Seriously?
Mmm... seriously?
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Call It What You Want -- It's A Damn Dahsyat Budget...
"This Government has never promised the moon, the stars or the galaxy. We
have never painted a pretty picture based on wishful thinking. As a
responsible Government, we continue to speak the truth even though it
may be unpleasant. We have never misled to the rakyat with tall tales.
On the other hand, we have always offered solutions and provided good
leadership to every problem faced by the rakyat.": Najib Razak
They call it an election budget. Can't blame them for labelling it so, because it is the last one before the next general election.
Be that as it may...it is whatever you want to call it..
Najib's critics, adversaries, enemies and what have you can try all they want to trash and thrash the Budget 2013...well...they can try.. but I talked to so many people...including those non-lovers of the BN and they say that Najib's really nailed it...
Yeah..it's got something for everyone. Okay, almost everyone...
Come on -- from the pre-schooler to the retireee/senior citizen.
Maybe the PM left out the mega/super-rich. Hurray..
But really, who's left out? Who has been excluded? And if you've been left out, you will suffer?
And for me -- as a mother, as a working woman and as, well, a woman -- it's got so much for me. tax relief, and for the kids and then for my kids' present and future and ...free mammogram.. Yippee..
Of course, of course....they'll try to tear it down to pieces. Good luck.
Read the Budget 2013 HERE.
P.S: I'll not stop wishing for a good health plan for the rakyat...
They call it an election budget. Can't blame them for labelling it so, because it is the last one before the next general election.
Be that as it may...it is whatever you want to call it..
Najib's critics, adversaries, enemies and what have you can try all they want to trash and thrash the Budget 2013...well...they can try.. but I talked to so many people...including those non-lovers of the BN and they say that Najib's really nailed it...
Yeah..it's got something for everyone. Okay, almost everyone...
Come on -- from the pre-schooler to the retireee/senior citizen.
Maybe the PM left out the mega/super-rich. Hurray..
But really, who's left out? Who has been excluded? And if you've been left out, you will suffer?
And for me -- as a mother, as a working woman and as, well, a woman -- it's got so much for me. tax relief, and for the kids and then for my kids' present and future and ...free mammogram.. Yippee..
Of course, of course....they'll try to tear it down to pieces. Good luck.
Read the Budget 2013 HERE.
P.S: I'll not stop wishing for a good health plan for the rakyat...
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Budget 2013....
It's that time of year again. Everyone's all bracing to know what's in store -- what's going up, what's going down.. Where are we getting more, and where are we getting the cuts.
Everyone's going to call it an election budget because well, the general election will be held soon...and "soon" is subjective. "Soon" to us may not be "soon": to the Prime Minister, or vice versa. But at the Pusat Rakyat Loyar Burok exhbition booth yesterday, Najib was sporting enough to scribble "coming soon" on the board where people were asked to continue from what was written "I think the 13th GE is on...."
So, yes...your guess is as good as mine.. Which means we'll keep on guessing. And we've run out of "windows" etc...
Anyway, in the weeks and days before the Budget announcement, we, essentially...want to know what the goodies are. Yep..better believe it...you and I and the rest of the country are just interested in the goodies...
But, cutting to the chase -- I know what I'd like to see in the Budget. As a Malaysian -- and like other Malaysians -- I worry about the rising cost of living. Rising costs of food, petrol and so forth. So, I'd hate to see rising costs of all these things that will cause hardship to me and my children.
People are talking about the needs and wants of the urban middle class -- particularly in buying houses.. The buzzword is "affordable" homes.
It's like this -- the rich can take care of themselves and the poor are taken care of already. But this UMC (urban middle class) group...They're pretty neglected. Somehow, people (read:the government) forget to include them.
Take housing -- this group does not qualify for low-cost houses and those they can afford are in faraway and unattractive locations, sometimes not worth the buy. And those in attractive locations are way beyond their means.
Although I'm lucky to have been able to buy a house in a good location (bought it in 1985, so yes...I'm lucky and finished loan payment..Thank God)...I can't say the same for today's working middle class who want to buy homes. These houses aint affordable these days...They're really expensive...
So yeah..I'm thinking about my kids when they're starting out on their own. Work, marriage,family, home ownership, you know.
Can they ever afford to buy their own homes. I suppose it's a case of beggars can't be choosers... But that is so sad...Those affordable homes for them are in some God forsaken location..
So, yes...this will be a real challenge for the government to address. But I'm hoping there's something there on affordable homes.
My wishlist would be in three other areas very close to my heart as a Malaysian -- education, health and security (keselamatan -- as in fighting crime)...not necessarily in that order because all are equally important.
I must stress that in my old age, I am so concerned about health -- as in the cost of health and medical treatment.
Because of the over-crowdedness in government and public hospitals, people opt for private health care. It's okay for those still working and their health and medical treatment is covered by the employers.
But good quality health care is expensive.
I've always found it interesting that in my youthful working days, I was never hospitalised for any illness, except twice for maternity (delivering my two kids).
Thank God, I have health insurance which I took when I began my working life.
Imagine those people who retire and do not have health insurance. You know, the older you get the higher premium you have to pay. And when you start getting all those ailments, you may not even get your insurance application approved.
So, I suppose the best thing for Malaysians to do is to take care of their health...which for so many, is easier said than done.
Anyway...here's hoping that the budget will be a good 'un. (And heard that it will be)
Read THIS
and also THIS
So, yes...your guess is as good as mine.. Which means we'll keep on guessing. And we've run out of "windows" etc...
Anyway, in the weeks and days before the Budget announcement, we, essentially...want to know what the goodies are. Yep..better believe it...you and I and the rest of the country are just interested in the goodies...
But, cutting to the chase -- I know what I'd like to see in the Budget. As a Malaysian -- and like other Malaysians -- I worry about the rising cost of living. Rising costs of food, petrol and so forth. So, I'd hate to see rising costs of all these things that will cause hardship to me and my children.
People are talking about the needs and wants of the urban middle class -- particularly in buying houses.. The buzzword is "affordable" homes.
It's like this -- the rich can take care of themselves and the poor are taken care of already. But this UMC (urban middle class) group...They're pretty neglected. Somehow, people (read:the government) forget to include them.
