To think about it...

The Malays,Chinese and Indians of Malaysia

2011-08-16T02:07:00.000-07:00

You never stood in that man's shoes or saw things through his eyes
Or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies
So help your brother along the way no matter where he starts
For the same God that made you made him too
these men with broken hearts

A Scientist is an Ulama too !

2011-08-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that this is in no way intended to disrespect anyone. Whilst I am a scientist by profession, this is not meant to insinuate that i am an ulama.. However i do feel that there is a lot of confusion in the word ulama and how it is currently being perceived. A scientist, by definition, is also an ulama...but then again, this is an academic excercise which has no bearing on anything! So here goes nonetheless....

1) In Arabic the word Ulama is the plural form of the word Alim, which has been derived from the word Ilmu. An Arabic dictionary will show you that the meaning of Ulama and Alim are as follows:

- Alim : expert, know all, past master, pundit, scholar, scientist…
(Ref: http://translation.babylon.com/arabic/to-english/#)

- Ulama: Scientist
(Ref 1: http://translation.babylon.com/arabic/to-english/)
(Ref 2: http://www.arabicenglishdictionary.org/)

It is very clear here that ulama or alim refers to someone knowledgeable and learned…the references I have quoted above specifically refers to scientists as the English equivalent to the word ulama…and besides, the word science itself is derived from the Latin word Scientia, which means knowledge.

2) So what does the Quran say about ulama? I have only been able to find the word Ulama once in the Quran, but I am not ruling out the possibility that it has appeared more than once.
Have a look at Surah 35, ayat 28, but for completeness please refer to 35 (27-28).
(Ref: http://www.searchtruth.com/chapter_display_all.php?chapter=35)

27
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا ۚ وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ

28
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَابِّ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَ‌ٰلِكَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ

Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky? With it We then bring out produce of various colours. And in the mountains are tracts white and red, of various shades of colour, and black intense in hue (27). And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle, are they of various colours. Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants, who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving (28)-
Translation by Yusuf Ali

See you not that Allah sends down water (rain) from the sky, and We produce therewith fruits of various colours, and among the mountains are streaks white and red, of varying colours and (others) very black (27). And likewise of men and Ad-Dawabb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and cattle, are of various colours. It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving (28)
Translation by Mohsin Khan

Tidakkah engkau melihat bahawa Allah menurunkan hujan dari langit, lalu Kami keluarkan dengan air hujan itu buah-buahan yang berlainan jenis dan rupanya; dan di antara gunung-ganang pula ada yang mempunyai jalur-jalur serta lorong-lorong putih dan merah, yang berlainan warnanya (tua dan muda) dan ada juga yang hitam legam (27). Dan demikian pula di antara manusia dan binatang-binatang yang melata serta binatang-binatang ternak, ada yang berlainan jenis dan warnanya? Sebenarnya yang menaruh bimbang dan takut (melanggar perintah) Allah dari kalangan hamba-hambaNya hanyalah orang-orang yang berilmu. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Kuasa, lagi Maha Pengampun (28)
Translation in Bahasa Melayu

So what does the Quran say?
In ayat 28, the Quran says that only those with knowledge (ulama) would fear Allah.

And how do you become someone knowledgeable? The Quran says in 35 (27-28):

Don't you see (alam taraa):
- The creation of rain
- Production of fruits with a variety of colours
- Mountains with differing shades of colours
- The study of human beings
- The study of other animals and creatures

The above are descriptions of:
-Meteorologists
-Agriculturist/plant scientist/botanist
-Geologists
-Biologists/doctors
-Ecologists/ biologists/zoologists

These are descriptions of a scientist, which supports point number 1 above.

3) Now let us look at history… the ulama during medieval Islam were also successful scientists…Ibnu Sina, Ibnu Khaldun, Al-Khawarizmi , Al-Zarqali. etc….so I am not gonna spend much time explaining point number 3.

I am sure some people may disagree with me so please check your own references (Quran, dictionary etc) for more clarity and as always I stand to be corrected.

OWC - Enabler for a high income nation. Stop Whining People!

2011-06-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

Whiners are loser. The Obedient Wives Club (OWC) is not all bad. People sometimes complain without knowing the finer details. You see, the OWC was actually introduced as an effort to boost the country’s economic standing. So open your hearts and minds my friends for I am about to share with you an important discovery.

You see…when Pemandu first came up with the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), they identified 12 national key economic areas (NKEAs) that can have material contribution to the country’s economy. These 12 areas are the focus areas that will help transform the country into a high-income nation by 2015. But unfortunately, Pemandu has actually missed out on another key economic sector….an economic activity that has been in existence for the longest time known to mankind…. Prostitution…the trade of human flesh.

To make up for the lost of time, the OWC has been entrusted with the responsibility to train more women to be first class expert in engineering bedtime fun for men. The OWC will mass produce word-class talents with skills necessary to compete globally. And I have not the slightest doubt that with the determination and support of OWC, we will produce first class prostitutes. Indeed, we are already looking to expand into Singapore, so buckle up fellow Malaysian, or we may lose out to our kiasu neighbor. We need to make sure that there will be a high demand for our domestic goods!

Some of you may be having doubts right about now. Well keep reading for your benefits. You will need to be prepared for what is coming our way.

Malaysia has had a number of good and perhaps less good finance ministers. Let’s face facts. Of all these finance ministers, there is one that stands out. One that has been heralded by many for his extraordinary competencies. One that has led Malaysia through the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Yes, that's him my friend. We are talking about the one and only brader Anwar. Brader Anwar is known for his foresight ability. A prophetic ability that has allowed us to outsmart the IMF and to outcompete other developing economies. So for once my fellow friends, let’s just put our differences aside and take heed of his expert opinion on this.

...and what has he said so far, I hear you ask?

Come on, think people…think …remember China Dolls? You see…he has indeed shown us the way…China dolls is the way of the future. He sacrificed his political career, his family, all just to show us the way into the future. China dolls will be the next trading currency. He had long foreseen the slowing down of the US currency, and he knows that the Euro-zone debt is no where close to being resolved. So we can’t rely on the USD…we can’t rely on Euros…and the Dinar emas hasn't really taken off…so we need, desperately if I may add, a new currency…and seeing that China has been heralded as the next economic super power, it only makes sense to use China dolls. Smart eh?! And you people say that the poor brader Anwar is only into it for the kinky-fun. Shame on you!

