When unacceptable becomes the norm…

Posted: February 16, 2012 in Bangsa Malaysia, Education
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It’s funny really how things work these days…

I mean you would expect that in a service line, there was actually be service. Heck, it would be a given.

Not something you fall upon by chance but something you would come to expect, after all it is the service line. You would expect the company providing the service and the staff that build and serve it as a support system to actually do the SERVICING bit.

But let’s be practical.
I mean who am I kidding…service?
Not known to most Malaysian companies. There have not the slightest clue on how to operate in a manner that would be expected of them, unless of course there are monetary returns on their part or if it is a temporary condition. Yes, if it is a temporary condition-now, that would not be an issue.

A smile, a polite gesture-yes, that would be easy but expect that long term? A genuine attempt?…let’s just say that it would not be safe to hold your breath.

What is most disappointing about the service line is when it affects one of the most important institutions in the country,heck the world…

Education…an industry that is close to my soul-after all I have been apart of it from the age of 3 (from kindergarten to grad school and now being an educator myself).

You would think as years pass by that the standards would get higher, as improvements are made and people get hold of new technologies. But in fact the lies, the unacceptable services is what you can expect ..at most. But of course at the get go, things will be rainbows and sunshine….and wham the next minute, it’s like something hit you and you have no idea what it was…

Ironic eh?

The sad thing is that service is merely a front-right until they get the cash checked. Then you can forget about the smile, the polite gesture and sadly at times they will forget that you were/are indeed a paying client at one point. It’s awful in education especially because its a hefty investment-we are not talking about a thousand or 10 thousands dollar, but at any given time its easily 30,40, 60 and the numbers keep getting higher.

Service on the other hand is worse than ever. Paying clients have to be at the mercy of these people who are supposedly taking care of them. They are scared to say anything, because well… that’s how they have been brought up and the education system perpetuates that exact teaching- question no one in power.
‘
Simple-rule but of course every now and then there is hope with some who do not play default in that very system…Thank god for small mercies, eh?

Being Malaysian..Asian we are suppose to uphold certain tenets, values that makes us a culturally enriched society. But from what we commonly see on a daily basis, I dare say across the industries- it is more of the same thing. It’s is the perpetuation of unacceptable norms, that over a period of time has become okay.

It’s okay to be a unproductive member of the company, as long as your good at sucking up and covering your tracks. It’s alright to cheat, lie, manipulate as long as profit is the outcome-yes, it doesn’t matter how you got there. It’s okay to behave cowardly and hide behind your student’s skirts, so to speak when things get rough. It’s okay to assume that people are at your mercy, people are born to serve you and people need to take your crap.

But hey, when the unacceptable becomes the norm- you either sit there and take it or you fight it. When you have fought for the long haul and it is the best you can do, then you decide to become one of those robots and surrender to the system or you leave and uphold the principles that make you who you are.

Simply put its choice we make in life. That is the only thing that sets us apart.

What’s your choice????

How [Me.Me.Me] is Killing Our Morality

Posted: October 19, 2011 in Freedom of Speech, Justice, Society
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Me.Me.Me

Well that’s what our society is all about these days. Isn’t it?

Should I go for that event? Why should I? Do I get something from it?

I want you to do this activity for class. Do I get marks for it? Or if I don’t will you deduct my marks?

A person is in need, she fell down. Why should I help I don’t know her?

Someone is struggling to cross the road. Why should I care she ain’t my mother…

The list goes on.. These days, society is about ME.ME.ME. What is IT in IT for ME? Am I getting anything out of it? Is there money? Is there rewards? How about doing it just because? Hell, no how is that possible? How about doing it because of humanity? What’s that you might ask…

This recent incident in China, just alerts us to the dangers of becoming nothing but a ME. A single entity living in the world for themselves and no one else. Who cares not for others but of their own welfare. Nothing wrong with caring about yourself, providing you do not lose your sense of morality.

How can a person see a child being run-over, over and over again and just pretend that they can’t see/can’t feel/can’t hurt? Just because they fear that they might have to pay a fine? So a child’s life is less important? A fine is something to be worried about more than someone’s life? Come on. Where is our sense of morality?

Where is our conscience? Where is our heart? How would you feel if someone treated your child in that way? How would you feel if it was your sister? Your mother? How can you not feel? Are you not human?