Take housing -- this group does not qualify for low-cost houses and those they can afford are in faraway and unattractive locations, sometimes not worth the buy. And those in attractive locations are way beyond their means.
Although I'm lucky to have been able to buy a house in a good location (bought it in 1985, so yes...I'm lucky and finished loan payment..Thank God)...I can't say the same for today's working middle class who want to buy homes. These houses aint affordable these days...They're really expensive...
So yeah..I'm thinking about my kids when they're starting out on their own. Work, marriage,family, home ownership, you know.
Can they ever afford to buy their own homes. I suppose it's a case of beggars can't be choosers... But that is so sad...Those affordable homes for them are in some God forsaken location..
So, yes...this will be a real challenge for the government to address. But I'm hoping there's something there on affordable homes.
My wishlist would be in three other areas very close to my heart as a Malaysian -- education, health and security (keselamatan -- as in fighting crime)...not necessarily in that order because all are equally important.
I must stress that in my old age, I am so concerned about health -- as in the cost of health and medical treatment.
Because of the over-crowdedness in government and public hospitals, people opt for private health care. It's okay for those still working and their health and medical treatment is covered by the employers.
But good quality health care is expensive.
I've always found it interesting that in my youthful working days, I was never hospitalised for any illness, except twice for maternity (delivering my two kids).
Thank God, I have health insurance which I took when I began my working life.
Imagine those people who retire and do not have health insurance. You know, the older you get the higher premium you have to pay. And when you start getting all those ailments, you may not even get your insurance application approved.
So, I suppose the best thing for Malaysians to do is to take care of their health...which for so many, is easier said than done.
Anyway...here's hoping that the budget will be a good 'un. (And heard that it will be)
Read THIS
and also THIS
Did This Really Happen?
They security guards were unarmed. The robber tied them up before fleeing with an undisclosed sum of money and five Honda cars worth over RM500,000.
There were about 15 of them, armed with parang and axes.
According to news reports, the guards freed themselves and called the police at about 7pm.
Kajang Deputy OCPD Supt Azman Ayob told reporters that the robbers spent more than three hours ransacking the premises and breaking into the showroom office to steal the money.
They then drove off in the cars three Honda Accords, a Honda CRV and a Honda Civic all without registered number plates.
The police are now going through the CCTV footage to assist in investigations.
The showroom started operations last year.
If this happened the way it was told, I am so dismayed. Can you imagine if this same group robs another showroom or a restaurant...? There is every likelihood. It's just a matter of when and where.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. It's not so much that they stole the vehicles and cash... but the fact that 15 (or more) of them grouped together to commit the crime and, of course, got away with it.
I hope the police have already got leads...
Chilling....
Hypocritical Rant by Foreign Agents
Oh yeah. If you're got funds from foreign bodies, nothing to be guilty about. In fact no reason for you to hide that fact.
If you're getting the monies to do some job for your financiers, that's ok too.
You want to bring down the government? Hey that's okay too. But say so.
This is a democracy. You have the right to bring down a government you do not like. But as an NGO, don't pretend you're not doing it when you are really doing it.
***********************
(source: The NST)
BETTER UNDERSTANDING: A new perspective on anti-government rhetoric following revelations of foreign funding
by Asmi Anshar
A HANDFUL of non-government organisations and a pro-opposition news website were reported to have accepted financial grants from foreign benefactors, and that the funding was the impetus for a slew of outrageous accusations and skewed reports against government leaders, the prime minister in particular, in recent years.
Upfront, it's quite all right to suck in this kind of money, especially in this era of global economic uncertainty and squeezed funds, for altruistic goals. Some look to government aid, others depend on private local sponsors, such as banks and wealthy corporations, while a selected number are chosen by foreign bodies to carry out benevolent programmes.
Every outfit, whether left or right, charitable or activist-minded, needs patrons with a liberal chequebook. But in doing so, some fail to live up to the simple rule of accepting money from foreign donors: be up-front about the money and be straightforward in rationalising the objectives.
For example, if you get money from a certain foreign government or billionaire, then say so from the beginning instead of shrouding the real intent with surreptitious red herrings like "pro-freedom" and "pro-democracy".
If your aim is to flummox the already toxic political atmosphere with your pro-opposition news reports and commentaries, say so, too, instead of pretending to be the mother of all free press, particularly when your editors once blatantly told voters to choose the opposition instead of voting with their inner conscience, as all independent press would do.
The outcome of these pretensions is clear: the reenactment of an age-old deception, the wolf in sheep's clothing, coming to mind as these NGOs' equivocal funding is exposed for the absurd but not laughable attempt at re-colonisation, the kinds infamously chronicled by ex-covert operatives of foreign spook agencies.
Instead of standing up by whatever political convictions they profess, the NGOs blame the messenger, the national newspapers, which exposed their duplicity. These NGOs tag team with their political mentors, supporters and apologists, vilifying the messenger's so-called "bad faith" reporting and hopping around the fact that they were caught wearing the "foreign agent" mask.
If a reporter asks the straight-to-the-gut question like: "Are you aware that by taking money from foreign donors, you are becoming their agents?", the NGOs' instinct would be not to explain rationally, but to scream bloody murder, legal action or something obfuscating like the "money is not related to our street demonstrations".
Ah... the language of the hypocrite.
The national newspapers are used to these hysterics: they've been so banned, blacklisted and sued by deluded opposition leaders and their ilk who can't see beyond their "undemocratic noses".
But the highfalutin high moral ground perched by many government critics won't see this as an affront to press freedom because it is free speech only if their own kind highlighted the corruption, but bad faith if the likes of the New Straits Times or Utusan Malaysia reported their putrefaction.
Ironically, these critics were unwittingly misreported by a certain website sympathetic to them, but highly critical of the prime minister.
In rapid succession, a Singapore-based foreign scholar was miffed that her remarks at a forum were misreported as, heaven forbid, endorsing Malaysian government initiatives, while the daughter of a certain ex-prime minister was equally miffed that a NGO she once led was said to have received the same foreign funds, but in her operative words "never during her time", a benefit of doubt she will be given. It's nice to know that these critics can remonstrate against a news website sympathetic to their rants for misreporting.