But you know… Malaysians are really a bunch of smart people…think about it... even the Chinese don't realize it yet. We Malaysians are so advanced that we have not only recognized the importance of human-flesh trade as a key economic activity, we have also established a new and legal training institution to provide the necessary education to up-skill our women in preparation for the imminent economic revolution. In fact, I believe we are soooo very well planned that this will tie in very well with the halal-industry idea that was started not too long ago. The one and only first-class halal Malaysia-dolls! Bravo Malaysia!

We saw a gap in the global economy, and we have taken a very bold step to be in the forerunner. We are creating a new market space and making competition irrelevant. Harvard strategists will call this a blue-ocean strategy indeed. And with this Mr Prime Minister, you have my confidence that we are on track towards achieving a high income nation by 2015. Brilliant!

p.s. No malice or offence intended. The above writing is not true. This is purely satirical.

Policy Failures in Malaysia

2011-05-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

There was an article I read on Jahamy’s blog about the increasingly unpleasant predictions of Malaysia, which i wish to build upon here in this article. You can read Jahamy's post by clicking here.

I personally believe that Malaysia has rather good and commendable policies. I really do believe that we have many well-intentioned policies in place. However I do feel that a lot of the policies are not achieving their intended objectives, or in some cases are causing unintended adverse effects, both of which are classic definitions of a policy failure. In many of the cases that I have looked at, and pointed out by many, the crux of the problem lies not in the design of the policies, but instead are a consequent of a lack of a robust implementation plan, or an absence of an appropriate measures for achieving these policy goals.

Take the following as examples:

1) Malaysia designed the National Biofuel Policy in 2006 as means to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and to enhance prosperity and well being of all stakeholders within the commodities’ based industry. The policy aims to ensure the use of environmentally friendly, sustainable and viable energy sources. In support of these, the parliament in 2007 ratified Act 666 which provides detailed provision of the biofuel mandate. For starters, Act 666 does not even define what it means by "sustainable" or "environmentally friendly" energy sources. How can you then guarantee that we are not potentially replacing fossil with an inferior energy sources, i.e. one that is worse than fossil from an environmental perspective? Many scientific studies have shown that not all biofuels are better than fossil, there is a wider consideration that has to be taken into account and so the very least Act 666 should provide a set of criteria that biofuels have to comply with for it to be considered sustainable...whatever we choose sustainable to mean.. I shall not give the technical details here but suffice to know that most other biofuel mandates globally have sustainability definitions, such as those in Europe and the US. Soon we will be implementing the mandatory use of palm-biodiesel at 5% blend in regular diesel. The use of palm oil at 5% blend into diesel will not reduce our dependency on fossil simply because the Malaysian market rely more on petrol, and diesel is a smaller consumption sector. My calculation shows that effectively we will only reduce our dependency by about 2-3%. This is negligible. On top of that, we cant use palm oil more than 7% in current conventional cars because it can cause harm and void OEM warranties. Personally I think this is the wrong way to go. Why mandate the use of ONLY palm oil? Why specify the exact chemistry that is allowed? From a cost perspective, at current palm oil commodity price, it only makes sense to use palm oil as transport fuel if the price of crude oil is about 100-120 USD per barrel, otherwise it would mean more subsidy for the government. Many other countries have introduced biofuel policies long time ago and so many international oil and gas companies have had the experiences that they can share with Malaysia. But because our mandate seeks to “enhance prosperity and well being of the palm industry”, we risk not achieving our biofuel policy goals. There are other biofuel chemistries that you can use at 100% in conventional cars without causing any harm, and on top of that we can still produce it from our domestic agriculture. Malaysia is stifling innovation by prescribing a solution to our common problem. What the country should be doing instead is to set the end-game vision and allow for the free competitive market to decide the least cost solutions. And by doing so we create a demand pull for new technologies and the transfer of advanced capabilities from other countries into Malaysia, potentially leading to more FDIs.

2) Our automotive policy is yet another example that we all know too well about. The policy is designed to protect our local players, and in doing so we come up with many measures to lock-out competition and newer technologies. I fully understand the need to groom local industries, I honestly do. But the way we have gone about doing it is not very right. China’s automotive strategy has been quite successful at developing domestic players whilst at the same time bringing in more innovative products. Their policy measures are simple and effective. International companies are free to come in and compete…and they do so by bringing in new technologies. But there is only one caveat…you need a local company as partner. So what we have seen in China over the years is an influx of many international automotive companies coming in and partnering with the local players, and after several years, the local companies establish spin-offs of their own to come up with their truly local brands based on international best-practices. This is just splendid, a very effective and fast way to learn on best practices and develop local industry whilst not losing out on leading edge technologies. And please don't say that “made in China” brands are not good enough…..for your information, the automotive technology in China is now being catered for the European and American market, and thus they must at least comply with the strict quality, emissions and fuel economy standards of these more advanced countries. China-made cars are gaining market share globally and they are doing so at a very fast pace. Where is our local brand in the global arena? We lag far behind in our so-called effort of growing our domestic players, but in reality are still unable to compete glocally, i.e. fail locally and fail globally. In the domestic market the only competitive advantage that our local players have in our very own country is their artificially lower prices...it has nothing to do with brand loyalty or brand preference. This is the case with the latest Proton Inspira. Consumers buy it at the price of a "proton", and change the badge back to a Mitsubishi Lancer, explicitly showing preference for non-proton brands. How much longer will this continue?

The role of government is to come up with policies that provide a vision of the strategic future and direction for the country. The role of government is not prescriptive. Government is to govern and provide administrative support to the country. Let the free market compete and decide on the least cost option.

Disruptive Leadership (Part 2) – Constructive Disruptors vs Destructive Disruptors

2010-11-24T01:03:00.000-08:00

My educational background is in chemistry. I have always considered myself to be quite technical in the way I think and the influences it has on my decision making. As much as I enjoy being a techie, sometimes I feel like I am missing the bigger picture. Occasionally I fail to see the business and economic aspect of things. Of late, I have been having a lot of interest in subjects such as economics, business and leadership. I have been reading a number of books and blogs on these topics, but given my current personal circumstances, I find time to be a luxury that I have yet to afford. It is an excuse, I get it. So say no more. I have been a huge fan of BFM 89.9, which I find to be an extraordinary radio station that is heavily focused on business, finance, economy and leadership. They conduct interesting interviews with various industry leaders and experts on things that I find to matter most. They provide critical reviews on a range of relevant blogs that I frequently visit. Since I will get stuck in traffic anyway, might as well kill two birds with one stone.

