As Zewt As It Gets

Testing testing 1 2 3

2012-01-02T23:37:00.000+08:00

Hello world!!!!!! Do you miss me? (perasan....) Alright, as a new year is upon us... I would like to think that I should update this blog a little bit more often. Have to admit, work has been a killer in this tiny red dot. Anyway, I do like to know whether any souls still wander into this blog anymore. Have to admit another thing... Don't think I would like to write when this blog is already

Malaysians react like dicks to BN and pussies to PR

2011-10-09T19:52:00.000+08:00

C’mon, you and I know it. Dicks are easily aroused. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the girl or the girl is a total bitch. Just an extra bit of cleavage or a skirt that is an inch too short till it shows some knickers, some dicks get steamed. Yes, steam… the Malaysian way of referring to an erection. And that is how most Malaysians react to BN, just like dicks. It doesn’t matter how

Malaysians in orgasm and cum watch this video

2011-09-18T22:38:00.000+08:00

All Malaysians were led into an orgy of orgasm via the "ISA-to-be-repealed" announcement. Unfortunately, not many realised that the orgasm they felt (or still feeling), was induced through syiok-sendiri type masturbation instead of full fledge sex. Firstly, ISA is not abolished yet... and the terms of conditions applicable are... 2 new laws to be enacted as replacement for ISA. So while all

Hypothetical problems from legalisation of illegal workers

2011-08-09T18:23:00.000+08:00

Over the last few weeks, there have been several allegations about how the Malaysian govt’s move to legalise illegal workers has taken a further step – by granting these once illegal workers citizenship, a right to vote. Some sites even published screen caption of people with red MyKad being a registered voter, etc. etc. There will be people who choose not to believe such allegations, while

She who walked on behalf of Malaysians

2011-07-10T14:26:00.001+08:00

My initial intent was to blog about my experience of gathering with fellow Malaysians at Hong Lim Park, Singapore - some 150 odd of us congregated in solidarity of our comrades back home. Yes, Malaysians all over the world were allowed to gather peacefully - except for 1 country... the home country. But that has to take a backstage, for a woman is now the Malaysian Lady Of Liberty. The name is

3 degrees of mediocrity

2011-06-28T21:47:00.001+08:00

The first degree… Slightly more than 2 years ago (before I moved to Singapore), me and a bunch of friends made our way to Singapore for a sports event. A friend of mine brought his girlfriend along. For the girlfriend, it was her first holiday trip out of Malaysia. No, my friend was not dating a young teenager. But rather, she is from a not so well to do family which limits her opportunity

A piece at MI

2011-06-06T20:41:00.000+08:00

I know I have not been updating here but hey.... I did pen my thoughts here. It's a column that I mentioned in my previous post. I will still be writing here still...

Just because it's home?

2011-05-26T23:57:00.001+08:00

Migration or in a lesser context, move to work overseas seem to be the flavoured discussion at the moment. MalaysianInsider even started columns where people wrote in to say why they leave and why they stay. Anyway… one of the main reasons why people decide to stay, besides the usual good nasi-lemak, char-kuet-teow and bak-kut-teh (which was specifically mentioned by someone in that

Conversation at the MRT

2011-05-02T10:42:00.000+08:00

It's election fever in Singapoe and the other day, I was in the MRT standing next to 2 (presumably) Singaporeans, amongst other people of course. But the conversation of these two caught my attention. 1 guy flipped the newspaper he was holding and said… “See… this is very healthy, opposition is actually getting very good media coverage”. Well, I have no idea who is opposition and who is

I did something for tomorrow, did you?

2011-04-15T21:13:00.000+08:00

During the last peoples' power tsunami, I was out of the country... for a substantial period of time. I missed it... As the country heads into another historical moment tomorrow... I will again be out of the country, and also be out of Singapore... for the entire week. I hope it is a good omen. And... to those of you who once commented anonymously that you choose to "stay back and fight" and

Speaking the language

2011-04-10T19:57:00.000+08:00

Wow...it has really been a while since I blogged. I am not going to say... "So sorry for not updating my blog, etc. etc. etc"... as I know the readership for this blog has reduced tremendously... Anyway... read about this piece of news and I have something to say about it... It’s quite a diverse composition of nationalities here where I work. Since arrived, I have met or spoken to (and I am not

The memory lives on...