Regardless of how good deeds can be misintrepreted..does this mean an end to all good deeds? Because of one particular case? Because of one bad judgement by a judge in China? Because of some moronic idiot/liars who try to live off your good deed?

The question is where does it end? First we might start with not helping a child that is being run-over? Next- we might turn a blind eye to a woman being raped and god forbid someone being stabbed/burned and other unimaginable things. Just because we can.

There is a fine line between beisane and insane. Have we all lost our marbles? Is this how we want to be remembered? How we want to live our lives? What we want to teach our children?

I already see it in some of my kids. I do not blame them cause they do not know any better. Untill you reveal the consequences of each action they take or make, only then do they realize how big or how impactful each action really is….

But we as adults, do not instill proper values, basic humanity..what have we become or worse still what are we becoming?

How are we any different from animals? God gaves us something he gave no other species. The question is why do we continue to fail him and ourselves by living life like zombies.

Like I always tell my students, in life there needs to be purpose. Everything that you do has to have a purpose…even a single action. There must be meaning to everything that you touch, see, feel…experience. You must feel. You must hurt. You must view the world with open eyes, you must feel the world’s joy, hurt, pain. Everything.. only then can you be truly alive, truly human.

If we fail to do so and continue to indulge in ME.ME.ME then we have failed as a society ..as a human being ….we have indeed killed morality.

Inefficiency At Its Worst: When Death Comes Calling Avoid Universiti Hospital at All Cost

Posted: August 29, 2011 in Discrimination, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Speech, Justice, Society
Tags: doctors
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Next time death comes calling, pray very hard that your loved one does not intend to send you to Universiti Hospital because that would probably be the last time you see anyone or anything in your life.

This occurrences is not merely coincidental. Not one or two people have experience inefficiency at its worst here but many. I myself one two different instances, years apart have experienced crappy service.

Unlike any other industry, inefficiency of staff be it nurses or doctors can result not only in losses in monetary losses but death. So it is no laughing matter.

When my seeya(grandpa) was rushed to the hospital after he had a fall, he was left to bleed. No one attended to him at all and my auntie who is a doctor had to rush to the hospital and stitch him up. Only to be charged for it later, not only is that absurd but irresponsible. My late grandpa was in his 70s then.

Years later, my achie (grandma) was admitted to Universiti Hospital due to heart failure. She was admitted at approximately 11am and till 1.30 pm no one doctor attended to her as no doctors were on a duty apparently which I believe is BULLSHIT. Once he does decide to attend to her, the doctor ask all her family members to leave the room as he questions her. You have to understand my grandma is in her 80s and is having dementia, she does not remember things very clearly-fighting with her is to no avail. Smart thing to do would be to ask her family, but does he? No…the smart doctor fights with this 80 year old woman. I mean how stupid can you get? I think this doctor need to attend finishing school more like it!

How can a hospital run without doctors? So when its a holiday people can be left to die?That is ridiculous. To make matters worse, she is then prescribed a medication which sadly the pharmacy can’t provide because its half day-on a freaking Monday in a freaking hospital. It is closed! Can you believe that?

So my 56 year old father has to drive around KL looking for the medicine which happens to be a controlled medication. All this while my grandma remains in the hospital without the necessary medication for heart failure. Someone suggested that we send her to the private wing because they take care of you better. So what happens if you do not have money? You are left to die? So is that the state of our medicine today?

The best thing is after this huge charade they will charge you a hefty bill for basically doing nothing! What is the point of doctors and hospitals then?

I’m appalled by Universiti Hospital. I vow never to return.

CURRENT UPDATE: She has no bed yet and has been at UH since 11 this morning. Lack of beds.

Lovey Dovey Couples? Call Malaysia, we have Watchdogs for Valentines.

Posted: February 10, 2011 in Freedom of Expression
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You got to be freaking kidding me…
“Malaysian States Crack Down on Valentine’s Day”, moral amour they called it! What rubbish!

What utter rubbish….what’s next police to guard people’s houses to see if they are fornicating? I mean where do you draw the line? How can you even consider searches by local authorities and police force in a bid to find those who celebrate Valentine’s in a manner that does not please these people?

Oh, common!
They can’t get such manpower to combat the increasing number of snatch thiefs that are starting to claim the lives of our citizens but they can round up people to be sex and affection radars to circle towns in a search to find those who do not fit their ideals. Seriously, they want to talk about morality?

