Harakiri Or Not?

Was it a dumb move to come up with the proposal?
What if both parties does not accept offer? I would have made a fool out of myself.

Dilemma, dilemma!

Anyway, I feel that putting up such idea would have opened a wider door for myself and better prospect would follow suit, should this materialize. Spending half year in a fast pace project would have given me valuable experience and would given my resume a boost.

Working/staying in a different environment would be fun, albeit it's a coastal area, this new place is almost similar to the place where I am currently working. Engaging with new people would be very interesting. Ahh, not forgetting the nice seafood (heard that the seafood in East Malaysia is nice and juicy!) and the beautiful natives girls (heard they are nice and juicy too!!).

However, if this proposal was shot down, then back I go to KL office, doing the oh-so-mundane job. Worse part is that it will be a bit awkward to face my bosses. They could be thinking that I may have the intention to leave the company (which I do, but not now). This act could be considered career-suiciding!

So, did I make a stupid move? The answer shall be revealed tomorrow.

Return Of The King!

It was hailed as the biggest, the mightiest and the most spectacular of all.
Never in Malaysia would anyone be able to beat such a record.

The year was 1996.
RM11 billion was at stake.
RM 11,000,000,000.00.
That's nine zeros at the back, not including the decimal points.
If this figure were to be equally divided among the population (approx 24 million at that time), that would work to be RM450 per person.
Now, if this amount were to be given away to the people, or in this case, to the rakyat, just like how they implemented the car/bike rebate a few months ago, that would be good news indeed.

Alas, that money was never meant to be put into our pocket. It was on the contrary instead.

Each and everyone had to fork out that money and give it free, to our national coffer. And then, our generous government, helmed by our greatest Prime Minister of all time (which I beg to differ), decided to give that money away to someone (could be more than one person).

If this group of people is taking the money and putting it up to good use, such as developing the infrastructure, or possibility of investing the money in some good companies so that our national coffer can grow bigger (just like Singapore's GIC), I wouldn't mind. That huge amount of money can easily be used in human resources training, R&D (whatever, u name it), education, health, etc so that we can build a better and more competitive Malaysia.

Unfortunately, it was never meant to be.
The money was used to bail out a company from liquidation.
The money ended up in someone's pocket, all in the name of saving the company, and also saving the government's reputation.
All the RM11 billion vanished into thin air.
No more nine zeros, but only one single digit - zero. All 11 billion turned into zero.
This act could easily put David Blaine to shame.
Even Harry Houdini can't pull off this magic trick.

Nobody got caught in this biggest scandal in the corporate history in Malaysia. The Managing Director didn't even get prosecuted as he had an early appointment with The-Guy-Up-There.
The company was eventually bought over by another, and the dust settled with no one ended up hurt (the MD is an exception).

And so, we thought that this would be the end of the story.
Nope, this is not the finale yet.
I would say, we have not reach the climax yet.
The story has just started.

Hail the Return of the KING!!

It is going public, again.

I would love to see how this company pull up another Houdini stunt.
That would be the greatest show on the face of the earth.
Much more interesting than the C4 vs Poke-Saiful show.
Could put us in the first spot of Oscar award. I would bet my life on it!!

E-con-o-mics

(taken from Kevroy Porter's myspace)

A friend once said that the process of courting girl is a part of an investment. Time and resources spent in the early stage of a relationship could turn into a basket of gold if the relationship progresses further. In order to achieve that, one had to invest considerable time taking good care of the investment, or else the investment could turn sour. And if that happens, all the effort will be burnt.
Ben Stein's article on L.O.V.E-Investment-101 can be found here.

I do agree to some of his opinion. But how can he help on situation such as this?

Inflation is shooting up the sky.
Share market, local and global, are dropping like there is no tomorrow.
High property prices, no thanks to the removal of ceiling prices of steel and cement by our "smart" goverment.
Ass-screwed political situation, coupled with lies and conspiracies - a deadly time bomb (or shall I say, C4 bomb) capable of destroying years of development.

"Let's bomb dwon the economy, shall we?" (Image taken from here)

Possibility of US going into deep recession - Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae bailout, massive country deficit high unemployment rate, retrenchment, and whole lot more.
Oil prices going up and up (currently at USD 130 per bbl by the time of writing).


What would be his advice to counter the above?

Hollywood Affairs

I don't really like fancy any of those Hong Kong movies. Most of them are rather crappy and rubbish. Only selected ones really captured my attention. And Internal Affairs (Part I, II and III) were among those which I really like. However, I have not watched the Hollywood remake of this movie yet, until yesterday. (Yeah yeah, i am a slow one).

After watching The Departed, I felt so cheated. Boring and overrated. I personally feel that this movie really does not deserve to win 4 Academy awards. Storyline is short. How could the so called "Acclaimed Director" Martin Scorsese packed three movies into one ? The story could not be developed properly at all. Story did not flow well, and the 2 main characters ("The Moles") did not manage to bring out the emotional side of them both. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, no doubt they are good actors, but they did not carry their characters well. Andy Lau (or Edison Chen, as the young cop) and Tony Leung (or Shawn Yue, as the younger gangster) beat them hands down flat!