In one of their recent interview sessions, an ex-journalist by the name of Kee Tuan Chye shared how his passion for writing was deeply motivated by his desires to seek and reveal the truth, and often this got him into trouble with the chief editors and so on. He used to be reprimanded for wanting to make right what he believed to be wrong. He would reach out to the public through his writings. He had hoped to do whatever little he can so that someday the country would be a better place for the future generations. Whether or not he succeeds, is a different story.

Listening to him speak, I realize that he has been trying to disrupt the existing system which he believes to be flawed. And I thought to myself, you don't necessarily need to be a politician in power to bring about transformation. It is a common mistake to think that you are a nobody of significance to be reckoned with. In my last post, I wrote about disruptive leadership. Everyone one of us can be a disruptive leader if we choose to be one. The power vested in a voter would mean that we, the “commoners”, can dictate what we would like to see happen to our country. In fact, to think about it, we are the leaders, and the so-called self-professed leaders-cum-politicians are effectively our followers. But this is only true for as long as we choose to exercise our duty as the leaders. And for as long as we choose not to take that responsibility, then we have to be contented with whatever and however the “followers” choose to lead.

And if you think about it again, there are many other ways to bring about disruption to the existing system. Disruptive leaders do not necessarily have to be individuals. It could be an organization. It could be the corporate sector. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), for example, was initiated on the basis that more needs to, can and should be done to ensure that the palm industry is sustainable economically, socially and environmentally. It was started as a voluntary initiative by a group of companies who sought to disrupt the common practice in the palm industry which they thought was not sustainable. There you go, a disruption at work!

There are many other organizations in this world that have challenged the existing institutional systems that they wish to disrupt. Believe it or not, the corporate sectors can also be extremely influential when it comes to initiating change or pushing for policy reforms. We have all heard of the Google-China saga. Some of us have seen the news of how several multinational companies (sorry-no name and shame here), which was once criticized for procuring goods from Chinese suppliers that violate international labour laws. Subsequently, these multinational companies have adopted their own internal procurement standards to ensure that they no longer get supplies from such discriminatory companies. A glitch in business as usual and bham, now China has made known their commitments to end child labour and abuse. Such actions, though voluntary, can be an impetus for a bigger reform and transformation. These are indeed disruptive leaderships, but through creative means. You don't need to be a prime minister to enforce change. You don't even need to be minister to drive transformation. All you need is the willingness to disrupt status quo by being a creative disruptor.

But of course one will argue that not all disruptions are necessarily good and indeed that is true. A destructive disruptor will bring more harm than good. A disruptive leader with personal motives and agenda can be extremely destructive. We have seen many of this throughout history. Adolf Hitler is a case in point. He had a large crowd of ardent followers and thus making him a leader by nature. He managed to, successfully if I may add, disrupt the established institutional system. But he brought more harm than good - though it is worth noting that if he is still alive, he would probably deny this. It's a classic case of a destructive-disruptive leader. Sadly to say, I think we have more destructive disruptors than constructive disruptors, but of course not to the extent of the destruction that Hitler had caused.

In an ideal world, we want our government to be the constructive disruptors. But realistically, under the present scenario and in the world that we live in, we need more creative-constructive disruptors. To that end, i should probably register as a voter now!

Disruptive Leadership- Lead, follow or get out of my way!

2010-11-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

As I sit here at my hotel room desk in Jakarta, glimpsing out of the window occasionally, I could not help but compare and contrast the capital of Indonesia with our very own pride and joy, KL. And I must admit that we have gone a long way to come to where we are now today, not just in terms of the physical socio-economic transformation, but also the in the quality level of the physical infrastructures. This is not insinuating that Indonesia is much more inferior than Malaysia, but if you feel offended, then sorry- get over it and get on with life.

Some may argue that I have not lived long enough to appreciate the evolutionary transformation that has taken place from way before my generation. But I will of course beg to differ for my very own reasons. I recalled a book I read several years back written by Kim Quek titled “Where to Malaysia? Back to Mahathirism or Anwar’s Reformasi”, where the author has very strong negative views against Dr Mahathir and in particular his mega projects. It made me realize that no matter what you do, you will always have people going against what you believe, telling you that you have done wrong and criticizing your every decision. The art of effective leadership is to not ignore criticism, but also to not take it personally.

I sometimes think that people confuse between leaders and politicians. To my mind, not all politicians are leaders inasmuch as not all leaders are popular. Most politicians would only change their ways when they receive cues from the citizens reminding them that it is time to change and the fear of losing the popularity battle is the impetus for change. A true leader, on the other hand, has sufficient foresight to think what is strategically best for the nation or the people of the country. To put it simply, a leader leads and not waits to be led by the citizens. But of course, that would mean that his actions would not necessarily be a popular one thus making him a failed politician. There are many instances where leaders were/are also popular, but there is no point in naming names since obviously my perception of a successful leader will differ from others. It is subjective in nature.

In thinking about leadership styles, there are also cases of disruptive leadership that is often against the majority thinking flows that are entrenched with complacency. These are the kinds of leaders who believe in a cause that differs from the majority, but seeks to revolutionize the present system for a potentially better future. Worst still, often they are dismissed as a “mad-man” and their ideals go unnoticed. This is a deterrent for many to go down the route of being different from the majority as they fear that they would inevitably invite trouble. The mere fact that there is a saying of “never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you” signifies that this is the mindset that is prevalent in the current society globally –i.e. just go with the flow.

We need more disruptive leaders to bring about the change that is required. Relying on the naturally slow Darwinian momentum may prove to be too late for us as a nation. A disruptive leader, by definition, would disrupt the natural cycle by turbocharging change and overcoming whatever inertia thats holding us back against progress and betterment. Martin Luther King was a disruptive leader. He saw injustice and inequality in his society and decided to change it. He disrupted the existing system which initially drew resistance from his very own people, the oppressed. But as with all charismatic leaders in history, although he had a difficult start, he managed to gain sufficient supporters to fight for the dream that he had. And yes, it all starts with a dream of a future that we want…

Tan Sri Phang says that Musa Hassan is ungrateful and implies that Police is indeed not independent!