If morality was such a concern why not frequent clubs and prosititution dens that are a dime a dozen all around Malaysia? Are you saying Muslims do not frequent such joints? Why Valentines? Are you saying fornication does not occur on other days of the month?

Why pick on a western date and celebration? Why?

Yes, I do not think Valentine’s Day brings greatness but it does give a day for people to appreciate their loved ones whether they are from the opposite sex or not…I do not agree on all this commercialization but if people want to buy and spend all their cash on flowers and chocolate. have sex..whatever…I could not be bothered..each to its own. They are after all adults.

Look here for some ridiculous quotes;

“We have identified spots in these states which are used by lovers and we are deploying local religious department officials as well as party members to stop such sinful acts as casual sex, which violates Islam,†Nasrudin told the AFP

à really do not know where to put my face. Crappy solutions to problem stemming from other issues. Outrageous band-it solutions that work only to enhanced their egos. Defaming other people’s culture and religion in an attempt to defend your own. I’m embarassed to be a Malaysian today. To say I know this people who talk shit….

What next?

Sometime it is as though Malaysians all came from that big bird that drops off babies (i can’t think of the name, I’m so pissed). It a whole wholier than thou attitude! Like Malaysian all fell from the sky …just born into this world.

Read here for more dirt on this issue;

Also a video on how this religious person defames another’s religion and culture;
[ http://www.youtube.com/embed/3YVkNzGj4XA?version=3

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/09/moral-amour-malaysian-states-crack-down-on-valentine’s-day/

San Min Su Wa Teluk Intan: Nurturing or Numbing Young Minds?

Posted: December 21, 2010 in Discrimination, Education, Freedom of Expression, Justice, Malaysia
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Teluk Intan or known to the old timers as Teluk Mak Intan or Teluk Anson, is a small town located in the town of Perak.

This quaint town has grown from days of small roads and 1 fast food restaurant and a small mall to a 2-3 way roads (bigger than you can imagine) for a small town gal anyways! Now, the town even has a Mc Donalds drive-thru and our very own Giant. To the many who know me online, I’m an original Penangnite but truth be told I am a small town gal from Teluk Intan, Perak.

I’ve not ever mentioned this little town that I hail from but today, I find that it requires saving, it requires a spot on my blog, it requires highlighting matters that should not be overlooked ,just because it is a small town. Very aptly, the issue at hand leans very close to my passion, the field of education.

San Min Su Wa is a Chinese private school funded by the public through donations (they collect up to RM240k at one given time to fund the school). It is located at Jalan Sg Nibong, 36000 Teluk Intan. It is well equipped with computer and projectors. Hell, they even have a multimedia room. They are very big on extra-curriculum activities like singing, dancing and constantly entering competitions. Academically, the kids do not fair to well but often the majority of them pass (according to inside sources: they are “passed” if you get what I mean). I was told that the kids here are “skilled in English”. They can barely speak a sentence in English and we are talking about 16, 17 year old (but they can differentiate a verb, a clause and other parts of english! What’s the blady point if you can speak a word of English!). Guess what, these are the same students who come to me a couple of years later at college level and torture the living day light out of me. God, help me!

Most of the kids are fairly rich and have a serious attitude problem. They all are daughters and son’s of local businessman in town and most show no regard to study as they feel they can always fall back on their parent’s businesses. Even their English teachers can barely carry the language well, to make matters worse they translate English words they teach to Mandarin (how does that help in any way? I have no idea). For those who might say, eh it’s hard to teach kids who can barely understand English so translation is the way to go. I refuse to believe that as I encounter the same problem and my kids improve drastically after being exposed to methods of Ms.C and these are the same breed of UEC kids. If they kid try to kid around and show me attitude and if they do not put effort, I will fail them.

