniting factor, and what I gather from the various blogs that I have read, you are a respectable leader. So continue doing what you do best!

Now that all the above is said, I am in no way insinuating that I condone the acts of the perpetrator! Invading the privacy of others is one thing, but to publicly humiliate and demean someone is completely unacceptable no matter how much of a devil she may be. Not that I am saying that she is a devil, but you know what I mean. It is absolutely amazing how inhumanely childish people can be just to seek, what I can only speculate to be, some demented form of vengeance. How can you horribly degrade someone after sharing something so intimate is just beyond my understanding? This is not immoral…this is amoral.

This Is No Doggy Joke!

I will start off by saying that I don’t know enough about the Quran to comment on Islamic matters with the greatest certainty. I will also say that I was never the religious expert back at school or even now. In fact, I have always been the least knowledgeable when it pertains to Islamic rules and regulations. However, very often it baffles me when I see people, whom more often than not are Malays unfortunately, adore cats and despise dogs and pigs. It is absolutely puzzling. Was it ever mentioned in the Quran that dogs and pigs are despicable, low life animals? Please do enlighten me with the requisite knowledge that I must obviously lack. My rational, but lately very slow to function, mind seems to think that ALL animals are God’s perfect creation, dogs and pigs alike. But why do we hate these innocent animals so much? How can you stone a dog and call yourself a Muslim. Islam does not promote hatred…Islam does not promote animal cruelty…and Islam, if anything, is a religion based on love and kindness, not just towards fellow human beings, but to ALL living beings. And the last time I check, dogs and pigs are still living beings. You don’t have to touch it to not hate it. You don’t have to eat it to show respect. Yes, respect animals- these are emotional living creatures too. And above all, these are God’s creation!

Anyway do read more of this on the following sites:

Yasmin: http://yasminthefilmmaker.blogspot.com/2009/02/please-spread-this-little-film.html

Marina Mahathir: http://rantingsbymm.blogspot.com/2009/02/canine-comfort-from-quran.html

This barbarity must cease!

Once upon a time...

It was very hectic for me the whole of last week. But as I was leaving the office on the very last day before the long weekend, a very good Chinese colleague of mine popped over at my desk and uttered, “Amir, happy Thaipusam, hope you have a good one!”

I was absolutely speechless as I sat there smiling away at him thinking how this is the second time someone wishes me for something I don’t celebrate, in which the first was during Deepavali last year.

Now, I was in no way offended by those obviously sincere well wishes. There was nothing offensive about it. None at all! But it occurred to me just how little we know about each other, even amongst Malaysians. IF this were to come from a stranger, I would perfectly understand especially since I look the way I look (a.k.a STUNNING!!). But coming from a fellow Malaysian friend who knows my name, I expected him to know better. He obviously knew my name, and most Malaysians would know that Amir is a Muslim name. Colleagues from the older generations tend to get it right, based on experience.

It saddens me to think that current generations (my generation not spared) have a rather parochial interest and an even a narrower viewpoint. How many of us actually knows what Chap Goh Meh signifies? How many of us could detail the concept of Trinity as per what the Christians believe? How many of us knows what the Quran is all about? It doesn’t make you less of a Muslim if you know the basic tenets of Hinduism. It doesn’t make you less of a Hindu if you know the basic tenets of Christianity. It doesn’t make you less of a Christian if you know the basic tenets of Buddhism. And it doesn’t make you less of a Buddhist if you know the basic tenets of Atheism. Open your minds people! Learn about other religions so that you learn more about yours.

We speak so much about national unity, and how we need the different races to respect each other. But believe me you when I say that having respect between the different races/religions do not even come close to the harmony that we all yearn for. It is merely accepting the cordial existence of the many races that we have. We will not achieve racial harmony just because the ministers, or even the prime minister for that matter, ask us to unite. There is no such thing as “Thou shalt have unity” and therefore everyone unites. Its hard work people, and it starts with taking an effort to understand the people around you especially those with different sets of beliefs. Knowing what other religions are all about. And learning keenly the cultures and traditional practices of the many races in Malaysia. But most importantly, doing all the above sincerely!

I shudder to think what may happen in the future if this goes unabated. It may seem like insignificant everyday occurrences, but it isn’t. Start taking small baby steps to get to know others better, and come what may, we will be prepared!

The Journey Towards Crude Oil Independence

This was an article i submitted to NST last year, but didnt get published for reasons unknown. So facts may have changed since.

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The Government lately announced that due to the drastic increase in crude oil prices of the recent past, a major revamping of the fuel subsidy structure had to be done in order to reduce the financial burden the country would otherwise have to shoulder. No doubt, there were lots of hues and cries from the public, myself including despite the fact that I positively understand and agree that there is a need for the Government to review the subsidy structure. However, I also understand that this necessary adjustment will not protect us from future oil-price volatility. What will happen when the price is unbearably high and the Government decides that they have to revoke the subsidy completely? Will that then mean that we, the public, would continue to be susceptible to the volatility of petrol prices?