2010-09-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

In his last speech, the outgoing IGP alleged that there were third party interferences disrupting the command and control of the police force. Some of his choices of words were:

"...yang mengecewakan saya kadang kala ada interference daripada pihak2 yang lain dalam kita menjalankan tugas...,there shouldn't be any third party yang memberi arahan2 kepada Pegawai Polis bawahan tanpa pengetahuan Ketua Polis Negara. .... ini adalah satu tindakan yang salah, because ianya tidak selari dengan command and control of the pasukan Polis..."

- Tan Sri Musa Hassan, Outgoing IGP-

That obviously ruffled some feathers somewhere and not many people were happy about it. And now comes the usual denials, retaliations, counter-accusations etc…but hey, what’s new…Malaysia boleh rite?! However, one really caught my attention. The comments from Tan Sri Robert Phang, Chairman of the Social Care Foundation, I find to be quite… eeeerrrrr hhmmm ….funny…not haha funny, but “funny” funny….

You can read his comments here: http://www.malaysiandigest.com/news/36-local/8347-phang-musa-ungrateful-to-former-masters.html

Below are some of HIS "funny" comments that I have extracted:

1) “Has he forgotten that his tenure as top cop was extended thrice by former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and Dato’ Seri Hishamuddin?”
Taiko, you see, when you say that, what it means is that the IGP position was given to Tan Sri Musa and tenure extended thrice not based on competency and achievement, and so he should be indebted to “them” because if it were based on merits alone he would not have been there for so long… so to show gratitude he has to serve “them” as “masters” and not the people, even if there is a conflict… what this implies is that Tun Abdullah, Datuk Seri Najib, and Dato Seri Hishamuddin have all extended his tenure because of the vested interest that they have in this position…OR in other words (and a much more interesting one is that) you are implying that Tun Abdullah, Datuk Seri Najib, and Dato Seri Hishamuddin have all corrupted the transparency and independency of the police force…so taiko, is this what you are claiming…ada berani?

2) “…Just because his tenure has not been extended, he has now suddenly found his guts to speak up for the force and champion independence”
So you do admit that all these while the police force is not independent? If the police force has always been independent, then what is there to champion?

3)“Musa should look at himself in the mirror and ask whether he had contributed to the enhancement of the police force. The nation’s crime rate is at worrying state and the public has lost much confidence in the police force”.
Classic, if you can’t refute his allegations, then attack him personally…okayla taiko, I give you the benefit of the doubt…so he is ineffective, he has not done a good job and was an irresponsible IGP who didn’t help improve the image of the police force and the crime rate….hhmm…taiko, then why did Tun Abdullah, Datuk Seri Najib and Dato Seri Hishamuddin renewed his tenure three times ah? If like you say he is not competent enough, and if it were up to any normal thinking human being, then no one would have extended his contract…not even once…let alone three times. Oklay, since I am in a good raya mood today, let me give you two possible scenarios for you to choose as your defense. One is that he is really an incompetent IGP but whose tenure were renewed thrice because Tun Abdullah, Datuk Seri Najib and Dato Seri Hishamuddin has vested interest in keeping him as the IGP and therefore depicts the lack of transparency and independency of the police force. Second option is that he is incompetent (still), but the three politicians are busy politicking and couldn't care less about the worrying crime rate in the country or if Tan Sri Musa is the right person for the IGP position and therefore would be easier to blindly extend his tenure instead of finding a replacement. So taiko, which one…the IGP incompetent, or the ministers and prime ministers are incompetent?

4)“…don't tell me that he is Mr Perfect and thus the government should not interfere?”
Aiyo…so got interference or not? One time say don't have, now say got…which is it la taiko… if he is acting within the law then why interfere?…if he has done something deemed wrong but is not illegal, then draft a law or code of conduct or whatever to control him…and if he breaks it, then sack or reprimand him…why have all this subjective interferences based on whims and fancies…the latter will only send out the message that the government has a hand/say in all police actions…with all these hanky-panky going on, how can you blame the people for saying that police investigations against brader anwar was not fair.

And the best of all, Phang also urged Musa to clarify whether he is a Law Degree holder or just finish Diploma in Criminology…Phang said “He must clarify. The public need to know. There is a very much different between Law and Criminology”.

Tan Sri Musa, make sure you put that clearly in your resume next time you retire, not when you were first appointed because Tan Sri Phang obviously feels that you are not fit for the position, and it seems that he feels very strongly of this only when you retire...so folks, retirement is not as easy as it used to be...u need to be qualified to justify your employment pre-retirement in order for you to retire…so Tan Sri Musa, please take note…the people NEED to know your qualifications when you retire, just as much as I NEED to know if my neighbor washes his backside after he takes a crap!

Is it true that you cannot use logic to explain/understand Islam?

2010-06-29T02:10:00.000-07:00

In my last post on fate, destiny and pre-ordainment, a commenter left an interesting remark: You cannot use logic in religion. This is an interesting comment which got me thinking. Some part of me says, yeah he is right, but somehow the other part of me would like to challenge this notion. So this entry is a discourse analysis (without much time to think) on the relevance of logic in religion. The word religion is extremely broad as it covers so many different religions, and somehow I don't really fancy the word religion as I am still trying to understand what it means by “religion”. Since my last article was quite Islam centric so I can only assume that the commenter was referring to Islam specifically. So the question that will form the basis of my thought process is: Is it true that you cannot use logic to explain/understand Islam?

For starters, we need to understand what logic actually means. In our everyday English use, it would simply mean “a particular way of thinking, especially one which is reasonable and based on good judgment”. This is the definition provided by Cambridge dictionary. In the study of philosophy, logic is a field on its own. Gensler, in his book Introduction to Logic, defined Logic as the “the analysis and appraisal of arguments” and he continued to say “when you do logic, you try to clarify reasoning and separate good from bad reasoning”. So essentially logic is about good reasoning. Logic is about coherent argument. It is about forming the right premises to support your conclusions. A logic can be flawed if it is either not based on valid reasoning (i.e. premises don't support conclusions) or that the reasoning is not sound (i.e. premises are false).

However I personally believe that logic is also a function of our exposure, knowledge and experiences; and as these can evolve with time then so do our ability and perspectives of logic. For example, centuries ago when many believe that the world is flat (and not spherical), the use of such flat world theory as premises to support your arguments back then could be seen as a sound argument. But today, if I were to present the same argument when we know for sure that the Earth is spherical, I would be perceived as being illogical! What this says is that logic evolves as we get wiser and have more insights. It is human tendency to classify things that we don't know as being illogical.