It's also good to know that their beef with the media is not confined to just the national newspapers. So, perhaps the scholar and the ex-prime minister's daughter could also put in a good word to certain opposition leaders to mitigate their anti-national press demagoguery and just be even-handed regarding all forms of reporting, good or bad.
If you're getting the monies to do some job for your financiers, that's ok too.
You want to bring down the government? Hey that's okay too. But say so.
This is a democracy. You have the right to bring down a government you do not like. But as an NGO, don't pretend you're not doing it when you are really doing it.
***********************
(source: The NST)
BETTER UNDERSTANDING: A new perspective on anti-government rhetoric following revelations of foreign funding
by Asmi Anshar
A HANDFUL of non-government organisations and a pro-opposition news website were reported to have accepted financial grants from foreign benefactors, and that the funding was the impetus for a slew of outrageous accusations and skewed reports against government leaders, the prime minister in particular, in recent years.
Upfront, it's quite all right to suck in this kind of money, especially in this era of global economic uncertainty and squeezed funds, for altruistic goals. Some look to government aid, others depend on private local sponsors, such as banks and wealthy corporations, while a selected number are chosen by foreign bodies to carry out benevolent programmes.
Every outfit, whether left or right, charitable or activist-minded, needs patrons with a liberal chequebook. But in doing so, some fail to live up to the simple rule of accepting money from foreign donors: be up-front about the money and be straightforward in rationalising the objectives.
For example, if you get money from a certain foreign government or billionaire, then say so from the beginning instead of shrouding the real intent with surreptitious red herrings like "pro-freedom" and "pro-democracy".
If your aim is to flummox the already toxic political atmosphere with your pro-opposition news reports and commentaries, say so, too, instead of pretending to be the mother of all free press, particularly when your editors once blatantly told voters to choose the opposition instead of voting with their inner conscience, as all independent press would do.
The outcome of these pretensions is clear: the reenactment of an age-old deception, the wolf in sheep's clothing, coming to mind as these NGOs' equivocal funding is exposed for the absurd but not laughable attempt at re-colonisation, the kinds infamously chronicled by ex-covert operatives of foreign spook agencies.
Instead of standing up by whatever political convictions they profess, the NGOs blame the messenger, the national newspapers, which exposed their duplicity. These NGOs tag team with their political mentors, supporters and apologists, vilifying the messenger's so-called "bad faith" reporting and hopping around the fact that they were caught wearing the "foreign agent" mask.
If a reporter asks the straight-to-the-gut question like: "Are you aware that by taking money from foreign donors, you are becoming their agents?", the NGOs' instinct would be not to explain rationally, but to scream bloody murder, legal action or something obfuscating like the "money is not related to our street demonstrations".
Ah... the language of the hypocrite.
The national newspapers are used to these hysterics: they've been so banned, blacklisted and sued by deluded opposition leaders and their ilk who can't see beyond their "undemocratic noses".
But the highfalutin high moral ground perched by many government critics won't see this as an affront to press freedom because it is free speech only if their own kind highlighted the corruption, but bad faith if the likes of the New Straits Times or Utusan Malaysia reported their putrefaction.
Ironically, these critics were unwittingly misreported by a certain website sympathetic to them, but highly critical of the prime minister.
In rapid succession, a Singapore-based foreign scholar was miffed that her remarks at a forum were misreported as, heaven forbid, endorsing Malaysian government initiatives, while the daughter of a certain ex-prime minister was equally miffed that a NGO she once led was said to have received the same foreign funds, but in her operative words "never during her time", a benefit of doubt she will be given. It's nice to know that these critics can remonstrate against a news website sympathetic to their rants for misreporting.
It's also good to know that their beef with the media is not confined to just the national newspapers. So, perhaps the scholar and the ex-prime minister's daughter could also put in a good word to certain opposition leaders to mitigate their anti-national press demagoguery and just be even-handed regarding all forms of reporting, good or bad.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Teen Pregnancy On The Rise
This is alarming.
(The Star)
KLANG: More Malaysian teenage girls are getting pregnant, with a major hospital recording at least one case every day.
According to Dr Mohamad Farouk Abdullah, senior consultant and head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital here, about 14% of the 12,000 babies delivered annually at the hospital were by teenage mothers with many of them unwed.
“We thought such numbers of teen pregnancies were only in Klang, but I am also hearing of similar scenarios in the other six specialist hospitals in Selangor,” he added.
“The youngest girl to give birth at our hospital was a 12-year-old girl,” Dr Mohamad Farouk said at the “Pregnant by Choice, Not by Chance or Force” seminar. It was organised by the hospital in conjunction with its Family Planning month.
The Health Ministry recorded 18,652 births by girls below the age of 19 last year compared with 5,962 in the second half of 2010.
Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital's medical social welfare officer Nurul Azira Mahamad Jafar said she had been handling at least one case of an unwed mother every working day of this year.
“The highest number of referrals I have had in a day so far was 14. These are our children who are pregnant in their teens,” said Nurul Azira, who has been handling cases of unwed mothers as well as rape and sex abuse victims at the hospital for the past six years.
Most of the pregnant girls are referred to the hospital by clinics.
This is because teenage pregnancies are considered “high-risk cases”. A teenager is twice more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth complications than women in their 20s.
Most of the girls come to the hospital complaining of discomfort such as stomachache and spotting.
The rest of the story here.
Read this article too.
AWAS...
This is under the first phase of the Automated Enforcement System (AES).
Ten of the cameras are to catch speed limit breakers and four to catch those who jump traffic lights.
More cameras will be installed at 817 blackspots in the second phase, which will see a nationwide implementation of the AES.
The government is hopeful that doing this would help reduce the number of road fatalities.
Now this is nice. The NST reported that in Perak, 90 per cent of the 106 who
volunteered for the Territorial Army on Friday were Chinese.
It's a fact that the community is not known to be so hot about joining the armed forces for several reasons.
But this is good.
This was not lost on army chief Gen Tan Sri Zulkefli Zainal Abidin who pointed out that race had never been the criterion for recruitment or promotions.
The NST said Zulkefli could not help but express his awe at the high number of Chinese youth joining the Territorial Army.
Read the rest of the article here....
It's a fact that the community is not known to be so hot about joining the armed forces for several reasons.
But this is good.
This was not lost on army chief Gen Tan Sri Zulkefli Zainal Abidin who pointed out that race had never been the criterion for recruitment or promotions.
