When we talk about the Malaysian Curriculum for schools being too exam-oriented, what does it mean? Today, students even have to sit for a written examination paper for Art. Why can’t the students be graded only on their artistic skills and creativity?
Does every subject taught in school have to be assessed at National level? I was shocked when I heard that Moral Education has been an examination subject for a few years now.
Good moral values, like religion, are something that should be caught, not taught. Can we say that a Buddhist or a Christian who gets a distinction for Pengetahuan Agama Islam will end up being a Muslim? Also, why doesn’t a good Muslim score an A for Pengetahuan Agama Islam?
In the same vein, it is a waste of time making Pendidikan Moral an examination subject! Do the authorities think that it is the only way to motivate students to be interested in the subject? Or is it their way of ensuring that teachers in charge of this subject do not slacken in their duties by giving students a free period every time there is a Pendidikan Moral lesson?
When the authorities decide that certain subjects will be assessed at school level instead, it is merely a cosmetic makeover of another educational innovation. In the long run, there is more paperwork for the teacher which means teachers spending less time on the real teaching-learning process!
Introspection
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Going Private
The Malaysian public service seems to be teeming with civil servants. A huge chunk of its financial reserves goes into the payment of salaries. Those who have retired will be getting their pensions until their dying day. And yet, when certain projects need to be carried out, we do not see pro-action from the government servants.
Projects are often sourced out. Two examples are: the collection of rubbish in most areas in Ipoh has been privatized and the Galeri Kartunist Lat will be run by a non-governmental organization (STAR, 29 January 2011).
Why can’t the existing government workforce handle these jobs? Why can’t they provide us with public transport at a minimal cost? After all, we are paying our taxes. Why can’t the police provide us with proper security so that we can leave our homes unlocked and walk in the streets at any time? Why can’t the local TV stations provide us with a variety of programmes in all languages so that we do not need to subscribe to a private TV station?
Projects are often sourced out. Two examples are: the collection of rubbish in most areas in Ipoh has been privatized and the Galeri Kartunist Lat will be run by a non-governmental organization (STAR, 29 January 2011).
Why can’t the existing government workforce handle these jobs? Why can’t they provide us with public transport at a minimal cost? After all, we are paying our taxes. Why can’t the police provide us with proper security so that we can leave our homes unlocked and walk in the streets at any time? Why can’t the local TV stations provide us with a variety of programmes in all languages so that we do not need to subscribe to a private TV station?
Illegal Racing
Every weekend, in the wee hours of the morning, the horrendous sounds of motorcycle engines whirring, thumping, roaring and growling can be heard in my neighbourhood. Didn’t the mothers of these motorcyclists teach them that when people are asleep they should not make a sound?
These uncaring and unscrupulous maniacs roam the streets in a posse making a deafening noise that reeks of malice for all and sundry. It takes the sound of just one motorbike to awaken the whole neighbourhood. So can you imagine the ruckus when there are at least 20 hooligans prancing up and down the streets on their modified machines?
And where are the law enforcers when the night’s peace is broken by the screeching and wailing of the motorbikes? An hour or so later, one can hear the wailing of the police siren. Is it merely to frighten off the ‘mat rempits’? We read in the papers that machines are seized and summonses are issued. Are these the only ways to curb illegal racing. They do not seem to work because all too soon, these illegal racers will be back on the streets.
Why aren’t the ‘mat rempits’ apprehended? When caught, the illegal racers should be forced to do some form of community service which should instil in them a more caring attitude. They could be made to clean a park, take care of the elderly for a period of time or even visit some accident victims. It will be a very humbling experience for them.
In a nutshell, the ‘mat rempits’ should be stopped. They should be taught how to be considerate of others, to get down from their machines and think about what they can do to help the people rather than annoy them.
Published in the STAR (3 March 2011) Letters to the Editor column under the title 'There's no end to Mat Rempit nuisance'.
These uncaring and unscrupulous maniacs roam the streets in a posse making a deafening noise that reeks of malice for all and sundry. It takes the sound of just one motorbike to awaken the whole neighbourhood. So can you imagine the ruckus when there are at least 20 hooligans prancing up and down the streets on their modified machines?