One could still argue that there are things that we don't know but there are also things that we know for sure. And the line separating this is, arguably, quite clear. So if we know something does not make sense (i.e. false!), then it must be illogical. I still wish to challenge this notion as I feel that our knowledge of nature is still at its infancy.

In our modern day thinking, when we think of something as being common sense, very often, knowing or unknowingly, we are basing this on scientific principles. If you were to ask a non-science based person what would happen if I were to jump off a building, then he would tell you for sure that you would fall down. This is science, even if there is no mention of gravity and Einstein!

Many people seem to think that science is absolute and deterministic, and therefore must form the basis of our everyday logic. But actually it is not necessarily the case. So what is science?

Science is not about a novel creation. Science is about explaining an observation using ab initio methods. The only novelty in this is the formulation of new theories for an old observation, or the application of existing theories to explain new observations. So the evolution of science and the discoveries of new principles are driven by observations. As an example, Newton observed an apple falling off a tree to the ground and he formulated the concept of gravity. Assuming that we live in space where there is no knowledge of gravity and its effects on earth, I doubt Newton or anyone else would have conjured such a fancy concept that easily, and even if he did, it would probably have been deemed illogical by many. The essence of this is that scientific discoveries are being driven by what happens in nature and things that we do not observe frequently is often seen as being unnatural and perhaps even illogical. And scientific discoveris, like many other outcomes of mankind thinking process, has severe limitations. Please don't misconstrue this as a call for us to stop thinking. This is a call for us to not immediately dismiss an idea on grounds of illogicality since our logical aptitude is restricted.

In 1927, Heisenberg (see image) published a scientific paper which revolutionized the way scientists view science. It was later known as Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. Essentially the implication of his arguments was that no phenomenon is a real phenomenon until it is an observed phenomenon. But the act of observing a phenomenon, in some cases, is a function of the observation methodology which could temper with the originality of the phenomenon such that it is no longer natural (I will not bore you with the details of this). So effectively what it means is that science may not be absolute after all!

It is also worthy of note that most scientific predictions (such as weather forecasts) are based on probabilistic functions- i.e. how likely for an event to occur, or how likely for it to be a real observation. In any cases, these probabilistic functions are based on a non-deterministic model, which means that it depends critically on the initial assumptions. Heisenberg has shown that it is not possible to know something with the greatest certainty. So any infinitesimally small deviation (i.e. error) in the initial assumptions would accumulate error rapidly and make the final prediction useless. This is why weather prediction beyond a few days is typically not reliable. This is known as the butterfly effect- a non-significant event somewhere could render the scientific predictive power futile.

I am in no way saying that science is flawed. I am just saying that it has its own limitations. Even the simplest question of “is light made up of waves or particles” have yet to be fully resolved (I hope to write more on this someday).

So coming back to the key question at hand, can logic be used to reason Islam?

The guiding principles of Islam are written in the Quran. In some cases the Quran does provide the premises for certain principles. But in other cases, the Quran provides the guidelines for living life without the underlying premises, and if we wish we could try to reason it but do not fault God if we fail to do so logically.

I personally believe that the answer to this question is: Yes and No.

Yes, if you know the science behind the logic. No, if we haven’t broken the limitations of logic (i.e. newly acquired knowledge, new perspectives on logic etc). But that does not mean to say that Islam is not logic. It is merely saying that we don't know enough to form a valid and sound logic. Logic evolves. I believe that Islam does not. Logic may catch up with the Quran, or it may not…. No one knows.

Historically Einstein had repeatedly said this: “God does not play dice”. Indeed, it’s just that sometimes He throws the dice in places where it cannot be seen. It is our duty to seek these dices to reveal the logic.

Does takdir mean "destined" or "predicted"? - I dont know!

2010-06-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

If you were to listen to any Muslims (ustaz, politicians and just about anyone) speak publicly, very likely you will hear them end their speech by saying “segala yang baik itu dari Allah, dan yang buruk dari kelemahan diri saya sendiri” , or which basically means that all that's good is from God meanwhile anything bad/less good is my own doing. I am not quite sure I fully understand this…well actually, I am not fully sure I can agree with this. Why do we pick and choose…its either everything good and bad is from God, or everything good and bad is your own doing. Now before you shoot me down or accuse me of being un-Islamic or anything else for that matter, just hear me out. If you say that the good is from God, then even the bad should be from God….but that does not mean to say that God is bad…it just means that God has given you good as well as bad…hence why we are not perfect human beings…we are allowed to be imperfect. Right? No? Do correct me if my logic is amiss… I am just thinking out loud and would be happy to be corrected if I am wrong…

I have been thinking about this for a bit now, and somehow my thinking led me to the idea of fate/destiny..basically “takdir”. What does takdir actually mean? What is the concept of fate?… I have been brought up to understand takdir to mean that our entire path in this life has already been pre-determined by God. So does this mean that everything I do or say has already been pre-determined? To what extent are my actions pre-determined? Do I still have control over what I say and do ? Or maybe fate is not about being pre-determined..maybe it is about being predicted..no? I don’t know…So if i am writing this article now, is this my voluntary action (predicted), or is it an action that I have been set to do (pre-determined)?

Somehow I feel that takdir is not about being pre-determined..it is more about being predicted. It should not be about being pre-determined because what being pre-determined says is that I don't have control over my actions. And if I don't have control over my actions, then why should I get penalized on judgment day? No? I think, and I may be wrong here, that takdir is about being predicted. So I have control over my actions, and my action is a result of my own doing…but whatever I do, God knew I would do it. Possible? No?

But I have heard many people saying that takdir is about ketentuan Allah..i.e. destined (I prefer the word pre-determined). Hhmm…I think things that are beyond our control, i.e. the bigger picture is ketentuan Allah. For example, if I were to suddenly jump off the building, then that's my own action (and God knew I would do it). But if a plane hijacked by a terrorist suddenly flew into my building killing me, then I am destined (pre-determined) to die in such manner…but the actions of the terrorists are his own actions (and God knew he would do it and he shall be judged for that!).

I think this is fundamental. If we say that takdir is about being predetermined, then a Muslim is a Muslim because he is destined to be one, meanwhile a non-Muslim is a non-Muslim because he is destined to be one. And I think that is not right. God is fair. I don't think God would punish you for something you have no say or control over. You are a Muslim because you chose to be one, and you are a non-Muslim also because chose not to be one. And you shall be judged for that. No? So if you are born a Muslim (like myself and many other Muslims in the world), it does not necessarily make you a Muslim. Because if it is automatic as such, then that is again destiny. You have to want to be a Muslim to be a Muslim. It must be a conscious decision. And you have to do what a Muslim is supposed to do to be a Muslim. And don't ask me what that is, because I am still trying to understand how you define Islam and what it takes to be one.