The NST said Zulkefli could not help but express his awe at the high number of Chinese youth joining the Territorial Army.
Read the rest of the article here....
I know my sister, Nina, skipped this page in the papers or turned off the TV when the news about this was on.
Nina always tells me --"alaa...apa lah Kak Ena ni"...everytime I hold her newborn (she delivered Sofea Helena last month). She has 5 children now. Because I will look at her newborn and never fail to utter "...how could people do this to their babies..." Of course e I never get to finish my sentence because Nina would have this pained look...and besides, I would also stop as images of dead newborns play in my head.\
I have written about this topic -- of unwed mothers dumping their babies, in some cases killing them because they fear their families would find out and the repercussions of that. These women are Muslims. Well, that's a fact.
Here's the news report that was published on Monday Sept 17.
A NEWBORN baby girl, believed to be a day old, was found sprawled on the ground floor of Block One of the Desa Mentari Apartment here yesterday morning.
The baby, whose umbilical cord was still attached, was believed to have been thrown from the third floor of the apartment.
She was discovered around 11am by passers-by who alerted the police.
Eyewitness Juandi Mat, 35, said he was repairing his motorcycle when he heard something hit the ground.
"At first, I didn't think much of it because residents here like to throw garbage from the top floors, but one of the residents who was standing next to me said that it was a baby.
"I didn't believe him and hoped that it was just a doll.
"But when I went to check, I was shocked to see the baby sprawled face down on the floor in a pool of blood," said the lorry driver.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Arjunaidi Mohamed said a female suspect, in her 20s, was picked up for questioning.
"We are investigating this case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
"The motive has yet to be determined."
The young mother is in remand and her boyfriend has been arrested.
I cannot begin to describe the horror of it all. What must have possessed her to throw her baby out like that.
Actually, I know. I can just imagine. So overcome with shame that diminished her mentally.
We, as a society, have failed her. We judge girls like her. And we punish them.
.
Nina always tells me --"alaa...apa lah Kak Ena ni"...everytime I hold her newborn (she delivered Sofea Helena last month). She has 5 children now. Because I will look at her newborn and never fail to utter "...how could people do this to their babies..." Of course e I never get to finish my sentence because Nina would have this pained look...and besides, I would also stop as images of dead newborns play in my head.\
I have written about this topic -- of unwed mothers dumping their babies, in some cases killing them because they fear their families would find out and the repercussions of that. These women are Muslims. Well, that's a fact.
Here's the news report that was published on Monday Sept 17.
A NEWBORN baby girl, believed to be a day old, was found sprawled on the ground floor of Block One of the Desa Mentari Apartment here yesterday morning.
The baby, whose umbilical cord was still attached, was believed to have been thrown from the third floor of the apartment.
She was discovered around 11am by passers-by who alerted the police.
Eyewitness Juandi Mat, 35, said he was repairing his motorcycle when he heard something hit the ground.
"At first, I didn't think much of it because residents here like to throw garbage from the top floors, but one of the residents who was standing next to me said that it was a baby.
"I didn't believe him and hoped that it was just a doll.
"But when I went to check, I was shocked to see the baby sprawled face down on the floor in a pool of blood," said the lorry driver.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Arjunaidi Mohamed said a female suspect, in her 20s, was picked up for questioning.
"We are investigating this case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
"The motive has yet to be determined."
The young mother is in remand and her boyfriend has been arrested.
I cannot begin to describe the horror of it all. What must have possessed her to throw her baby out like that.
Actually, I know. I can just imagine. So overcome with shame that diminished her mentally.
We, as a society, have failed her. We judge girls like her. And we punish them.
.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Salam Aidilfitri
Wishing everyone Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf Zahir dan Batin.
Stay safe and don't overeat.
Semua-nya hendak-lah sederhana.
Stay safe and don't overeat.
Semua-nya hendak-lah sederhana.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Pandelela Gets Cash Reward and Full Scholarship
I'm glad that the government presented her with RM300,00 as a token of their appreciation.-- RM100,000 under the National Sports Council (NSC) prize scheme and RM200,000 worth of Amanah Saham Wawasan shares.
She received a mock cheque from PM Najib at his office in Putrajaya on Friday.
Najib also her awarded a full government scholarship from the Cemerlang Foundation to enable the athlete to pursue a degree of her choice at Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.
According to Bernama, Najib gave an assurance that the government was prepared to provide any assistance she may need to improve her performance for further international success.
The PM asked her :"Are you committed for Rio (2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and what else do you need? Do you have everything?"
The 19-year-old Bidayuh attained 359.20 points in the 10m platform event at the 2012 London Olympics, while Chen Ruolin of China defended her record with 422.30 points and Australian Brittany Broben bagged the silver with 366.50 points.
(source: Bernama)
Also Read THIS
Have You Seen T. Sathiskumar?
The police had appealed to the public to keep an eye out for him.
T. Sathiskumar went missing after following his grandfather E.P. Veloomurugan, 46, to a food court in Jalan Permatang Pauh here.
He was travelling with his father, T. Tamil Vanan, 30, in his lorry until they stopped at the food court at 12.30pm.
Tamil Vanan, from Ampang Jajar, Butterworth, was heading towards Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, on his delivery rounds.
At the food court, Sathiskumar disappeared in the crowd and could not be found.
State Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Mazlan Kesah said the boy weighed 15kg and was 70cm tall.
He was last seen in a pair of green shorts and a T-shirt with a yellow Spiderman hat.
Those with information on Sathiskumar's whereabouts can call Inspector Mohamed Ehsan Abu Bakar at 012-2494002, or the nearest police station.
Friday, August 17, 2012
When Ramadan Nears The End....
..we thank Allah SWT for giving us the strength to carry out our ibadah.
I say it every Ramadan -- time flies so quickly that before we know it, it's the end of puasa and the start of Syawal.
Honestly, it feels like only yesterday we were thinking of breaking fast on the first day of Ramadan this year, and seeing Ramadan stalls being put up around town.
Now, just one more day. And it is Raya.
These days, I get so melancholic thinking about those days when we were young.
And so many of the people I had known - family and friends - have gone.
This Ramadan alone, several friends have passed away, including a dear one, Wan Julia Hood -- someone I knew in secondary school and in UiTM (then ITM). After graduation we still kept in touch.
