The world has changed rapidly after the industrial revolution in the 19th century. Since then, people are no more working for themselves but for others. Instead of working day and night toiling the land or some other works, the economics of the industrial revolution dictated that people should work on things that they are best at, for others and get a paycheck at the end of the month. The money then should be used to buy food, clothing and some form of entertainment or if there's some more left, it's in the bank (if they got a bank).
SOME HISTORY
This happened about 100 years ago in Europe. While our forefathers (the Asians) were still in the field, kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang. The Europeans came to South East Asia, bringing along their "laissez-faire" economics and Walah! They changed the region, especially Malaya (modern day West Malaysia).
The British reorganised the Malayan economy to serve the economic needs of the British Empire. First they placed British-style administration in Malay states and the Malays were the first choice to fill the bureaucracy. Secondly, they opened up new tin mines, and allowed Chinese from China to migrate to Malaya to work for these tin mines. Thirdly, they opened up new roads and railways to connect these tin mines with the seaports, whereby the Brits culled some South Indians to built them.
After a few years, the Malayan socio-economic were dogmatised, the Malays "must" work in the kampongs or work as "British government servants"; the Chinese "must" work in tin mines or live in the city to sell things or whatever; while the Indians "must" stay and work in the estates, in case the His-Highness Government needs some roads to somewhere in the jungle.
THE AFTER EFFECTS
Somehow, when the British left Malaya in 1957 and East Malaysia in 1963, the economic thoughts that they brought along did not. This peculiar economic thought is that we must work for someone such as a government, a company or someone. One not supposed to be a "Boss" or a "Taukeh" or whatever. This create "dependency" of government/company aids and at the same time created a comfort zone for the group of people which subscribed to this economic thought.
What happened when one stay too long in a comfort zone? They become zombies.
These zombies are relatively poor due their low paychecks. Most of them have high hopes at earlier stage of their "career" and hoping that they will drive nice cars and live in huge houses if they work hard. They believed totally that a university education can save them from the clutches of poverty. Oh boy, they are just damned wrong. Totally wrong.
After 40 years of working, punch-in & punch out as they say, they still living in a meager state and on later years they depended solely on the EPF and some savings that they have made. This group of people paid the most in taxes and still they live just above the poverty line. And who are these zombies anyway? It's you my friend.
My answer: Our education today is not tailored to the new world but instead based on the 19th century model. This must change and don't wait for the government to change it for you. Change now.Take care of your financial education and it will set you free.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
A Nice Song to Listen To - Jalan Lurus by Gita Gutawa
I found this song "Jalan Lurus" sang by Gita Gutawa, an Indonesian artist. It's a song about love primarily but love according to the way of Islam. And the song partially sums up what is Islam is all about.
Nice tune.
Nice tune.
Burn Out
Enrolling in a postgraduate programme is putting a toll on me. The obvious thing is that I am tired and need some refreshment.
So as a non-car-owner like any other naive undergraduate in UM, I took a taxi yesterday and went to the most exciting, gargantuan and hippy shopping complex in the whole Lembah Klang, that is the MidValley.
I've been there countless of times and that's the nearest thing you could get for a good shopping mall. But the sad thing is, it was jam-packed with humans (as well as human-animals by the way that they dressed!). You have to go through these sea of human beings and you'll never see the same face ever again (except that if you came to the shopping mall for cuci mata, you will see the same person again and again, it's called The Law of Attractions...)
So what I did was, I met a friend or two of mine at the Coffeebean (Mak if you are reading this, I've tried frugality but rarely being successful!) and we chit-chatted until 8pm. It's like a gossiping table with some picture taking and then we're off.
The point I'm trying to is that, if you guys want to further your studies you really need to consider one thing: BURN-OUT.
Thank God I went to the MidValley yesterday. :)
So as a non-car-owner like any other naive undergraduate in UM, I took a taxi yesterday and went to the most exciting, gargantuan and hippy shopping complex in the whole Lembah Klang, that is the MidValley.
I've been there countless of times and that's the nearest thing you could get for a good shopping mall. But the sad thing is, it was jam-packed with humans (as well as human-animals by the way that they dressed!). You have to go through these sea of human beings and you'll never see the same face ever again (except that if you came to the shopping mall for cuci mata, you will see the same person again and again, it's called The Law of Attractions...)
So what I did was, I met a friend or two of mine at the Coffeebean (Mak if you are reading this, I've tried frugality but rarely being successful!) and we chit-chatted until 8pm. It's like a gossiping table with some picture taking and then we're off.
The point I'm trying to is that, if you guys want to further your studies you really need to consider one thing: BURN-OUT.