2011-03-22T18:02:00.000+08:00

4 years have passed...But memory lives on...

A new jurisdiction

2011-03-13T16:44:00.000+08:00

In my current role, I am given the opportunity to participate in formulating the strategy for our function globally. Our strategy is to be in line the overall strategy of the company; and we call it “the collective agenda”. Essentially, it aligns the focus of the whole department. One item within our collective agenda for 2011 is geography focus. Apart from the usual suspects, 1 particular

Between Egypt and us

2011-02-13T15:32:00.000+08:00

When I attended a conference last November, I was seated next to a gentleman whom I have been exchanging emails in the last couple of weeks. You would have guessed the content of those e-mails when I tell you.... he is from Egypt. We are of the same profession and he heads a similar function of mine in a French electric company based in Cairo. We kept in contact after the conference mainly

Short & Sweet: Episode 9 - That cabbie statement

2011-01-30T21:02:00.001+08:00

I don’t know what gave us away but as soon as me and my wife got into the cab and told him our destination, he asked “Where are you from?” His next question was… “So is your country going to was more money to build that tower?” I responded with a cynical smirk. His next statement was bold… “If Lee Kuan Yew was to rule Malaysia, you all will be first world country already!” And the interesting

That... is efficiency

2011-01-11T21:23:00.000+08:00

I received the e-mail from the Singapore external consultant on a late Monday morning. They requested for quite a number of documents to process my Singapore employment pass, after I have agreed to take up my current role. It was a very lengthy mail and as I was rather busy at that time, I only browsed through it briefly at the point of receipt. As the day began to slow down, I managed to read

Letter to thyself – Round 3

2010-12-28T21:15:00.000+08:00

15 people entrusted me with their letters in the first episode. 2 years ago, only 6 subscribed to the idea with 2 asking me to send the letters back to them only after 2 years. I hope they are surprised by what they have written 2 years ago. As another new year looms, I reckon it’s time to resurrect this again. It’s a pretty simple exercise… You write whatever you want to write to yourself in

Social Network - Christmas version

2010-12-27T19:48:00.000+08:00

Spent some quality time catching up with family and friends back in KL during Christmas break... Dread going back to work tomorow but one must face reality... My pastor showed this video and I think it's really cool... thought you should watch it too...

6 months post-mortem

2010-12-11T21:45:00.000+08:00

6 months have passed since I arrived here in Singapore. If I have to go through probation, I will be facing the moment of reckoning. But since it is somewhat an internal transfer, I am a confirmed staff the moment I arrived in Singapore. And you know what? I am actually quite glad I don’t have to go through probation… When I first got the job, and knowing that you were selected from a rather

The cab ride to KLIA

2010-11-21T15:46:00.001+08:00

The cab driver who took me to KLIA when I was in KL 2 weeks ago was quite an interesting character. For a start, he spoke English with me. As far as I can recall, I have never encountered any Malaysian cabbie who does that. He may not be very proficient, but deserved 10 points for effort. From the initial stage of the conversation, I found out that he used to work in a corporate environment.

Voting tales

2010-11-14T16:07:00.000+08:00

I was back in KL last week for a conference and met up with some interesting people. And as usual, we talked about our work and where we are from in the first lunch and moved on to our hobbies and interests in our second lunch and by the third lunch… the usual topic crept in… politics. 2 particular sharing stood out… There is this person who said that her father would ask everyone in the family

Putting two and two together

2010-10-31T10:51:00.000+08:00

Some are saying I am getting lame with all these Malaysia bashings. Well, not sure if I want to admit to that. One thing for sure, Malaysia is just so bash-able. And here is another thing which I think every Malaysian should take note of… Last Thursday, an umno MP said this as reported here – For the un-informed, Warisan Malaysia is a 100-storey mega tower costing MYR5b Malaysia intends to

The teleo vs. deonto thinking

2010-10-18T17:14:00.000+08:00

I have been doing quite a bit of reading lately and the above notion intrigues me a lot. Don’t be overwhelmed by those sophisticated terms. They are merely the processes our brains go through in making decisions. Essentially, a teleological approach in making a decision centres on the consequence(s) of the decision. You can call that a ‘result driven’ approach. The what-is-the-benefit-of-this