She moved to PJ (at least to my neighbourhood in section 16, PJ) in 1971. She enrolled in Assunta Secondary School. She was happy to have met (Arwah) Kak Eda and me who were living in the same neighbourhood.
We became friends. Continued to be when we all continued our studies in UiTM.
Later, when we were all married with our own families, we discovered that we were neighbours in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. How nice. Still we hardly ever met up but still never lost touch. The last time we met was at Istana Budaya for "The Secret Life of Nora" late last year.
I was so deeply shocked when I got the news that Julia had passed away. Couldn't believe it at all. I just stared at the text message on my Blackberry. I felt a little dazed.
I kept repeating "Wan Julia? Wan Julia?"....kept seeing her sweet face, smiling. Wan Julia was beautiful, outside and inside. She was a mother of seven kids (I think). Six beautiful girls and the youngest, a boy.
Al Fatihah. Al Fatihah....
With each passing year, I seem to think a lot about mortality. This comes with age or aging, I was told. It is natural and it is normal.
Oh..I know. Nothing is permanent in life. We all have to go, one day.
I have no uncles or aunts left on my father's side. The only surviving is my late uncle's (Bapak's youngest brother) widow.
On my mother's side, Mak's older (and the eldest) and youngest sisters are still living - in Bangsar with her youngest daughter, Ana and, Mak Busu in Taman Tun Dr Ismail with her two older children, respectively.
But Wak Nah (Mak's older sister) is frail and not in good health. It's old age. She's in her late 80s.
Most of my older cousins have passed away.
Now, my siblings and our cousins (our generation) have taken over as the aunts and uncles the young ones look up to, as we did our Arwah2 aunts and uncles.
And to make us all go misty-eyed, my cousin, Ana, informed us during the earlier part of Ramadan, that Wak Nah would like to meet us (Mak's children) all on the second day of Raya.
You know when you get that kind of message, you kind of panic because you think "they know"........
I'm not even going to entertain any morose thoughts. But I feel sad.
So yes. Time flies.
I should stop before I go on and on...
Until then... Salam Aidilfitri..
Mohon ampun dan maaf zahir batin..
Have a blessed Eid in this glorious month of Syawal.
I say it every Ramadan -- time flies so quickly that before we know it, it's the end of puasa and the start of Syawal.
Honestly, it feels like only yesterday we were thinking of breaking fast on the first day of Ramadan this year, and seeing Ramadan stalls being put up around town.
Now, just one more day. And it is Raya.
These days, I get so melancholic thinking about those days when we were young.
And so many of the people I had known - family and friends - have gone.
This Ramadan alone, several friends have passed away, including a dear one, Wan Julia Hood -- someone I knew in secondary school and in UiTM (then ITM). After graduation we still kept in touch.
She moved to PJ (at least to my neighbourhood in section 16, PJ) in 1971. She enrolled in Assunta Secondary School. She was happy to have met (Arwah) Kak Eda and me who were living in the same neighbourhood.
We became friends. Continued to be when we all continued our studies in UiTM.
Later, when we were all married with our own families, we discovered that we were neighbours in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. How nice. Still we hardly ever met up but still never lost touch. The last time we met was at Istana Budaya for "The Secret Life of Nora" late last year.
I was so deeply shocked when I got the news that Julia had passed away. Couldn't believe it at all. I just stared at the text message on my Blackberry. I felt a little dazed.
I kept repeating "Wan Julia? Wan Julia?"....kept seeing her sweet face, smiling. Wan Julia was beautiful, outside and inside. She was a mother of seven kids (I think). Six beautiful girls and the youngest, a boy.
Al Fatihah. Al Fatihah....
With each passing year, I seem to think a lot about mortality. This comes with age or aging, I was told. It is natural and it is normal.
Oh..I know. Nothing is permanent in life. We all have to go, one day.
I have no uncles or aunts left on my father's side. The only surviving is my late uncle's (Bapak's youngest brother) widow.
On my mother's side, Mak's older (and the eldest) and youngest sisters are still living - in Bangsar with her youngest daughter, Ana and, Mak Busu in Taman Tun Dr Ismail with her two older children, respectively.
But Wak Nah (Mak's older sister) is frail and not in good health. It's old age. She's in her late 80s.
Most of my older cousins have passed away.
Now, my siblings and our cousins (our generation) have taken over as the aunts and uncles the young ones look up to, as we did our Arwah2 aunts and uncles.
And to make us all go misty-eyed, my cousin, Ana, informed us during the earlier part of Ramadan, that Wak Nah would like to meet us (Mak's children) all on the second day of Raya.
You know when you get that kind of message, you kind of panic because you think "they know"........
I'm not even going to entertain any morose thoughts. But I feel sad.
So yes. Time flies.
I should stop before I go on and on...
Until then... Salam Aidilfitri..
Mohon ampun dan maaf zahir batin..
Have a blessed Eid in this glorious month of Syawal.
why do some women allow their partners to abuse their kids. I 've read about these cases far too many times.
This Ipoh case is the latest. Four year-old J. Pavitra, 4, was pronounced dead on Aug 14 at Klinik 1Malaysia in Kampung Tawas on Tuesday after her mother sent her there for treatment.
The child is a victim of child abuse. her mother and her boyfriend have been arrested.
And this was another case.
There had been other cases before these.
So sad.
This Ipoh case is the latest. Four year-old J. Pavitra, 4, was pronounced dead on Aug 14 at Klinik 1Malaysia in Kampung Tawas on Tuesday after her mother sent her there for treatment.
The child is a victim of child abuse. her mother and her boyfriend have been arrested.
And this was another case.
There had been other cases before these.
So sad.
Friday, August 10, 2012
I'm glad help is pouring in for Susan Lovie Boudville, widow of the late Loga Arumugam of the iconic and evergreen Alleycats, after her Tanjung Bungah home was razed on Aug 6.
There's 1MDB's RM100,000 cash for her, RM50,000 from the Culture Welfare Assistance Fund of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, RM1,000 from the Yang Dipertua Negeri Fire Disaster Relief Fund, RM1,000 each from Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu and Permatang Pauh Umno Youth chief Abdul Aziz Shik Ahmad, and RM500 from the state Welfare Department. Also RM5,000 from Penang chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Susan is now scouting for a new place. She hopes to find a house in the Tanjung Bungah area.