The ever charming and charismatic Andy Lau. Matt Damon doesn't come close AT ALL!!

Tony Leung in his leather jacket) is in a class of his own

The reenactment of the scenes from the original HK movie are just not interesting enough. The one in the cinema where Leonardo tracking down the real mole, the illegal deal between Jack Nicholson and some bad guy, the scenes in the psychiatrist clinic, and especially the scene on the roof top - Comparing both films, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak could easily put Martin Scorsese to shame!

One of the most memorable scene in Internal Affairs I (or Part III)

And one of the most forgetable scene in The Departed

How in the world did this movie won 4 Academy awards?

"Beats me. How would I know?" Even Leonardo himself is unsure

"Copy a (few) movies, chunk in a few heavyweight actors and turn it into a long and lame movie.
And get ourself a few awards along the way, shall we?"
"I agree, i agree! Huhuhuhuh! "

This act is tantamount to homicide in movie industry, and one who commit this crime should subject to ten years of prison at least!!

Blogging At 0230hrs

Yawn.. Nah, don't think so.
Sleeping is better than blogging.

Bonne nuit

Nothing But Depression

"The opposite of play is not work. It's called depression"
- Brian Sutton-Smith


No wonder life is so bleak, feeling as if all the energy are sucked up dry leaving me only empty soul within this bare body.
Could the 6.7+ million and 2.6+ million ringgit offered in Toto Mega and Toto Super bring me out of this dark hole?

Religion and Economics Does Not Mix Like Oil to Water

(Extracted from here)

Malaysian state may compel Muslim civil servants to pray 5 times a day

Written by St Low

Wednesday, 09 July 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A Malaysian state governed by a conservative Islamic party plans to compel Muslim government workers to pray five times a day as required by their religion, an official said Tuesday. Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the chief minister of northeastern Kelantan state, said Muslims who shirk their prayer obligations "are not fearful of Allah and are susceptible to committing bribery and other sins." Kelantan is planning to introduce a law to force Muslim government workers to pray five times a day, said the minister's aide Anual Bakri Haron. He said details on how to enforce the plan will be finalized later. Kelantan has been ruled since 1990 by the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, which has implemented strict morality rules such as banning gambling, nightclubs and rock concerts. - AP

Is it right for outsider to interfere on how one chooses to do his duty to God?
Isn't it the choice of carrying out his religious duty is up to the individual?
How does a law to compel people to pray, help to build the religion? Where is logic?
It does not matter if one potrays a pious image, but does not contribute to the development of oneself, to the country and to the economic. What is the point of being a very religious person, when you can't even afford to buy yourself a meal and lead a quality life?
How could being a holy and a devout follower, help the country and the ailing economy, especially in this competitive world?
You would have committed a greater sin should you neglected to the advancement and development of the economics, all because of promoting a more religious act.

Malaysia is taking another step backwards, that I can assure you.
Imagine all the manhours which can be put into good use lost if this law were to be enacted.

According to Wikipedia, total population at this state as of 2007 was 2.1 million.
Assuming 90% of the population practises this religion, that will translates to 1.89 million population.
Let's assume the average pay rate per hour for each person is RM5 per hour, and the said person will take approximately 15 minutes for each of the 2 prayer session while at work during day time (The other 3 prayer session will be at night/dusk)
That means, RM2.50/person will be lost for the 2 day prayer sessions.
And if you multiply that to 1.89 million workers, that will give us, RM 4.7 milion will be lost daily, should this law be enacted.
Multiply that to 250 working calendar days, and RM 1.18 billion will be lost annually due to unproductive hours, all because of forcing people to pray. Massive amount of money we are talking here. How can business survive with such law endorsed? And I am just analysing only 1 state. God forbid if this law is applied to the whole country.

May God saves Malaysia!

ps: And I hope that I won't get thrown to jail for writing such "seditious" article.

Untitled

Current stint in Lumut would be ending soon in one and half months from now, and hop I go. From one river, Sg Dinding, to another river, the infamous and pathetic muddy river bank of Sg Kelang/Gombak. Time flies without realising, and here I am spending my eighth month here.
Can't say its a short time, and can't say its a long time after all.

Do I look forward to the trip back to KL? Do I miss my Kepong place?

Let's see.

Paying tolls and car parks everywhere I go, when I don't have to pay any in Lumut?
(Tolls are unheard off here in Lumut)

Forking out almost RM7 for a "wholesome" economy rice, good enough to last you for the next hour, where the same price will get you a sumptous fresh seafood fried rice which will last you for the till the next meal?
(People in Lumut eat seafood more than other type of meat. They even serve fish/"kerang"with nasi lemak, instead of curry chicken . Try to get that for breakfast in KL, and you will end up forking RM10 for your breakfast!)