What I have written so far is what I think. I admit I have yet to go through the Quran in detail to find the answers. It may be explicitly explained in the Quran and what I say may be a complete nonsense. And if so, please do correct me. I am learning and I still have too many unanswered questions.

Change for "change"

2010-03-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

We as a country get leaders that we deserve as a perfect reflection of who we truly are....a nation who is not willing to change...a nation who puts personal interest above others..a nation that do not have faith in the power of the people...

we speak about change, but only to commercialise and politicise it..sloganeering that has gone so bad that the word itself has lost every iota of meaning that it was originally meant to have...now how do I call for change if the word itself is so tainted and carries with it humongous baggage linked to politics, insincerity and contention. If I cry “change!”, would you decry “politicking!” ? Or even worse, if I cry “change!”, would you just ignore me?

But maybe, we just need to have faith once again..have faith that someday change would mean change, and nothing less. Maybe we just need to be hopeful that someday, someone will make change possible. Call it wishful thinking, but perhaps wishful thinking is what we need for a change. And for a change, perhaps we should change first. Perhaps we need to change our view towards change. Perhaps changing our perspectives towards change is exactly what we need. And now, perhaps, if I cry change, you would cry in joy for the change to come! And I ask here, do you have enough faith to change for change?

Innovation crippling innovation

2010-03-27T03:10:00.000-07:00

I travelled back from work one Friday by train since I had to send my car for a quick interior re-upholstery. As usual, the train was jam-packed and I was sardined in between many other commuters. Throughout the journey, I was probably the only person without any earphones on, whilst others were either listening to their ipod, speaking on the phone, listening to music on their mobile phones or just asleep. This is the effect of having enabling technologies. Technologies are great. They are enablers, but at the same time they are disablers. They enable us to reconnect with the far aways, but disable connections with the ones closer. Technological breakthrough in ICT brings us closer but at the same time pushes us away. They allow us to be closer to those far away, but push those close to us making them feel far away. It is amazing that people would talk so loud on the phone about things that are so personal, but yet they would never even consider whispering to a stranger about those personal stuffs. Technologies break boundaries. But technologies also erect new walls. Modern societies are already showing symptoms of technology overdose. People don't communicate as well as the older generations. We don't appreciate a decent conversation in a social setting. We don't read as much as we should as we now lack the patience for delayed gratification. We don't think as much as we ought to, as we need instant gratification. Innovative technologies are crippling innovation in our modern culture. We rely too much on technologies to solve our problems, but we don't depend on our ability for creative solutions. We Google for answers every time we face problems, but we never put in enough effort to devise a solution. We plagiarize innovative solutions when we should be innovating ourselves. We talk on the phone using Bluetooth while driving, we listen to ipod while going for a run, we have the TV on, music blasting out loud whilst writing our thoughts down for our end of year thesis on a high end laptop. We think we are thinking, but are we really? We claim to be able to multitask, but multitasking means that you are able to partition your thoughts so that you can do a few things simultaneously. But wouldn't that mean that we are reducing the efficiencies of our thinking process? Where are we heading with all these technologies? Perhaps someday Google will come up with technologies that would do the thinking for us. Maybe it is time for me to embrace technological change and get myself an iphone.

The time has come for an innovative political reform!

2010-03-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

(Image taken from http://evdguy.blogspot.com/)

The BN has been governing the country for many years now. Whilst I do agree that a lot have been achieved since independence, I also do have regrets that a lot were not done, if not could have been done better or differently. Looking at the political scenarios of other developed countries, it is unsurprisingly common to see the establishment of a two party system, which many economist and political analyst would argue as a necessity to provide the check and balances for a country to be well governed. And a political party gets elected as the government via a fair voting process. This is what we call democracy. And the experts say that democracy is good for the country, irrespective of which country!

Malaysia achieved independence in 1957- that's almost 53 years ago. We have only just started to form a “not-quite” two party system. I say not quite because though we now have PKR-DAP-PAS as another possible ruling coalition, we still have yet to break the monotony (for a lack of better word) of having the same ruling party governing the nation. Some states have seen changes especially in the last vote, but not the country as a whole. I am not vouching for this alternative coalition, but I feel that the whole check and balances argument is valid to prevent complacency and entrenchment from creeping in.

So yes, we are close to establishing a more desirable political system. But what we are lacking is the political maturity that is needed for a two party system. A healthy competition between the two parties has to be established for good nation building. It is okay to be critical of each other, if it is for the good of the rakyat. It is okay to be challenging and difficult, if being difficult would mean that the rights of the rakyats are taken care of. But what good is a two party system, if it is to only look after the self-interest of the politicians. What are we trying to achieve if parties are vengeful against each other at the detriments of the rakyat. Be professional, is all I am asking for.

If ruling party loses a state, then accept it with grace, acknowledge that the rakyat has chosen the then opposition and only have yourself to blame for not trying harder to please the rakyat. And do not take it out on the rakyat, because without us, you will not even be there in the first place. And using your federal power to suppress the lost-out state will only show your lack of professionalism and political immaturity, and the deep rooted vested interest political fundamentals of the party.

And the same professionalism and maturity has to be shown by the opposition. The role of an opposition in a two party system is not to oppose every single thing just for the sake of opposing. Oppose to what is wrong and work with the government if it is right, because at the end of the day, even if political parties are slow to mature, the rakyats are maturing at an even faster pace. We see what is happening in the political arena, and playing dirty politics as a populist measure will not win the hearts of the rakyat. If you take your opposition role to an extremely personal level, I question if you have the ulterior motives of a vested interest politician.

The adage “whatever happens in Texas, stays in Texas” is very much applicable in this country too. Whatever bickering that happens in this country, must only be kept within this country. Whatever dissatisfaction that is felt is expressed only within the country. The rule-of-thumb is to never complain to a foreign country or bitch about Malaysia to other countries because it really does make you wonder if you are truly faithful to the country. How can you sell your country by revealing the dirt to outsiders? It is like being in a marriage. Would you really tell outsiders about the bedtime inadequacies of your partner, or in other words would you really tell the world about your partner’s kinky fetish? Although you have differences in political fundamentals, both parties are essentially representing the common rakyat. So that does make you partners. Partners in trying to develop the country. Partners in ensuring only the best for the rakyat. To the outside world, both parties are Malaysian parties. To the outside world, it does not matter if you have different believes. If you continue to bicker in public, condemning the country to the external public, the external public would not see any shortfalls as being due to the ruling party, but rather a shortfall of the country. The country would get bad press. The country would get a bad name. See the following links for a recent bickering that was taken to the international level by the so-called politicians that are there to safeguard current and attract future foreign direct investments.