Thank God I went to the MidValley yesterday. :)
Friday, January 1, 2010
Dua Ribu Sepuluh (2010)
Again it's another new year in the Julian calendar. We are entering another time "frame" called 2010 after going through 365 days of our life revolving around the sun in 2009. For a perspective, it has been like this for two thousand and nine times since the creation of the calendar.
Somehow the "newness" of a new year reminds us of how far we have been in our short life. How life has changed or not changed.
For my self, the year 2009 is a year both of joy and sorrow. On this year I changed course of life my continuing my Master's Degree in Virology. On this year I knew that parents are really never to be taken for granted. On this year I learn more about family love than ever before. On this year, I learn how time is really gold. On this year too, I learn that human will get old and eventually die.
My grandfather died last November 2009 after a long illness. He valued education very much and respected people with one. He left us happily as he already tasted and got what all he wants: family, money, prestige et cetera. I observed that he did not "die" literally. He is still in us, through his genes, his words, his works, his wisdom. That's why Muhammad is still here. And all great people still here not because he is rich or powerful but because these great people are being humble and they help others without expecting anything in return.
And that made them almost being eternal.
And that made me thinking of how could I become them for this year of 2010...
Somehow the "newness" of a new year reminds us of how far we have been in our short life. How life has changed or not changed.
For my self, the year 2009 is a year both of joy and sorrow. On this year I changed course of life my continuing my Master's Degree in Virology. On this year I knew that parents are really never to be taken for granted. On this year I learn more about family love than ever before. On this year, I learn how time is really gold. On this year too, I learn that human will get old and eventually die.
My grandfather died last November 2009 after a long illness. He valued education very much and respected people with one. He left us happily as he already tasted and got what all he wants: family, money, prestige et cetera. I observed that he did not "die" literally. He is still in us, through his genes, his words, his works, his wisdom. That's why Muhammad is still here. And all great people still here not because he is rich or powerful but because these great people are being humble and they help others without expecting anything in return.
And that made them almost being eternal.
And that made me thinking of how could I become them for this year of 2010...
Thursday, December 31, 2009
I think got Dengue fever (And I've recovered!)
Alhamdullilah. That’s the only phrase that I can say to describe my feelings after the grueling five tiring days of fever.
Last Saturday I fell terribly sick. My joints ached all-over and I suspected it might have been the overdose of Nescafe (Green packet) and Coffee that I took two glasses a day for every single day for two weeks. So I stopped drinking Nescafe again.
Then the headache came. It’s similar to headache that I got when the last time I stopped drinking Nescafe two years ago. It just doesn’t stop until yesterday. I guess it might have been the high temperature anyway, not because of the Nescafe. But I read somewhere that too much coffee is not good (Reminds me of Maya Karin Nescafe Commercial)
The worst thing is that I went through intermittent fever, i.e. sick in the morning, well at noon, then sick again in the evening. It was like this for five days.
I never went to the clinic and just took a Panadol Actifast once. Just to make sure that my body killed the pathogens itself. I think it was dengue fever that I caught when I went out for a jog around UM last Friday. How it happened? Might have been coming from a bite of a mosquito.
Since I moved to UM five months ago, I fell sick more than three times. That’s far more when stayed in Sabah for the last four years. KL is totally infested with viruses and pathogenic bacteria most probably brought by foreigners coming to here to study and work. This will always a ripe moment and time for all microbiologists to work on…
Last Saturday I fell terribly sick. My joints ached all-over and I suspected it might have been the overdose of Nescafe (Green packet) and Coffee that I took two glasses a day for every single day for two weeks. So I stopped drinking Nescafe again.
Then the headache came. It’s similar to headache that I got when the last time I stopped drinking Nescafe two years ago. It just doesn’t stop until yesterday. I guess it might have been the high temperature anyway, not because of the Nescafe. But I read somewhere that too much coffee is not good (Reminds me of Maya Karin Nescafe Commercial)
The worst thing is that I went through intermittent fever, i.e. sick in the morning, well at noon, then sick again in the evening. It was like this for five days.
I never went to the clinic and just took a Panadol Actifast once. Just to make sure that my body killed the pathogens itself. I think it was dengue fever that I caught when I went out for a jog around UM last Friday. How it happened? Might have been coming from a bite of a mosquito.
Since I moved to UM five months ago, I fell sick more than three times. That’s far more when stayed in Sabah for the last four years. KL is totally infested with viruses and pathogenic bacteria most probably brought by foreigners coming to here to study and work. This will always a ripe moment and time for all microbiologists to work on…
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Do your work rightly and rightfully (Buatlah kerja dengan tepat dan betul)
Yesterday I was being hounded by a simple fact that an unfinished work will always haunt you and everybody else.