Randomly Friday

2010-10-15T20:59:00.000+08:00

I gave up my seat to a pregnant lady in the MRT just now… and everyone stared at me as though I tried to detonate a bomb in the MRT… I guess that’s not a surprise… when I first arrived and had to move around in crutches, I was ignored entirely in the MRT. One even went into instant slumber as soon as she made eye-contact with me. You should have seen how she did it… quite outrages. There were

Without a car

2010-10-07T22:11:00.001+08:00

Besides throwing me with this question, another common query I get from people (as some of you might have guessed from the title) is whether I am suffering from not having a car. Yes, in case you don’t know, I don’t own a car here in Singapore. Objectively speaking, this no-car issue is an epitome of half-glass-empty vs. half-glass-full argument. Indeed, as a typical Malaysian – suddenly not

A disgraceful country, between saying it and feeling it

2010-09-30T00:25:00.000+08:00

It was the second day of my Dubai trip. As I stepped into the office, the regional head came over and said… “Good morning Zewt… blah blah blah… By the way, there is a newly appointed chief of xxx who will be overseeing the African region. Since you are overseeing the global business for xxx, perhaps you would like to have a chat with him.” I agreed. After a brief introduction, the regional

To Dubai and back

2010-09-26T12:34:00.000+08:00

For all the environmental talk that I have spoken, it’s ironic that I landed myself in Dubai in my first official business trip. This piece of land is a desert not too long ago. Today, Dubai is a full fledge metropolitan city. I was told the temperature has come down a bit but coming out from an air-conditioned shopping mall to catch a cab in the open, I felt as though a fireball was thrown at

How does it feel to be in my current modern slavery position

2010-09-14T21:11:00.001+08:00

Obviously, the initial feeling is pretty good. I mean… moving into a head office position, it does gives you a glamorous feeling.When I first arrived in the office, almost all the administrative and logistic matters were already settled… gadgets were cool and they gave me an i-Phone!… linked to my work mail server of course. But still… very cool. So yeah… it was a good feeling…Next, the

My Singapore working hours

2010-09-12T20:07:00.001+08:00

“So what time do you knock-off?”“How late do you work till?”“Are the hours crazy?”I have been bombarded with the above questions or the likes for the last 3 months by my Malaysian friends and ex-colleagues. All are under the impression that people here work non-stop and I will be drowned in it.Remember the conversation that I had with my boss on why he hired me? In that conversation, he also told

Raya Greetings

2010-09-09T22:31:00.001+08:00

I wonder if Perkasa will lodge a police report against me for wishing my Malay friends in English (as per picture). Have a good holiday!1 years ago… Satu peristiwa berkenaan bahasa

Water

2010-09-07T21:47:00.002+08:00

I was going to blog about something else but having read about the Semenyih water treatment plant has been closed due to contamination … I felt it was time to blog about this topicTaking a step back, a lot of Malaysians are making fun of Singaporeans because here, the water coming out from the tap is actually processed from the sewage, hence the you-drink-processed-pee-water jeers…Actually, I

See... I am still reading the news

2010-09-05T20:25:00.003+08:00

Someone asked me am I slowly phasing myself out of Malaysia news. My answer is definitely not. To proof that I keep myself very much abreast with what is happening in Malaysia, let me tell the news that I have been reading…I read about a headmistress in Johor called Siti Inshah asking her Chinese students to “Balik China” and the Indians looked like “dogs” when they wear prayer strings, but no

Those videos shouldn’t make you laugh

2010-09-01T22:25:00.001+08:00

By now, I am sure many would have watched the now famous video clips of how the MACC lawyer questioned Dr. Porntip in court. If you have haven’t watched, go have a good laugh here.I am not going to make any jokes about the clips, as I think there are already a multitude of jokes cracked in respect of the lawyer who represents the MACC, who represents the govt.If you are a Malaysian, and having

Some discoveries after 3 months in Singapore

2010-08-29T14:25:00.002+08:00

Hello world… ! This is arguably the longest break I have taken from blogging. Work being the main reason, with laziness being the combination when time permits.As for work, many have asked whether I am struggling with my Mandarin. Well, in the team that I work in… there is a Japanese, a Korean, an Indian, an American, an Australian, a Pakistani, a Mexican coming on board soon, 3 Malaysians

Things I just found out about Singapore

2010-08-09T19:20:00.002+08:00

I am not working today, it’s a public holiday here. The occasion…the Singapore National Day.I didn’t know Singapore National Day is different from Malaysia’s. Did you?I have always thought the Singapore’s president is a Chinese, because ya’ know, it’s a racist country… but it’s an Indian.The national anthem of Singapore, is in Malay. Some of my friend’s say that’s the only Malay they can speak.