I'm posting about Susan Lovie Boudville because she is someone I knew in primary school (Assunta Primary) and through secondary school (Assunta Secondary). She is one of a pair of twins - her twin is Helen.
We used to hang out together and played softball in school.
I never knew she was married to Loga. I don't know how I never knew that but I think it's because we've lost touch for some 25 years. In fact, after secondary school, we took on different paths. But I remember we bumped into each other at Glass Bubble, a discotheque in what was then Jayapuri (now PJ Hilton) Hotel, sometime in the 80s.
Facebook brought us together. Even then I did not know she was ever married to Loga and had two (grown-up) kids with this iconic artiste.
I was going through FB and as I was scrolling down her wall I read her posting in which she uploaded a love song - one that was "our song" (She and Loga's). That got me.
I had no idea until I read more.
I mean, I love the Alleycats. I know their songs, I've met them. I grieved together with the rest of the country when Loga passed away.
But I never knew the Susan was Loga's other half.
I really feel so stupid....some journo that I am...
To Susan - hang in there. I pray everything will work out fine..When I'm in Penang, I will surely look you up.
There's 1MDB's RM100,000 cash for her, RM50,000 from the Culture Welfare Assistance Fund of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, RM1,000 from the Yang Dipertua Negeri Fire Disaster Relief Fund, RM1,000 each from Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu and Permatang Pauh Umno Youth chief Abdul Aziz Shik Ahmad, and RM500 from the state Welfare Department. Also RM5,000 from Penang chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Susan is now scouting for a new place. She hopes to find a house in the Tanjung Bungah area.
I'm posting about Susan Lovie Boudville because she is someone I knew in primary school (Assunta Primary) and through secondary school (Assunta Secondary). She is one of a pair of twins - her twin is Helen.
We used to hang out together and played softball in school.
I never knew she was married to Loga. I don't know how I never knew that but I think it's because we've lost touch for some 25 years. In fact, after secondary school, we took on different paths. But I remember we bumped into each other at Glass Bubble, a discotheque in what was then Jayapuri (now PJ Hilton) Hotel, sometime in the 80s.
Facebook brought us together. Even then I did not know she was ever married to Loga and had two (grown-up) kids with this iconic artiste.
I was going through FB and as I was scrolling down her wall I read her posting in which she uploaded a love song - one that was "our song" (She and Loga's). That got me.
I had no idea until I read more.
I mean, I love the Alleycats. I know their songs, I've met them. I grieved together with the rest of the country when Loga passed away.
But I never knew the Susan was Loga's other half.
I really feel so stupid....some journo that I am...
To Susan - hang in there. I pray everything will work out fine..When I'm in Penang, I will surely look you up.
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Anger and Ire over Court Ruling On Alleged Rapist
".. public interest would not be served if his client was given a custodial sentence when he had a bright future " - Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Raus Sharif
This must be the first of its kind -- letting an alleged rapist who happens to be a national bowler, go without a custodial sentence because, well, his future is bright.
That doesn't seem right, does it?
Someone despaired in Facebook :"Something's wrong with our judicial system".
I disagree. There's nothing wrong with our judicial system. The law is there. the punishment is provided for under the criminal procedure code.
But the judges decide. And in this case, it is their decision to allow Noor Afizal Azizan's appeal against the High Court decision to sentence him to five years jail
Read the report HERE.
The social media is raging over this.
I'm remembering the case of a foreigner who was found not guilty for speeding on the wrong side of the KL-Seremban highway. The judge accepted the grounds for his mad driving - a "sleep walking" disorder. Two or three people were killed by his crazed driving.
Sometimes, you wonder .....
This must be the first of its kind -- letting an alleged rapist who happens to be a national bowler, go without a custodial sentence because, well, his future is bright.
That doesn't seem right, does it?
Someone despaired in Facebook :"Something's wrong with our judicial system".
I disagree. There's nothing wrong with our judicial system. The law is there. the punishment is provided for under the criminal procedure code.
But the judges decide. And in this case, it is their decision to allow Noor Afizal Azizan's appeal against the High Court decision to sentence him to five years jail
Raus who is Court of Appeal president led the three-man panel in ruling that the jail term be substituted with a bound over for good behaviour for five
years.
Read the report HERE.
The social media is raging over this.
I'm remembering the case of a foreigner who was found not guilty for speeding on the wrong side of the KL-Seremban highway. The judge accepted the grounds for his mad driving - a "sleep walking" disorder. Two or three people were killed by his crazed driving.
Sometimes, you wonder .....
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Kuala Lumpur Is A Rude City....
In fact, KL is third from the bottom in a list of 36 cities in the world, according to a survey by New York-based magazine Reader's Digest. We beat Mumbai (right at the bottom) and Bucharest.
The most courteous is New York, followed by Zurich and Toronto.
The magazine said it was not a scientific survey. Researchers were sent to the cities where they tested people on 3 things:
• whether people in front of them would hold the door open for them as they walked into public buildings 20 times.
• whether sales assistants said thank you after they'd bought small items from 20 stor.
• whether anyone would help pick up papers they'd dropped from a folder in 20 busy locations.
Are the findings fair? Some people may think not. I mean you may not say New York and courteousness in the same breath. Then again, we're being too presumptuous. People are courteous in New York. They are not rude. they do have the time to hold the door for you, help you with all the papers that you've dropped on the street, and say thank you.
No need to really wonder. The first thing you'd notice when you land on American soil is their greetings of "how're you doing?" and "have a nice day". Yes, even after 9/11. It's ingrained in them.
Never mind whether they mean it or not, or sincere about it. As long as they're not rude.
I don't know whether I'd use the same criteria to gauge rudeness or courteousness.
If you read the conclusion of the study, you'll see that the more prosperous the city, the more courteous the people.
I have my own conclusion of Kuala Lumpur's ranking. The Reader's Digest researchers did not bump into people true KLites.
Could it be because of THIS?
The most courteous is New York, followed by Zurich and Toronto.
The magazine said it was not a scientific survey. Researchers were sent to the cities where they tested people on 3 things:
• whether people in front of them would hold the door open for them as they walked into public buildings 20 times.