Article1: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704375604575023813383421900.html
Article2: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704375604575023801488108836.html

What are we trying to achieve here ? Who are we trying to impress? The Americans?

The time for a political reform is definitely now. We established a political system that had worked in the past. But in the past, it was a single party system. Now, we have a two party system, and it is here to stay for much longer. And unless we find innovative ways to co-exist and work together, we will not go anywhere as a country. This is a new field to us. But the world does not care if we are a newbie to this arena. No one will buy us some time to acclimatize to this new scenario. All countries are running, but some are running faster than the others. We can’t afford to slow down to learn to adapt to the new system. There is just no time. Pick up where we left off, and continue sprinting. Continue developing the country. Continue to improve our education system. Continue to attract more foreign investments. Because every second we stop to argue, we are losing to other countries that are eager to develop and are offering better and more attractive conditions for investments.

China has an autocratic political system. It is much easier to implement changes in China. So do we really want to delay, procrastinate or even stall progress?

Christian Allah, Church-on-fire and Babe, the pig-in-the-mosque: The imminent demise of intellectual maturity and national solidarity!

2010-02-12T06:59:00.000-08:00

I was just going through my files and found this article, which i wrote a while ago but just never had the push to post it on my blog. The issues are cold and have subsided by now, which is good, and i wish it will stay that way forever.

The title does not look very nice to begin with. I never thought that I would someday use all of those words in one sentence. But hey, we are a creative and innovative bunch of people…we create something out of thin air! We see all of the above episodes, in sequence, building up to a long twisted Hindi movie! And this is me trying to be a movie critique:

Episode 1: Christian Allah
I don't have to give a background on this. We have all seen and read too much about this and I am not in the mood to reproduce any of it. I think that from an Islamic point of view, there is nothing wrong with anyone or any religion wanting to use the name Allah to represent God. There is no harm in it Islamically, theologically, historically and legally. But this is purely from an international and academic context.

Now let’s localize the issue. If the name Allah has been used by the Christians for a long period of time in Malaysia, then I would continue to allow for it to continue. But if it is a new initiative to use the name Allah, then I question the motives behind it. I was made to understand that the Sabahans and Sarawakians have been using it for ages, but not our fellow Christian friends in peninsular Malaysia. The reason for that is people in East Malaysia apparently don't speak English very well. But I wonder if you need to be able to speak good English to pronounce a name. My name is Amir Faizal Naidu Bin Abdul Manan. I was in the UK for more than 3 years…and those white people don't speak Malay at all..in fact, they were the ones who invented the English language…and yet they didn't have any problem saying my very Malay (plus a bit Indian and Arabic) names… well, actually they had trouble saying it the first time, but I didn't have to change my name to John or Chris or any other English sounding names! The point is, since when do you change your name to suit the local dominant language?

Some would argue that it’s just a name…so let it go. I disagree. It is not just a name. For a Muslim believer it means more than a name. It is semantics. The word Allah is underpinned by a concept and strict definition of God. But because a Muslim does not have any knowledge of the physical attributes of God nor do Muslims have any objects as divine representation, the name Allah is deeply revered and is held higher than anything else. So it’s not just a name to the fellow Muslims. But if it is just a name to others, than why the name Allah? Why not any other names? In fact, I would happily loan mine …Amir Faizal Naidu Bin Abdul Manan…pick one :)

Episode 2: Church-on-fire!
Two wrongs don't make a right. Our society needs to grow up. Throwing tantrums will only reveal your childishness and immaturity. Nothing else I can or wish to say.

Episode 3: Piggy-Mosque
This is one fishy piggy- episode. For a start, it was not even a pig head that was thrown in the mosques. I was told that it was the heads of wild-boars. I don't think it is that easy to find wild-boars…I don't think you can freely buy them in a wet market. Now if this is the case, then you would need to go hunting for it? But why wild-boars and why not a pig-head when it is much easier to get hold of the latter? Why the hassle….? Could it be that you don't want to be seen buying things in a haram market? Or perhaps get yourself in contact with haram objects? Could it be that hunting would be easier as you could spend your time to wrap it carefully and not having to touch any haram parts yourself? But why does it matter if it is haram to you ?hhmm…kuru kuru… Anyway, no point speculating…

Secondly, why wrap it in a plastic bag? Now if I were to have vengeance with evil plans and a devilish attitude, then I would want to hurt them where it hurts the most….and wrapping it with a plastic bag is of no use…why wasn't the pigheads thrown in the mosques without any wrappers? Let the blood drip and stain the carpet? That would have really hurt the Muslims even more, wouldn't it? I wonder if it is because the perpetrators feel guilty about it? But you would only feel guilty about it if the mosques mean something to you….hhmm..kuru kuru…

Something just don't feel right about this one. It appears as if someone is doing it deliberately to incite hatred and build racial tension. I have my theories, but they are mine to keep :)

Saiful, si budak baik yang menurut kata orang tua

2010-02-04T07:39:00.000-08:00

The following is my first impression when i read the online news (thestar online) on the "Saiful vs Anwar" case. I have not had much time to think about it, so i am just writing it as i go along....but hey, this is my FIRST impression, though i am sure many people would share the same.

Saiful was asked to go into the bedroom, undress and clean himself up before being preyed onto by Anwar like a lion preying on a deer….and he obeyed without putting up a fight at all….. Bagus budak 22 tahun nih…mendengar cakap orang tua…
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/4/courts/5608882&sec=courts

In ONE SHORT hour (between 3 to 4 pm) the following happened:
- Saiful arrived at condo
- Had a quick chat with Anwar and Anwar had to sign some documents
- Anwar made an indecent proposal and saiful said no
- Saiful was asked to go into the master bedroom which he did (budak baik!)
- Anwar came in, locked the door, closed the curtains and asked saiful to clean himself up in the bathroom
- Saiful went into the bathroom, undressed, cleaned-up and CAME OUT CLAD IN A TOWEL(why?)- budak baik!
- Whilst he was doing that Anwar undressed and put a towel on.
- So then came Saiful, and Anwar started hugging and kissing him (i.e. foreplay) and he didn't resist at all- budak baik!
- Anwar then released the monster from his towel and banged Saiful who didn't put up a fight. In order for Anwar to do so, Saiful had to bend over, or it would have been anatomically challenging- budak baik!
- After several ins and outs, Anwar had premature ejaculation (orang tua, so pancut awal…)- this is an assumption since he had to get it all done within 1 hour.
- Then after it was all done, Saiful dressed up (assuming that he didn't wash up and liked the feeling of wetness up his ass) and left the condo.