And where are the law enforcers when the night’s peace is broken by the screeching and wailing of the motorbikes? An hour or so later, one can hear the wailing of the police siren. Is it merely to frighten off the ‘mat rempits’? We read in the papers that machines are seized and summonses are issued. Are these the only ways to curb illegal racing. They do not seem to work because all too soon, these illegal racers will be back on the streets.
Why aren’t the ‘mat rempits’ apprehended? When caught, the illegal racers should be forced to do some form of community service which should instil in them a more caring attitude. They could be made to clean a park, take care of the elderly for a period of time or even visit some accident victims. It will be a very humbling experience for them.
In a nutshell, the ‘mat rempits’ should be stopped. They should be taught how to be considerate of others, to get down from their machines and think about what they can do to help the people rather than annoy them.
Published in the STAR (3 March 2011) Letters to the Editor column under the title 'There's no end to Mat Rempit nuisance'.
Past, Present and Future
Wouldn’t you like to look into your crystal ball and see what the future held for you? It would be so much easier to plan for the day, for the week and for the month, if we knew how much time we had in this world. If we all had that ability, I wonder if we would be living our lives the way that we are doing now!
What would you change? How would you go about making this change? I was watching a talkshow on TV today where the hostess said that kids should record down what they visualize themselves as being in the future. In that way, every activity they do will be geared towards achieving their goals. Does it work in the same way for adults, I wonder?
In the same way, if you were given the opportunity to go back into the past and change something about your life’s events, would you grab that opportunity?
Personally, I am happy with the way that my life has unfolded. I will continue to do my best to live a worthwhile life and place my trust in the God who holds it in His hands. If my life and the world ends in 2012, as many have predicted, I am ready. I am glad that I have taken the unbeaten track.
If, however, I have to carry on living for the next hundred years, …….
What would you change? How would you go about making this change? I was watching a talkshow on TV today where the hostess said that kids should record down what they visualize themselves as being in the future. In that way, every activity they do will be geared towards achieving their goals. Does it work in the same way for adults, I wonder?
In the same way, if you were given the opportunity to go back into the past and change something about your life’s events, would you grab that opportunity?
Personally, I am happy with the way that my life has unfolded. I will continue to do my best to live a worthwhile life and place my trust in the God who holds it in His hands. If my life and the world ends in 2012, as many have predicted, I am ready. I am glad that I have taken the unbeaten track.
If, however, I have to carry on living for the next hundred years, …….
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Different lives
It is 6 in the evening. The sky is slowly getting dark. Melinda looks out the window. She sees her neighbor, Pie Wan, drive by heading home after a hard day at work. She had left home as usual at 9am and her day was filled with meetings with clients, telephone calls and camaraderie with office colleagues. It had been no different from any of the other working days and she was looking forward to the next day when she could once again immerse herself in her job which gives her security, self esteem and self-satisfaction.
Soon, Melinda sees a cab stopping a few doors away from her house and Su Lin stepping out of the cab. She watches Su Lin trudge home carrying with her some files. She seems to have some unfinished work to do this evening, Melinda says to herself. Su Lin seems bogged down by the weight of the files she carries and slowly opens the door to her house. She had left her home early that morning so that she would not be late for work. She was harassed by her colleagues and insulted by her superior during the day. Although she had been in this organization for as long as she could remember, she had never once felt a sense of pride in the job that she was doing. She always wondered why she had to work!
Melinda was looking out the window and grateful for her position in life. She had a comfortable home, doing a job she loved doing and having ample time to help others. She felt fulfilled and grateful for her simple lifestyle. She was even more grateful because her needs were minimal since she was not influenced by society and the demands of modern living.
* The names in this story are made up and in no way relate to anyone. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Soon, Melinda sees a cab stopping a few doors away from her house and Su Lin stepping out of the cab. She watches Su Lin trudge home carrying with her some files. She seems to have some unfinished work to do this evening, Melinda says to herself. Su Lin seems bogged down by the weight of the files she carries and slowly opens the door to her house. She had left her home early that morning so that she would not be late for work. She was harassed by her colleagues and insulted by her superior during the day. Although she had been in this organization for as long as she could remember, she had never once felt a sense of pride in the job that she was doing. She always wondered why she had to work!