A local source tells me that educators are often made to pass students who do not deserve to pass (this also happens in local colleges that are not monitored well, I’ve seen it happen before, thank god my college has pre-boards for examination regulation). This continues to occur in schools and colleges, when will it stop? To make matters worst, the management treats the educators in a very shameful manner, that “pisses the shit outta me”. An inside source tells me of the occurrences of the following incidence;

1.Teacher’s salary for the month of December has not been given to the teachers because of fear that they will resign at year end so the salary will only be given to teachers the
following year, towards the end of January. ( To my knowledge: People depend on their salaries on a monthly basis to pay bills at the right time and of course eat! It is their “rice bowl”
or periuk nasi”. I’m single and if I were to get my pay late I’d suffer, so I pity those teacher’s with families. It is year end furthermore,people have to pay for school uniforms,
stationery etc.
2. They have a steady input of part-timers that teach specific subjects. These teachers have been teaching for sometime at the school and have been paid on a monthly basis whether
there is classes or not. All of a sudden, there start cutting teacher’s salary into half as school holidays are approaching without giving further notice.
What do teachers who depend on the salary do when half their pay has been taken from them? Also they leave out teacher’s from the schedule and do not inform the part-timers that
they are no longer necessary. This is a plain injustice.Again, what do the teachers do? Have they, no courtesy? What about people who depend on it for a living!

It saddens me that this is the state of our education. This school is a perfect example of a mill that is churning out robots, who leave the school with minimal knowledge and impact. We are suppose to nurture the kids not numb their minds. Educators are treated like crap which is yet another sad revelation of what happens besides the school gates of this small quaint town.

Some might say this happens in all schools or colleges, so why this one. Firstly, I have inside source of this particular one, prove of what occurs behind the doors! The rest is based on speculation rather than evidence, so I can’t name specifics. Here, I can.

San Min Su Wa better buck up and hold up the integrity of it as an education pillar of this town. I will not rest if nothing is done till words gets out about what happens in this schools especially if it does not improve in the near future. My question here is, what sort of governance is occurring if education becomes yet another shopping mall churning out certs/degrees and what nots to the non-deserving and treating their staff like pieces of crap. How are we to sustain the countries developments if this is the quality of graduates and teachers? How are we to turn a blind eye to the injustice occurring to this small town teachers! I can’t..can you?

Website: http://www.sanmin.edu.my/ (Fully in Chinese, you’d think your in China!)

Facebook Page of the school: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SEK-MEN-SAN-MIN-SUWA/58362455931?v=info

Slinky Has been Missing since 4th Dec

Posted: December 14, 2010 in Freedom of Expression
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We have another dog reported Missing. Please help!!

Name : Slinky

Colour : Dark Brown/Chocolate

Breed : Daschund

He was lost for almost 2 weeks around Tanjung Bungah. He is still wearing his collar from this picture. Please help find him. He was last seen 4/12/12 at Jalan Cheah Phee Cheok.

If found , please contact 016-4059421 ( Jason ). Thank You

Shoot first, prove later: The Malaysian Copper’s Motto?

Posted: December 13, 2010 in Coppers, human rights, Justice, Malaysia, Society
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Apparently, this seems to be the procedure when dealing with cases of which, the PDRM has doubts. Of late, there has been more than one case of which civilians have been shot (some accidentally apparently) for no valid reason.  One of the most recent cases which has annoyed quite a number of Malaysian, is the news of the “Noodle Seller Shot by Plain Cloth Police Officers”>that was recently reported, and <”Aminulrasyid Shot Dead”>

According to Malaysiakini, Ho Chei Hang was shot by plainclothes policeman while he was driving. There was no warning shots nor any identification that these were indeed police officers, doing their so call duty. Mr.Ho has since sent a memorandum to SUHAKAM, ,to demand that the trigger happy police are investigated and that the issue does not fall on deaf ears. A trial is on-going regarding the Aminulrasyid case while Mr.Ho case is being investigated by SUHAKAM on the grounds of human rights. The PDRM on the other hand is treating this case (Mr.Ho) as attempted murder and drug possession.

There seems to be a pattern in all these cases, firstly the police officers shot at the alleged cars after receiving tips of the said offense but neither officers on both cases had any prove that this men/child were armed to begin with… Isn’t it a rule that officers cannot fire at their own will without solid evidence ? Will have to check on that…

Yesterday it’s a high school kid, today it is a noodle seller, tomorrow will it be you or me?

Now if you riding or driving on the roads and probably have been identified to have the same color car or model as a suspected criminal, are you in danger of being killed?
Will you end up in the pool of your own blood?

If you do not stop, for fear of being mugged or killed, will you be shot down? If anyone would stop me at the wee hours of the morning, even the police, I would not stop (unless it is a block and you can see that it is official that is!)!