Why I like watching such videos

2010-08-04T23:06:00.001+08:00

Because it reminds me that there are so many people who are willing up to put their ass on the line in the name of justice… like 300 people in the whole of Klang Valley.Because I get to see some of my friends appearing in video… hello Tricia, I see you!Because it tells me that despite all the complaints, Malaysia is actually a very safe country. Just look at the amount of police deployed to

The speechless left me speechless

2010-08-02T23:31:00.002+08:00

“Honestly speaking, it is not easy to reach this level of damage. In order to get this, you must have heavy objects, piled on top of each other and moved around consistently in a circular motion within the same area. I just can't seem to picture how it ended up like this.<…pause…>Seriously, this is beyond my comprehension; which is why I am really thinking hard on how to fix this. I am speechless

Walk talk

2010-08-01T20:48:00.000+08:00

If you ask any Malaysians currently residing in Singapore – what is the thing that they hate most about Singapore, you will most probably get one common answer… “need to walk a lot lah…”Using “poor public transport” as an excuse, many Malaysians evolved into car addict. Walking became secondary. To some, not owning a car (which is very rare in Malaysia) and having to walk means you are of the

To be or not to be a “tai-tai”

2010-07-25T21:55:00.000+08:00

Simplistically defined, “tai-tai” means a married woman who does not need to work. Generally, the understanding is that most girls out there will want to be a “tai-tai”. Please note the word “generally”.I have met girls who were originally career minded and do not wish to be a tai-tai, and then made a 180 degrees turn and wanted to become one. This usually happened after a few years in the modern

Why did you hire me?

2010-07-18T20:09:00.003+08:00

I asked that straight to my boss’ face the other day, and I think I caught him by surprise. And the first word that came from him was… “personality”…The nature of my work requires a certain level of technical knowledge, and I don’t think I am a very technically sound person. Well, I am not saying that I am crap, but there are certainly others who are much better than me. I am just slightly above

1 month post-op update

2010-07-06T22:33:00.001+08:00

They said time flies when you are having fun. I don’t think I am having a blissful time in the last 1 month but time certain flew past me like a flash.It has been 1 month since my knee surgery and things have been progressing well. According to my physiotherapist (a Brazilian who had an internship with Sao Paolo), I am behind time in terms of flexibility.Pre warm-up front natural bending is at

Finally, something to complain about Singapore

2010-07-04T23:33:00.000+08:00

Many teased me about how I kept praising this new land I am in. Perhaps I was a bit over-board there hence I paused and try to keep a lookout for things that I do not like about Singapore.Finally found it…The other day, Jules went to purchase something from the supermarket and had to “insist” that she doesn’t want a plastic bag. Apparently, the cashier was puzzled as to why she doesn’t want to

The root of the tragedy at the Std Cht Marathon

2010-06-28T21:01:00.002+08:00

If you ran in the just concluded KL Standard Chartered Marathon or if you are a vivid facebook addict, you would have most probably read about a young man named Lim who passed away a couple of km before completing his 10km run.What happened was Lim collapsed, he was then assisted by the writer of the facebook-note together with some other medically trained runners. While trying to preserve Lim’s

What does Malaysia and England have in common?

2010-06-27T23:52:00.005+08:00

Before Thomas Cup, Malaysia talked as though they won it.Before World Cup, England talked as though they have won it.England shite...