Melinda was looking out the window and grateful for her position in life. She had a comfortable home, doing a job she loved doing and having ample time to help others. She felt fulfilled and grateful for her simple lifestyle. She was even more grateful because her needs were minimal since she was not influenced by society and the demands of modern living.
* The names in this story are made up and in no way relate to anyone. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Of Goals and Plans
Do you regularly take stock of what you have done in the past and decide on whether you want to carry on doing the same thing or change the way certain things are done. A new year is normally the time for such resolutions to be made.
Have you made your resolutions for this year? There are many people I know who live from day to day without ever making any plans. They just live for the moment. However, I feel that we need to plan so that it will give us a general idea of what to look forward to.
If we do not plan, we may not be ready for certain events in life. I know of some people who not only plan their month’s, week’s and day’s activities, but also when the activity is over, they evaluate the activity and keep a record of their achievements.
It takes a lot of discipline to keep a record of all these events but it is a morale booster on days when things do not seem to be going right!
Let’s make our resolutions for a better more meaningful life for ourselves and let’s try not to break these resolutions.
Have you made your resolutions for this year? There are many people I know who live from day to day without ever making any plans. They just live for the moment. However, I feel that we need to plan so that it will give us a general idea of what to look forward to.
If we do not plan, we may not be ready for certain events in life. I know of some people who not only plan their month’s, week’s and day’s activities, but also when the activity is over, they evaluate the activity and keep a record of their achievements.
It takes a lot of discipline to keep a record of all these events but it is a morale booster on days when things do not seem to be going right!
Let’s make our resolutions for a better more meaningful life for ourselves and let’s try not to break these resolutions.
New Year Greetings!
I received such a variety of SMS greetings this year that I thought deleting them after reading them would be a waste. So here I would like to share them with you.
1. Wishing you a blessed, healthy and eventful 2011.
2. Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous new year.
3. New Year comes every year but 2011 is a special year which will happen once in a lifetime. It will start with a combo.
First is 1/1/11;
after 10 days 11/1/11;
after 10 months1/11/11.
Then it will be 11/11/11.
Isn’t that fantastic? I wish you a wonderful year 2011 and all the best.
4. Thank you for the wishes for 2011. May you also experience the wishes that you have sent.
5. The four blessed looks….. Look back and thank God
Look forward and trust God
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God.
6. I asked God, “How do I get the best out of life?”
God said, “Face your past without regrets.
Handle your present with confidence
And prepare for the future without fear!”
Have a blessed new year filled with happiness, good health and prosperity.
7. With God helping us, let’s make 2011 special!
8. Keep the smile, leave the tear,
Think of joy, forget the fear,
Cheers to a new beginning of 2011
I wish you the best in life.
9. The biggest success is getting others to succeed.
Service to mankind is service to God.
Let’s serve mankind selflessly so that all may succeed.
10. May 2011 bring you peace, joy and happiness.
11. May the New Year bring you rich blessings from God!
12. I wish in 2011 God gives you..
12 months of happiness
52 weeks of fun
365 days of success
8,760 hours of good health
52,600 minutes of good luck
3,153,600 seconds of joy.
13. May the Lord shower his abundant blessings on you always.
Have a healthy, happy, prosperous and fabulous New Year.
14 A very happy 2011 to you and your family. May you all be blessed with good health, wealth and abundance of joy this new year.
15. Another new beginning,
another new resolution and
a new chapter of life will be written.
No matter what the outcomes might be,
let’s not forget where we come from.
May 2011 bring you abundance of health,
plenty of wealth,
unlimited love and joy and most of all,
happiness and peace of mind.
16. A beautiful world can only be seen through the eyes of a happy heart.
May you always have a happy heart to see the beauty God made especially for you.
Happy New Year 2011.
17. May your hair, your teeth, your facelift, your abs and your stocks not fall;
And may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise. Have yourself a great year ahead.
18. Look for truth and find God.
May 2011 bring cheers, prosperity, divine health, happiness and fulfillment to you.