How am I to know that this plain-cloth police are truly police? Should I take the risk and get mugged, raped or others?

Anyway, with all this cases constantly occurring, my trust-0-meter for the police keeps decreasing. As it is I hardly ever go to the police station for anything!

Recently, I visited the Sunway police station to report an incidence whereby some men came to my house with parangs and harassed me, threatening to kill my dog and asking me to leave the vicinity within a month- I was scolded by the inspector there because he said that since the issue was already settled(the police came to the house the night before and both parties talked) he assumed that I should not waste his time).

If I were to be killed, what prove would  I have? So you tell me now, why would anyone trust in the PDRM?

Do not get me wrong, I’m not saying that there are no good cops but I’m saying that the image of the PDRM is being tarnished due to its reckless, non-caring, could not be bothered attitude in general that is showcased repeatedly through not one, but many cases that have been re-occurring.

The question here is what is being done about this trigger happy cops?
What is being done with the officers who scold you for reporting an incident?
What is being done with officers that plant evidence on unsuspecting civilians?
Where have all the good cops gone? Why are we advocating a shoot first prove later policy?


Why why why!

So many questions that remain unanswered.

Before I end, I’ll like to assert that I love this country but I’m not about to sit here and watch people dying due to the recklessness and tidak-peduli attitude of some of our coppers.

I just want to feel safe again. Don’t you ?

Moronic Bank Goers at SS15

Posted: November 25, 2010 in amusement, Bangsa Malaysia, Education, Society
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Apparently common decency and etiquette comes in rare doses especially in the vicinity of Selangor specifically in Subang Jaya. On a daily basis, I travel en route to work using the road that leads to SS15 shop houses that is home to many banks namely RHB, Maybank and Public Bank. Parking is scarce if you at all can find any. So if your working there and have no parking in your workplace try coming before 7.30am in the morning to secure yourself a car park, otherwise it is total madness. As the picture below demonstrates, people just DO NOT CARE. They leave their cars double parked on both sides of the road, not bothered about anyone but themselves;

It annoys the living daylights out of me! The fact that people could not be bothered. This does not only occur around the banks but also at the back closer to SRI KL, whereby parents and restaurant goers at SS15 park their vehicles blocking people constantly. Both my dad and I ran into a similar issue when we went to dine at a restaurant in that area. We had to wait a good 15 minutes while this woman ate her lunch and walked out slowly and apologized. These people do not really care and their apologies do not mean very much. They will sit and watch as you hon or frantically search for the owner of the car while they eat their hearts out because they just could not be bothered. This has to stop!

Where is MPSJ! Why are they allowing these morons to cause jams and more problems! I get stuck in a jam around Taylor’s College at about 3.30pm everyday because the parents refuse to be considerate and park accordingly. They just wait in the middle of the road for their kids. I know you have money but you do not own the road. Many a time I have been tempted to walk out of the car, leave my car there and tell one or two of these parents about decency.

All I am asking for is some common decency and consideration for others besides yourself.

How are you to teach your children if you yourself have no sense!

So in the future before you park, use your brain and learn;n

Never leave your car unattended when you are not in the car and no one else is in it!

Do not double park on both sides of the road, it creates a jam!

Do not park your car in the middle of the road while you wait for your child to walk out slowly(we all have better things to do and some of us have to get to work!).

Simply said: Use Common Decency, it is not hard. It is just a practical thing to do!

Has Google Made Us Stupid?

Posted: November 23, 2010 in Education, Malaysia, Media and communication, Society, WORK
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Hmm, I’m sure that a lot of you are probably rolling your eyes to title I’ve put above. Some of you might be rather annoyed, some might be wondering what the hell has gotten into me.

Now, now hold on to your horses. The phrase mentioned above is not an original phrase by me rather it was related to me by a student in one my presentation skills class. For a persuasive assignment, one of my students actually did some research ( yes, not many do) on this topic, it completely intrigued me.

As most who know me will know I’m very into communication technologies and try to input as much technology I can in and out of my classrooms and life be it as a student or an educator.