• whether sales assistants said thank you after they'd bought small items from 20 stor.
• whether anyone would help pick up papers they'd dropped from a folder in 20 busy locations.
Are the findings fair? Some people may think not. I mean you may not say New York and courteousness in the same breath. Then again, we're being too presumptuous. People are courteous in New York. They are not rude. they do have the time to hold the door for you, help you with all the papers that you've dropped on the street, and say thank you.
No need to really wonder. The first thing you'd notice when you land on American soil is their greetings of "how're you doing?" and "have a nice day". Yes, even after 9/11. It's ingrained in them.
Never mind whether they mean it or not, or sincere about it. As long as they're not rude.
I don't know whether I'd use the same criteria to gauge rudeness or courteousness.
If you read the conclusion of the study, you'll see that the more prosperous the city, the more courteous the people.
I have my own conclusion of Kuala Lumpur's ranking. The Reader's Digest researchers did not bump into people true KLites.
Could it be because of THIS?
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Downside of Removing Car Taxes
This article by SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin was published in the New Sunday Times on July 29, 2012.
HERE.
THE Malaysian automotive market's recovery continued last month with a year-on-year 35 per cent increase in volume to 50,067 units. June was the second straight month of growth in the industry, which had been in decline for the first four months of the year.
More importantly, the total industry volume (TIV) for the first half was 1.35 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year. A big factor in the higher volume in May has been the resumption of production at Thailand's automotive plants which were affected by the devastating floods last year.
Thailand's auto industry revival, which follows Japan's post-tsunami recovery in the industry, has been contributing positively to the global automotive market. Several reports noted that global auto sales last month reached 41.5 million units, up 5.9 per cent from the same period a year earlier. Toyota Motor Corp has also reclaimed its position as the world's largest car maker.
Back home, of late, there has been plenty of debate on approved permits and the reduction of taxes for cars. While much of this debate has taken a political tone, one thing cannot be denied: car prices in Malaysia are higher than many other countries as a result of the high taxes.
Naza Group has benefited from affirmative action policies put in place by the government through its New Economic Policy. With the support from the government, Naza now employs about 4,000 people directly, and double that figure indirectly through vendors. In terms of manpower management, our academy in Gurun, Kedah, trains staff in technical and management courses. We have been improving corporate governance to ensure transparency. Key performance indicators have been set so we can measure and improve our performance in all areas.
In the course of expanding over the years, we have come in contact with several auto makers from Europe, North America and South Korea. We've learnt from the best practices of our principals, applying these to the Malaysian market successfully and they are now encouraging us to enter into markets which are underserved. It's encouraging to look back and see how we've progressed from being an auto trader to the franchisee of several brands, to a manufacturer and exporter.
More than 35,000 lives are directly affected by what we do. We contribute to consumer spending, business investment in the country and the automotive trade balance through exports. All these are factors which affect the country's gross domestic product. We can't run away from the fact that people have abused the system, but it would not be accurate to say that the system failed in the case of legitimate businesses which resulted in job creation, domestic business investment and exports.
It is true that lower car prices would increase the disposable incomes of car owners and lower their debts. Higher disposable incomes would increase private consumption, which in turn would boost the gross domestic product.
Unfortunately, one key point that seems to be missing in the debate is the effects an immediate, outright removal of car taxes would have on resale values.
Here's an example: consumer A purchases a car for RM80,000 with 90 per cent (RM72,000) of the payment made through a hire purchase loan. A month later, taxes on all cars are reduced and that same car is now priced at RM50,000. As a result, the resale value of the car has plummeted but the amount owed to the bank remains the same. As such, should A decide to sell his car and buy a new car, he would still have to fork out an extra RM22,000 to pay off his debt. He would most likely put off selling his car.
This scenario transpired the last time car taxes were reduced in 2006. As a consequence of the lower taxes, the used car market tanked and brought down the sale of new vehicles. The TIV in 2006 fell 11 per cent to 490,768 units. In 2007, it contracted by a further 0.7 per cent to 487,176 units.
It took two years for the market to correct itself. It is important to note that this was the effect of a minor reduction in car taxes. Imagine what the effects would be if there is an immediate, outright removal of car taxes.
Many say that the biggest losers in 2006 and 2007 were the automotive companies but I believe the real losers were the consumers, many of whom inevitably had to come up with extra cash to pay off their loans to sell their cars. Ultimately, while a debate on reducing car taxes is much welcomed, there are a lot of questions that need to be addressed and the consequences of such measures must be taken into consideration so as not to hurt Malaysian consumers.
HERE.
THE Malaysian automotive market's recovery continued last month with a year-on-year 35 per cent increase in volume to 50,067 units. June was the second straight month of growth in the industry, which had been in decline for the first four months of the year.
More importantly, the total industry volume (TIV) for the first half was 1.35 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year. A big factor in the higher volume in May has been the resumption of production at Thailand's automotive plants which were affected by the devastating floods last year.
Thailand's auto industry revival, which follows Japan's post-tsunami recovery in the industry, has been contributing positively to the global automotive market. Several reports noted that global auto sales last month reached 41.5 million units, up 5.9 per cent from the same period a year earlier. Toyota Motor Corp has also reclaimed its position as the world's largest car maker.
Back home, of late, there has been plenty of debate on approved permits and the reduction of taxes for cars. While much of this debate has taken a political tone, one thing cannot be denied: car prices in Malaysia are higher than many other countries as a result of the high taxes.
Naza Group has benefited from affirmative action policies put in place by the government through its New Economic Policy. With the support from the government, Naza now employs about 4,000 people directly, and double that figure indirectly through vendors. In terms of manpower management, our academy in Gurun, Kedah, trains staff in technical and management courses. We have been improving corporate governance to ensure transparency. Key performance indicators have been set so we can measure and improve our performance in all areas.
In the course of expanding over the years, we have come in contact with several auto makers from Europe, North America and South Korea. We've learnt from the best practices of our principals, applying these to the Malaysian market successfully and they are now encouraging us to enter into markets which are underserved. It's encouraging to look back and see how we've progressed from being an auto trader to the franchisee of several brands, to a manufacturer and exporter.