Enduring 1 hour plus of journey from house to work, where it will take me barely less than 15 minutes where I am currently staying to the site?
(The morning rush here last only for 15 minutes, and it is control-able)

Facing rude drivers and people everywhere I go, while these attitudes are barely seen on the road, other than idiots who will drive super slow to enjoy the sea view?
(Driving at 7.45am, when the sun hovering slightly above the sea horizon is not a view to be missed, seriously)

Breathing in the mixture of gasoline, smoke, dust and polluted air, when fresh air are aplenty here?
(There are frequent salted fish smell arising from nearby farms, but I can live with that)

And lastly, have to endure the pain of facing the real inflation, when there are basically not much felt here?

Not forgetting that I will earn lesser when I am sent back to KL office. Cash is king, especially for unpredictable economic senario we are facing now. Inflation, stagflation, depression, recession.
Whatever "tion" it is, I just need to buck up my finance.

So, do I look forward to the trip back to KL?

Nah, I would opt to stay here if I have the choice.

Dramatic

It is getting more interesting as the drama unfolds. Can the actors sustain the momentum? Who will emerge the hero? I just can't wait for the story to reach its climax.

Can we Malaysians get the chance of garnering our very first Oscar award?


ps : For those who are unable to access Malaysia Today's website, try this link instead

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining?

Agent Mulder : Hmm... Very strange.. very strange indeed...
(Pauses while looking at a file on his desk)

Agent Scully : You have a very disturbing look on your face. What is it, Mulder?

Agent Mulder : ... ... There seems to be a very unusual activities going on.. Something I have not seen before in my life working on the X files.. And more especially as it happened at a location such as this.

Agent Scully : What do you mean, unusual?
(Looking puzzled)

Agent Mulder : Someone has left this file on my desk.
(Showing the file to Agent Scully. Three big bold words printed on the front cover, visible to her)

Agent Scully : Official.. Government... Secret..

Agent Muler : Affirmative. You got it right..

Agent Scully : Not another round of Government secrets, again? We have been put in the cold chair after we uncovered Bill Clinton and his sex scandal, remember? And we almost got ourselves "shocked and awed" by George Bush himself when we exposed his lies leading to the bombing of Iraq. That was how we ended up sitting in this 6'x6' room. Hope you remember that? And definitely nothing is more unusual than UFO sightings, spontaneous human combustion,
zombies and the vampires, voodoo spells, Big Foot's finding and whole lot which we have worked on. Now, tell me, what is more unusual than all this?

Agent Mulder : Have you heard of this place before?
(Pointing towards a section on the map, hung on the wall)

Agent Scully : You mean, Malaysia? .. Err.. What is so special about that?

Agent Mulder : I have checked with my source, and they have confirmed that there are abnormal activities happening throughout the country.

Agent Scully : ... ... Go on...
(Looking uneasy)

Agent Mulder : My source told me that one very prominent website has been hacked after it disclosed a very controversial articles alleging wrongdoing by a certain strong political leader. And right after that, people are accusing each other anus-playing. People ranging from ex-convict, private detective, politicians an university dropout were allegedly involved in screwing each other's asshole.

One even came up with evidence alleging the chief police and the attorney general of conspiring to put down a man to jail. Another guy put up a report with allegation of certain strong political person of assisting and involved in the brutal homicide of a Mongolian lady. And throwing in the equation was the alleged involvement of the Prime Minister himself, who was said to be withholding valuable informations regarding the homicide.

Worse still, the share market has mysteriously suspended in trading for one day. Reasons given was techincal glitch, which is beyond believable. Share market has been heading south since the past few months, after the political uprising of the opposition parties.

Agent Scully : This is serious..

Agent Mulder : Inflation is on the rise and salary is going down. Petrol hike and translates into exponential price increase. Government is painting a colourful picture about the sustainable GDP growth. Everyone in Malaysia is suffering from mass confusion. Don't know what and who to trust. I strongly believe that there someone is planning a big conspiracy here.

Agent Scully : Uh uh.... So, what can we do to solve this?

Agent Mulder : ..I don't know.. This is way beyond comprehension. I am helpless in this...

Agent Scully : Don't give up. We should continue to search for the truth..

Agent Mulder : Yes, I believe we should.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On another development, X-files, the movie will be showing on cinema pretty soon.
Could this movie brings back the excitement like it used to, when I was still younger?
Could the hot Agent Scully (once upon a time) teaming with the (used to be) good looking Agent Mulder kick dust and solving mysteries, like the one brewing hot in Malaysia?

I don't feel so excited about it, considering the latest economical and political senario in Malaysia.
In fact, nothing excites me for now.
We are in the cleansing stage currently, just like how a drug addict undergoes one when he wanted to kick off the bad habit. Either he survives and emerges a cleansed person, or he succumb back to the old habit and die eventually.

So, where will we be heading?