Reading through Malaysiakini I stumbled upon and article on Facebook Messages <”Malaysiakini on Facebook Messages: Do not Use it Solely”>

of which Onn Yeoh was talking about how Facebook is basically trying to take over the world (ok, fine! He did not say those exact words!) but he kindda implied that this social media is trying to incorporate email, chat, sms all under one roof. Which is of course is rather impressive, but do you really want to have an email account with Facebook, the same place where you whine, shout, reveal personal stuff about yourself on a daily basis? I think not, but then again, that’s just me. I’d like to keep my life separate!  Anyways, that brought me to reading a short 3-liner  Onn Yeoh had written about the Internet and its ability of making us shallow that prompted me to look Nicholas Carr up.

Nicholar Carr is a tech writer who often writers about social,political and economical implication of technology and has published quite a number of books that need mentioning, namely;

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google,

Does IT Matter?,

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Actually all these books appeal to me on a higher level but I really wonder if I could find them at our bookstores. Hmm, anyway the titles of his books really gets my brain working on over-drive. Ever since, my student made his persuasive arguments on the matter, it really made me think. What is the Internet Doing to Our Brains?

If you have a chance, please read <a href=<”http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/”><is Google Making Us Stupid”> It is really one solid article that makes you really think.

Closer to home, what is the damned Internet doing to my students!??

As his article states,  <”Nicholas Carr”> it has really changed not just the way we read but think and do.  The following statement says;

“As we are drained of our “inner repertory of dense cultural inheritance,†Foreman concluded, we risk turning into “‘pancake people’—spread wide and thin as we connect with that vast network of information accessed by the mere touch of a button.â€

It’s true, its correct, its right…however or which ever words you use. Google…The Internet allows us to know more, find out more but as the statement above reflects, how much do we really know? When we read an article online, how much of it do we read? Do we really concentrate or skip to another within minutes as we lose interest and skim an jump to the next best thing…as the processes repeat itself we ended up having everything but nothing at all.

I see this with my students every day, heck I see it within me sometimes. Has the Internet, has Google made us stupid? We depend on it for everything . We not bother to spell anymore. Why bother,you can after all Google it! When I give some terms to my students to look up, their idea of studying or researching is Googling it and that’s how they come up with amazing answer for mass communciation terms that relate to Futton mattresses!

I think it is hard to make sense of data if you have no knowledge and that what I tell my students daily. Google enables these kids access to convenience…makes their lives easier…allows them to “NOT THINK” and brains rot. If you use Google wisely, now that is a different matter but how many of us actually do? We look for the shortest, simplest, easiest article to read if we do need to read it. We select and choose articles based on our political, social beliefs. There is no such things as reading everything and forming an opinion. We often form opinions out of dust these days. Is it that we do not know better? Heck, we do!

But it is just so easy to Google and let it do the thinking. Well don’t be surprised if the computers and networks take over.  To think that we are the most intelligent species on earth because of our ability to think yet we have made devices and continue to create devices that will do, just that for us. Are we the artificial intelligence? Oh, god….What is the world coming to? What are we coming to?

 

Are Our Students Stupid or Are We?

Posted: November 22, 2010 in Education, Freedom of Expression, Malaysia, Media and communication, Politics, Society
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“The US spend about 5.7% and the UK 5.3%. Malaysian spending is relatively high compared to other countries and we should be having no problem with skill and talents to transform from a middle income to a high income economy, Ramakrishnan (right) addeD -an excerpt from Malaysiakini, you can access the article here <”Fruits of Education Policy Flip Flops”>.

Is it that we are not spending enough money? That apparently does not seem to be the problem. Then why is it that we are not able to transform our students to fully functioning adults that are capable of contributing towards the transformation of middle income to a high income economy. Where does the problem lie?

Are our students stupid or are we? That’s the question that each of us should ask ourselves.

Is it that they are just so stupid that no amount of pouring of funds into this education sector will help pull us out of this dilemma that we are currently facing? Is it that simple? Can we hold on and actually honestly say that times have changed and students are just not as smart as before, they just don’t care anymore, they just could not be bothered…..they are just bottom line STUPID.

Coming from the point of view of an educator, I strongly disagree that our students are in fact stupid or that they cannot become fully functional adults that can contribute towards the economy, towards the betterment of the country. It pains me to hear the mention of the word ‘waste’ when it comes to the education of our students, our future leaders (by this I do not mean politicians necessarily rather leaders in their own right (from various fields/areas of interest). Are we truly wasting our resources, the country’s sweat and blood on education?