All of that in ONE hour! Kuru kuru….

Okay…all of those happened on the 26th…and on the 28th, he went to make a police report and did a medical check. For someone who does not indulge in rare (i.e. rear) activities, I would assume that he would have bled like hell.. So for slightly over a day, he kepit punggung, tak basuh Anwar’s semen and tak berak in order to not lose Anwar’s DNA…because forensics apparently found semen evidences up his asshole. I guess maybe even after basuh there were bits and pieces that were stuck in between crevices….well, being a chemist I think this is possible
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/4/courts/5611810&sec=courts

Next…he decided to resign…where he gave Anwar 2 reasons:
1) Saiful is not disciplined, always come to work late and so kena marah..
2) He was given special treatment though he was less qualified…
But he continued to say that the real reason is because punggung tak suka kena cucuk…
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/4/courts/5609411&sec=courts

The above may seem like I doubt whether the event actually took place or not. Well, honestly I do have my doubts. But I am not entirely certain that it did not happen either. I feel that a leopard by genes, will not change its spots…he can hide it, but eventually it will re-appear if not get caught off-guard. So, if Anwar were to actually swing that way, then I would expect that he would find opportunities to fulfill his innermost desires. I don't know the full truth. I wish I do. But I don't think there is a way to find out as long as we live in a world controlled by vested interest politicians.

By the way…I don't vote and I have never voted…so don't call me a supporter of Anwar or any other political parties. I hope to vote the next time…but until the time comes, I still have time to think, evaluate and decide!

Condolences! It's the new year again..

2010-01-01T02:12:00.000-08:00

Every year as we step into the new year, particularly hours before, I am sure we will all receive numerous text messages wishing us a happy new year. All these well wishes, I am sure it is as warm and sincere as it can be, puzzles me a little and very often I will not reply to them, not because I dislike it, not because I don't wish them well and not because of any religious reasons either. I sometimes struggle to understand the concept of a new year celebration in its entirety. Every year I have this same dilemma. Every year I will think about this perhaps more than I should. Why do we celebrate the start of a new year? Instead, why don’t we feel sad leaving behind the year before? Afterall, we are one step closer to adulthood..one step closer to more responsibilities….and one step closer to death! So why can’t I say “Condolences! I am sorry that you have to move into the new year yet again!”

People would wish each other “a happy new year” as if knowing for sure that the year before was a bad one and the future would be better. Perhaps the idea is to say that even if this year sucks, you can still work for a better year in the next. But what if 2009 is a year that you have achieved greatness. A year that has been jolly good for you. A year that you would not like to forget and a year that you would like to remember and if possible be in forever. Then the onset of a new year would simply mean that you would have to work harder to continue having a year as good as before if not better. It seems like a vicious cycle. Continuous improvement for a better year. There is no such thing as continuously being better, every year. Technically that is not possible. If you achieve the absolute greatness in 2009, then likely 2010 would not be better. It will either be worse, or in the best case scenario, the same. Why do we then wish each other a ”happy new year”?

Why do we have to wait till the end of a year to do that. Why not wish me a “happy current year”? If you are sincerely concerned about my happiness, then wish me a happy new day instead. Pray for my health, wealth and happiness everyday. Why wait till the end of the year to do so? Why is the end of the year so auspicious?

Fine, scientifically it marks that the earth has gone around the sun in one full circle. But seriously, is that something that we have to be proud of? Did we actually have something to do with that? You don't expect me to believe that the earth wouldn't be able to go around the sun if we were not here in existence? In fact, it would probably go way faster if we, the excess baggage, were not here… or maybe not…nobody knows.

I was in KLCC during the new year eve countdown. It was my first time actually being in a new year’s countdown. (I had guests visiting from afar, so I thought I should be the host with the most!) There were thousands of teenagers, couples, old folks, pregnant ladies, kids, babies, Malaysians, foreigners and others (don't know what they were!) celebrating the start of a new year. And I just could not get my head around this phenomenon. Why are we celebrating? What are we celebrating ? It is just another year. It is just the start of another day. It was as if we were celebrating the start of a new year after so much of struggle and difficulties going through obstacles in 2009. It was as if we crawled our way through 2009 into 2010. It was as if we fought really hard to survive 2009 in order to get into 2010. It was also as if we had to go through a process of extreme scrutiny with examinations and filtrations so that only the cream of the crop gets to move into 2010. Fact of the matter is that, even if we were to bum around the entire 2009, we would still end up in 2010. It is only natural for time to pass. It is natural for days to pass. And it is definitely natural for years to pass. And as naturally as it can get, no matter what we do, how much effort we put in, whether we were good or bad, we would still step into 2010. Life goes on!

Perhaps we celebrate because we need something for us to hold on to and look forward to. We look forward to a new year as an excuse to not have a good year this year. Maybe we need it to believe that next year will be better so that we could go through a difficult year now. Or maybe we just need it so that we could be wishful that next year will be better. Personally, I think that it is just wishful thinking. Nothing wrong with having dreams if it keeps us going through tough times. But it seems like we celebrate the new year as an excuse to have fun and have parties. We celebrate the new year to fulfill our innermost hedonistic desires!

So, in this new year, I shall not wish you anything. I shall not wish you a healthy new year. I shall not wish you a wealthy new year. And I shall definitely not wish you a happy new year. But what I will do is pray that you have a great day every single day. You don't need to know this. Just know that I wish the best for you everyday! So have a happy current year…and a happy new day!

Thinking Innovation: Innovating an innovative culture.

2009-12-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-12-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-11T02:22:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-08-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

(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!

2009-08-02T04:24:00.000-07:00

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:

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

2009-08-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-02-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-26T06:18:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-21T06:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-02-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-08T00:50:00.000-08:00

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 ?