19. Remember the past, learn from it;
Live the present, don’t stay in it;
Embrace the future, plan for it.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2011.
May it be another great year for all. Cheers!
20. The year is gone but it has also made us strong.
The path was long but we walked it with a song.
There were fears and tears but we also had reasons for cheers.
God bless as we usher in the year 2011!
21. A very happy New Year to you. Thank you for being in my life. God bless.
22. Before the sun sets on 31st December and the lines get busy, here are my 10 wishes for you:
1. Happiness always.
2. Serenity at every sunrise.
3. Success in every facet of your life.
4. Family beside you.
5. Caring friends around you.
6. A love that never ends.
7. Good health.
8. Beautiful memories of yesteryears.
9. Bright days with much to be thankful for.
10. A pathway leading to better tomorrows.
Happy New Year 2011.
23. A very happy New Year to you and your loved ones. May all your hopes, dreams and desires come true in every way.
24. Wishing you a beautiful year ahead and keep in touch!
1. Wishing you a blessed, healthy and eventful 2011.
2. Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous new year.
3. New Year comes every year but 2011 is a special year which will happen once in a lifetime. It will start with a combo.
First is 1/1/11;
after 10 days 11/1/11;
after 10 months1/11/11.
Then it will be 11/11/11.
Isn’t that fantastic? I wish you a wonderful year 2011 and all the best.
4. Thank you for the wishes for 2011. May you also experience the wishes that you have sent.
5. The four blessed looks….. Look back and thank God
Look forward and trust God
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God.
6. I asked God, “How do I get the best out of life?”
God said, “Face your past without regrets.
Handle your present with confidence
And prepare for the future without fear!”
Have a blessed new year filled with happiness, good health and prosperity.
7. With God helping us, let’s make 2011 special!
8. Keep the smile, leave the tear,
Think of joy, forget the fear,
Cheers to a new beginning of 2011
I wish you the best in life.
9. The biggest success is getting others to succeed.
Service to mankind is service to God.
Let’s serve mankind selflessly so that all may succeed.
10. May 2011 bring you peace, joy and happiness.
11. May the New Year bring you rich blessings from God!
12. I wish in 2011 God gives you..
12 months of happiness
52 weeks of fun
365 days of success
8,760 hours of good health
52,600 minutes of good luck
3,153,600 seconds of joy.
13. May the Lord shower his abundant blessings on you always.
Have a healthy, happy, prosperous and fabulous New Year.
14 A very happy 2011 to you and your family. May you all be blessed with good health, wealth and abundance of joy this new year.
15. Another new beginning,
another new resolution and
a new chapter of life will be written.
No matter what the outcomes might be,
let’s not forget where we come from.
May 2011 bring you abundance of health,
plenty of wealth,
unlimited love and joy and most of all,
happiness and peace of mind.
16. A beautiful world can only be seen through the eyes of a happy heart.
May you always have a happy heart to see the beauty God made especially for you.
Happy New Year 2011.
17. May your hair, your teeth, your facelift, your abs and your stocks not fall;
And may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise. Have yourself a great year ahead.
18. Look for truth and find God.
May 2011 bring cheers, prosperity, divine health, happiness and fulfillment to you.
19. Remember the past, learn from it;
Live the present, don’t stay in it;
Embrace the future, plan for it.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2011.
May it be another great year for all. Cheers!
20. The year is gone but it has also made us strong.
The path was long but we walked it with a song.
There were fears and tears but we also had reasons for cheers.
God bless as we usher in the year 2011!
21. A very happy New Year to you. Thank you for being in my life. God bless.
22. Before the sun sets on 31st December and the lines get busy, here are my 10 wishes for you:
1. Happiness always.
2. Serenity at every sunrise.
3. Success in every facet of your life.
4. Family beside you.
5. Caring friends around you.
6. A love that never ends.
7. Good health.
8. Beautiful memories of yesteryears.
9. Bright days with much to be thankful for.
10. A pathway leading to better tomorrows.
Happy New Year 2011.
23. A very happy New Year to you and your loved ones. May all your hopes, dreams and desires come true in every way.
24. Wishing you a beautiful year ahead and keep in touch!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)