More than 35,000 lives are directly affected by what we do. We contribute to consumer spending, business investment in the country and the automotive trade balance through exports. All these are factors which affect the country's gross domestic product. We can't run away from the fact that people have abused the system, but it would not be accurate to say that the system failed in the case of legitimate businesses which resulted in job creation, domestic business investment and exports.
It is true that lower car prices would increase the disposable incomes of car owners and lower their debts. Higher disposable incomes would increase private consumption, which in turn would boost the gross domestic product.
Unfortunately, one key point that seems to be missing in the debate is the effects an immediate, outright removal of car taxes would have on resale values.
Here's an example: consumer A purchases a car for RM80,000 with 90 per cent (RM72,000) of the payment made through a hire purchase loan. A month later, taxes on all cars are reduced and that same car is now priced at RM50,000. As a result, the resale value of the car has plummeted but the amount owed to the bank remains the same. As such, should A decide to sell his car and buy a new car, he would still have to fork out an extra RM22,000 to pay off his debt. He would most likely put off selling his car.
This scenario transpired the last time car taxes were reduced in 2006. As a consequence of the lower taxes, the used car market tanked and brought down the sale of new vehicles. The TIV in 2006 fell 11 per cent to 490,768 units. In 2007, it contracted by a further 0.7 per cent to 487,176 units.
It took two years for the market to correct itself. It is important to note that this was the effect of a minor reduction in car taxes. Imagine what the effects would be if there is an immediate, outright removal of car taxes.
Many say that the biggest losers in 2006 and 2007 were the automotive companies but I believe the real losers were the consumers, many of whom inevitably had to come up with extra cash to pay off their loans to sell their cars. Ultimately, while a debate on reducing car taxes is much welcomed, there are a lot of questions that need to be addressed and the consequences of such measures must be taken into consideration so as not to hurt Malaysian consumers.
Monday, July 23, 2012
RM180million For Indian Entrepreneurs
Okay. So people will say that this is an election bribe. So what. You can call it whatever. Bagi bising, tak bagi bising.
MIC chief G. Palanivel will be managing this special government allocation.
Let bygones be bygones so I shan't go into MIC's failure in helping the Indian community..
Palanivel, as MIC chief is supposed to open a new book for the MIC and the Indian community in Malaysia.
This special allocation for Indian entrepreneurs is the latest of a slew of funds and allocations for the community.
I'm all for that. Let's hope Palanivel manages it well and, as he has said, "to ensure that genuine and deserving Indian entrepreneurs have access to finance to grow their business."
MIC chief G. Palanivel will be managing this special government allocation.
Let bygones be bygones so I shan't go into MIC's failure in helping the Indian community..
Palanivel, as MIC chief is supposed to open a new book for the MIC and the Indian community in Malaysia.
This special allocation for Indian entrepreneurs is the latest of a slew of funds and allocations for the community.
I'm all for that. Let's hope Palanivel manages it well and, as he has said, "to ensure that genuine and deserving Indian entrepreneurs have access to finance to grow their business."
Saturday, July 21, 2012
High Tech Toilets In The City
It seems these toilets are under-used because people just don't know how to use them or are daunted by the fancy-schmancy look.
What a waste of money! Good intentions but if people don't use them, what's the point.
I'm not surprised if people feel a little scared going into these cubicles.
Did City Hall carry a survey or study before installing these toilets? These are new things the people have got to get used to. The should be "educated" on how to use these things.
Read the story here:
AUTOMATIC Street Toilets (ATS), which are set up in populous areas, are under-used because they're considered too high-tech by city folk and tourists alike.
City Hall director-general Datuk Salleh Yusup said the council will intensify the promotion of the toilets to get more people to use these facilities.
"The one in Bukit Bintang, for example, which is a high density area, has a low usage rate.
"It is frustrating to learn that people are not using the toilets because one can use it for 15 minutes for only 20 sen. "I think people are afraid of the high-tech features of the toilet.
"We intend to change their thinking so that more will use the toilets," he said.
Salleh said this after launching a one-day Cleanliness and Toilet Safety seminar at Menara DBKL 1 in Jalan Raja Laut recently.
"Cleanliness not only mirrors a person's attitude, but also that of the society. We are always working towards achieving better cleanliness in public areas, including our public toilets.
"Clean toilets in shopping complexes, restaurants, hotels and petrol stations will definitely draw people back to these places."
"We want local and foreign tourists to not only take home fond memories of our tourist attractions such as the Petronas Twin Towers, but also sing praises of our clean toilets," said Salleh.
There are 20 units of ATS, which are disabled-friendly, in various parts of the city such as Jalan Conlay, Jalan Medan Pasar, Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Jalan Pudu and Bangsar.
In an ATS, there are two cubicles with one squatting toilet and the other a modern water closet.
State-of-the-art sensors automatically trigger water, soap and the hand-dryer upon use.
The sensors also activate flushing after use, while the toilet seats are automatically cleaned as well.
A buzzer will ring a minute before the 15 minutes are up, and the user is required to slot in another 20 sen if he or she wants to continue using the toilet.
In the seminar, participants were told that a toilet monitoring committee will be formed by City Hall to help owners and managers of premises learn how to keep their toilets clean.
The committee, to be led by the council's Health and Environment Department, will also be made up of officers from various other departments such as Landscape and Recreation, Building Maintenance, Building Management and Urban Design.
City Hall Health and Environment Department director Dr Hayati Abdullah said in its pilot exercise, the committee will monitor the level of cleanliness and suggest ways to upgrade the toilets at three high density areas.
"The areas are Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Bukit Bintang and Bangsar Baru. We will look into the toilets in a holistic manner, from its design and safety to its fixtures.
"Through this, we hope to reduce complaints about unsatisfactory conditions of toilets and thus improve our image," she said, adding that the number of areas to be monitored will be expanded after the pilot exercise.
The committee will come into effect before October when City Hall's annual Clean Toilets Competition is organised.
The seminar was attended by 400 participants comprising representatives from restaurants and hawker centres, Alam Flora, the Federal Territories Restaurant and Hawkers Association, and the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation.
Among the topics discussed were universal designs for disabled-friendly toilets, and the role of non-governmental organisations in clean toilet campaigns.
Also present at the launch of the seminar was City Hall deputy director-general (socio-economy development) Datuk Amin Nordin Abd Aziz.
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