While analyzing the 2008 data as requested by my supervisor, I found that the age range for almost all of the samples are of adults. While the samples are purportedly coming from a pediatric institute a.k.a children's hospital, how could all the age range for all of these samples are of adults?
I was in doubt. I went straight to the cold room and took a box of samples out. I started to checked the samples one by one of its Date of Birth. To my astonishment, the guy who jot down the sample data put the "mother's IC" instead of the "child's Date of Birth"!
May God save the guy (he already left our lab to India for good!) and may God save my research! Anyway, more work to do for me!
Conclusion: Buat lah kerja dengan betul.
While analyzing the 2008 data as requested by my supervisor, I found that the age range for almost all of the samples are of adults. While the samples are purportedly coming from a pediatric institute a.k.a children's hospital, how could all the age range for all of these samples are of adults?
I was in doubt. I went straight to the cold room and took a box of samples out. I started to checked the samples one by one of its Date of Birth. To my astonishment, the guy who jot down the sample data put the "mother's IC" instead of the "child's Date of Birth"!
May God save the guy (he already left our lab to India for good!) and may God save my research! Anyway, more work to do for me!
Conclusion: Buat lah kerja dengan betul.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Why play Facebook?
As I could remember, Friendster was the top social website and Malaysians were recorded as the largest group of people using it (kira syok2 sendiri la ni).
And now that has changed. In Malaysia these days, another social website named Facebook rules the internet. Almost everybody especially the youngsters, would have a Facebook account and they will "poke" each other, post on the "walls", chit chatting using a built-in messenger, "tagging" pictures, playing "Mafia Wars" and "Farmville" and obviously taking endless numbers of quizzes (and posting quiz results on the "wall", so that "other" people can see).
All of these extra feature made Facebook indispensable (you can't throw it away) to its users and also made its competitors popularity going way-way down.
But there's one feature that made me think. That feature is the NOTIFICATION thingy, for the benefit of non-Facebook users, it's a red-colored bubble at the bottom right of the window with the number of notifications in the middle of it.
The first thing a Facebook user would do as he/she opens the website is to click on this red bubble before anything else. And why is that?
To some effect, users will keep on thinking about this red bubbles even after they have closed the Facebook website. They will think about "who will be commenting on my post" or "Am I going to be tagged today?" and so on and so forth.
I think it shows that:
i. we are still humans, as human must have some sense of curiosity. That's why we click the red bubble before anything else.
ii. we are in need of feedbacks to survive mentally (that's why criminals are being sent to the prison, so that they can be "tortured mentally")
And I'm sure that there's a bit feeling of "keghairahan" as we click on the red bubble. And why is that? Which part of the brain cause us to feel that? Is that part of the brain made us curious for other things, such as the question on religion, history, biology, chemistry, physics, cookings, writings, football etc?
What a difference has a small, red, simply-made bubble made on our minds by playing on us psychologically by which the fact remains: Facebook is one of the most visited website in the world. The red bubble did it's job very very well.
And now that has changed. In Malaysia these days, another social website named Facebook rules the internet. Almost everybody especially the youngsters, would have a Facebook account and they will "poke" each other, post on the "walls", chit chatting using a built-in messenger, "tagging" pictures, playing "Mafia Wars" and "Farmville" and obviously taking endless numbers of quizzes (and posting quiz results on the "wall", so that "other" people can see).
All of these extra feature made Facebook indispensable (you can't throw it away) to its users and also made its competitors popularity going way-way down.
But there's one feature that made me think. That feature is the NOTIFICATION thingy, for the benefit of non-Facebook users, it's a red-colored bubble at the bottom right of the window with the number of notifications in the middle of it.
The first thing a Facebook user would do as he/she opens the website is to click on this red bubble before anything else. And why is that?
To some effect, users will keep on thinking about this red bubbles even after they have closed the Facebook website. They will think about "who will be commenting on my post" or "Am I going to be tagged today?" and so on and so forth.
I think it shows that:
i. we are still humans, as human must have some sense of curiosity. That's why we click the red bubble before anything else.
ii. we are in need of feedbacks to survive mentally (that's why criminals are being sent to the prison, so that they can be "tortured mentally")
And I'm sure that there's a bit feeling of "keghairahan" as we click on the red bubble. And why is that? Which part of the brain cause us to feel that? Is that part of the brain made us curious for other things, such as the question on religion, history, biology, chemistry, physics, cookings, writings, football etc?
What a difference has a small, red, simply-made bubble made on our minds by playing on us psychologically by which the fact remains: Facebook is one of the most visited website in the world. The red bubble did it's job very very well.