Hmm I’d say yes and no. Is resources being wasted? Yes. Are we wasting them on the students necessarily? Nope.

Well it is really simple actually. I think Malaysia has a syndrome. We love to see pretty things. We love when things APPEAR to be working even if the insides are all rotten or the insides have no substance. We love to see fixtures, designs, accessories ….basically anything that compliments the main entree or the main big idea. The problem here is that most often, our main big idea, our concepting is hardly apparent if there is any to begin with. Our main ideas always fall through the cracks. Let me give you a very simple example that I often relate to my students in their law class to demonstrate them why we should care or bother about politics about its effect on us, whoever we are!

Maths and Science in English

“I would not say it (English language instruction) was a complete failure, but it did not achieve what it was supposed to achieve,” Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin

told a news conference on Wednesday.

 

- backed by the government and opposition parties, it is said that teaching these subjects in English would be phased out in 2012.

(read here, for a Reuters article <”Malaysia to End Teaching Maths and Science in English”>)

 

Flashback in time: Little Lesson on History of English in M &Sc

< 1957  English Medium of Instruction

>1957  Malay Medium of Instruction

2003   Review of medium of instruction, policy changed to English Medium of Instruction for Maths and Science ( in an effort to increase English speaking/writing skills among Malaysians)

2010 Due to pressure from certain parties( I say it just political will) the decision was once again changed and medium of instruction reversed back to Malay.

 

Hmmm now why the change of policy all of a sudden? Whatever happen to the plan, the policy of using English in schools to improve our students ability and competitiveness in the real world? Yes, I totally agree, perhaps the results are not as amazing as you would expect or want. But anyone who is a teacher knows for a fact that you cannot change a student’s ability overnight. It takes a lot of effort, a lot of time before a student masters or picks up on a skill that you might want him or her to learn especially if to begin with him or her have a poor command of the subject matter.

So, when our dearest education ministers cites decreasing grades as a reason for the policy to be reversed. I sit here….annoyed at the stupidity that is becoming Malaysia. We expect overnight changes, be in the our government, our political parties, our children, our environment, our everything. We believe that there is somehow this ‘fix it tape or secret glue’ of some sort that can immediately make things better, makes things work hence our predictability in regards to our lovely, lovely policies (and mind you this does not end in the education industry or sector but every single thing/issue/event/area in the country). Hence, we take the easy way out. We often opt for short term goals.

Exhibit A: Our Policy of English in Maths and Science

Exhibit B: Research Grant Abuses ( read here letter)

It is WE that are to be blamed!

WE teach our students to take the easy way out through the policies that we implement, the ‘excellent examples’ we set through action…

WE teach them that it is alright to take shortcut

WE teach them that it is all about the end product it does not matter how you get there

WE teach them  to ran away and back out at the sight or sound of any glitch or difficulty

We teach them all these things in so many ways, in the things that we do, in the actions that we take.. in the words that we partake in. WE TEACH THEM!

So don’t for even a moment tell me that our students are not good enough. They have been crippled! They gave been given crutches. We often preach about how the Bumis get the quota to enter local universities that render them helpless.

Are we not doing that to all our students, all those who are educated under the Malaysian education system. It is not that we lack students who are intelligent, creative, interesting, capable….. and the list goes on.  By this I do not mean the top scorers necessarily. Some of the most intelligent students (all rounders) are not necessarily the ‘swallow and vomit’ kind rather those who have been told that their talents are of no use or not a talent, those who hide in the shadows as they do not conform, those who could not be bothered because we have taught them not to care (for fear of them becoming smarter or overpowering us -politically, economically, culturally …). If I continue to give my current students the tools, the knowledge to understand the bigger picture of life, if I could, I can tell you that they would overtake all these sad people that are in the driver’s seat and they would indeed be able to contribute to the betterment of this country!

National Education Policies….Malaysian Plans (year after year), the funneling of millions and millions of dollars are not going to be of any use to our students if we do not teach them better by example!

If we continue to throw chairs and tables and ugly words at each other during parliamentary sessions!

If we continue to flip-flop our policies to suit our agendas, politics, our religious fanaticism..

If we continue to take the easy way out each time and teach them to run instead of fighting for what they believe in..

If we continue to mould them into nothing but robots that can only absorb but not react!

Now, tell me are we stupid or are our students stupid?

 

 

 

 

 


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