The Government should realize that the restructured fuel subsidy will merely offer a temporary and short-term relieve on Malaysia’s financial stresses. It is not a solution but rather a way of passing the problem from the Government to the public. We need to address the main problem head on and not make it another elephant in the room!

Fact one: global energy demand will continue to rise in the future to come, in fact it is globally agreed that world energy demand will double in the next few decades, particularly in light of the fact that China and India are gradually moving into an energy-intensive industrialization phase.

Fact two: supply of conventional oil and gas will struggle to keep pace with the growing energy demand. Supply of easy oil is no longer easy. Oil companies will surely attest to this, and I believe that the CEO of Petronas (Tan Sri Hassan Marican) confirmed this (NSTP- 6th June) when he revealed that much bigger investment is required to extract less oil.

Fact three: Because of the fact that we will struggle to meet demand with supply in the years to come, the price of oil is subjected to greater uncertainties, and looking at the volatility of oil prices the way it is right now, I seriously doubt that it will get any better. I doubt it will drop below 100USD per barrel, and I doubt that the burden we carry around for being heavily dependent on conventional oil and gas will ease on the public’s wallet and also on the Government’s wallet. But even if does drop below 100USD, I don’t think it will be long before OPEC decides to cut production with hope of driving the prices back to its glorious days (i.e. profitable for OPEC).

The Government needs to start looking into biofuels, which could serve as an alternative for gasoline. I applaud the Government’s effort in developing and promoting the use of Palm Oil for biodiesel. Indeed this is a brilliant step towards the right direction. However, we strongly need something similar for gasoline. We should not be contented and overly focused on the development of alternatives for diesel only, particularly when diesel only represents a smaller percentage of our total transport energy consumption. There are many alternatives that we could look into. Currently, bio-ethanol is assuming a bigger role as a replacement for gasoline worldwide. Brazil is the leader, and is closely followed behind by the US. The EU too is mandating the use of ethanol as a blending component for gasoline, and even in the East, the use of ethanol is gaining popularity. For example Thailand is already currently supplying E10 (10% ethanol blend) and E20 (20% ethanol blend) at its retail stations nationwide. In the news recently, the Thai government announced their plans of introducing E85 into the market by the end of the year, despite the many objections. Philippines on the other hand, too have been offering E10 for the last few years in some of its stations. The Philippines Biofuels Act of 2006, has stipulated that 5% of their total gasoline volume in 2009 will be substituted with ethanol. In fact, many other countries in the East (Australia, India, China etc) are gradually blending ethanol into their gasoline pool. I struggle to understand why we are not jumping into the bandwagon when this is clearly beneficial for the nation. I am not suggesting that we need to have the herd mentality, but bio-ethanol is already accepted worldwide, and car manufacturers are already in the race to develop and promote their versions of ethanol-compatible vehicles. If it is already coming to us, why wait till the very last minute and only follow pace after being left a few generations behind?
Many may feel that there would be compatibility issues surrounding the use of ethanol in our conventional gasoline car parc. However, many also fail to realize that in other markets in the world where bio-ethanol is mandated, typically car manufacturers (OEMs) endorse (and extend the warranty) the use of ethanol in gasoline of up to 10% (E10) in modern (without the use of carburetor) vehicles. Western countries that are big on using bio-ethanol, particularly Brazil, have been aggressively and actively promoting the use of ethanol in their own country in order to reduce their dependence on imported oil and their vulnerability to price volatility. The gradual implementation of ethanol-blended fuel together with the radical measures taken to motivate OEMs to develop and market ethanol-compatible cars (FFVs- flexible fuel vehicles) in Brazil, as well as offering incentives to the public for the use of bio-ethanol, Brazil is now the biggest consumer and exporter of bioethanol in the world. At present, FFVs represent the biggest passenger car market share in Brazil, and they offer gasoline laced with ethanol as high as 85% (E85).

There are lots of OEMs currently producing FFVs and in fact, if my memory serves me right, Ford, not too long ago, established a plant in the Philippine specializing in the production of FFVs for the Asean market. As a matter of fact, Volvo is already offering FFVs in the Thai market.
Ethanol could generally be produced via many ways, using various feedstocks, such as sugar cane, cassava, sorghum potato, wheat, rice, molasses and many more. To avoid competition with food crops, there are technologies out there where bio-ethanol could be produced from waste agricultural products. This will indeed tie in very well with the Prime Minister’s suggestion of developing many more agricultural lands, and would also be a plus side for the environment.
Therefore, why not emulate the same initiatives taken by the Brazilians (and other countries worldwide) and maybe hopefully at some point we could be 85% less vulnerable to the volatility of oil prices ?