Friday Physio Frolic

2010-06-25T08:19:00.002+08:00

I managed to walk much better now so I decided to venture out for lunch today. My colleagues took me to his hawker centre about 10 minutes walk from my office. I have to admit, I was quite surprised to see such set-up amidst the Singapore Central Business District.It’s does feels weird having to celebrate my birthday with crutches. After dinner, I had to pick up my additional legs and the guy at

The maiden Singapore lunch time experience

2010-06-23T18:57:00.001+08:00

I managed to walk much better now so I decided to venture out for lunch today. My colleagues took me to his hawker centre about 10 minutes walk from my office. I have to admit, I was quite surprised to see such set-up amidst the Singapore Central Business District.I would say this hawker centre is akin to the mamak area in Damansara Uptown. It’s indoor, the stalls are all systematically arranged.

One week after leaving Malaysia

2010-06-20T20:26:00.001+08:00

Having been to Singapore for only a week, the Malaysian connection is obviously still pretty much alive in me. I still log on to TheStar to read about Malaysian sports and keeping a close eye on MalaysiaToday and MalaysianInsider.As always, I get to read about depressing news such as the father or the alleged jet engine thief claiming abuse… United Nations condemning Malaysia… MYR40m being spent

Singapore cabbies

2010-06-18T00:00:00.001+08:00

They are just so nice! Perhaps it’s a norm, perhaps it’s because I am walking on crutches, but they have been patiently helpful. 7 is the amount of times I have taken a cab since I arrived in Singapore and the ratio of good cabbies is 100%.As you can imagine – me being on crutches and not being able to bend my knee that much, getting in and out of cabs will take some time. All of them told me to

The surgery experience

2010-06-15T20:35:00.001+08:00

After being admitted, I “checked-in” to my room and took a nap. A nurse came and took some blood, my temperature and checked my blood-pressure.The anaesthetist then came to ask me how I want to be sedated, on which I decided on spinal anaesthesia. I found out on the day I checked out that he charged me MYR120 as consultation for that 2-3 minutes conversation and another MYR2,000 for that

Greetings from Singapore

2010-06-13T13:52:00.003+08:00

I have been so occupied with the surgery and physiotherapy, I didn’t really had the time to let it sink into me that I have actually left the country, possibly for good. The only time I thought about leaving was wondering whether I could make it up the plane with my legs full of plasters and me walking in crutches.Anyway… yes… I made it, and I am now in Singapore. Normally, people are given about

A quick post-op pic

2010-06-09T21:29:00.003+08:00

Yo!Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers. And thanks doc for the choice of anaesthetic consultation. The surgery was successful and I am on the road to recovery. I have to testify, doing post-op physio is the most painful experience ever. A mother of 5 told me it was more painful than giving birth.I am a bit tied up with a lot of things at the moment. I will certainly blog more about it.

Knee surgery tomorrow

2010-06-03T21:30:00.002+08:00

This has happened much quickly than expected. The surgeon I saw last Wednesday said he would be able to operate tomorrow. He is the same surgeon who operated on the knee of national badminton player Julia Wong.Well, I am very comfortable with his explanation and he gave me a lot of confidence. Hence, I am going under the knife tomorrow. I was mentally prepared to get this done in July and now

Me knee update

2010-05-31T22:38:00.001+08:00

I have done a MRI and it confirmed that my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (“ACL”) is completely torn. Many people have been asking me what exactly it is and I think this is a good analogy…Imagine a house supported by a single main pillar. Now, the pillar has completely collapsed and the reason why the house is still standing is because of the walls. Worse, some of the internal and side walls are

The injury conversation

2010-05-25T21:50:00.002+08:00

I have not seen an orthopaedic surgeon yet. The person treating me for the last 2 days is senior physiotherapist. He used to be with the national football team and he gave the confidence I needed to let him manage my knee for now. He has treated a few of my team-mates and he came highly recommended.I will be seeing an ortho surgeon tomorrow for further assessment. Thanks for all your

Appreciate prayers for my knee

2010-05-24T21:22:00.002+08:00

My boots were slightly broken since the game last week; perhaps it was a sign. I wasn’t even challenging for the ball, was just running and tried to change direction.I heard a “crack” and the next thing I knew, I felt like my left knee has been cracked open with a dagger.Initial assessment indicated that the meniscus was torn but not too sure about the anterior cruciate ligament. I will have to

A quick fix

2010-05-21T16:27:00.001+08:00

Been fairly busy preparing for my entry to the drain. Car has been sold – sad… more update in a bit…This has been my breakfast for the last 2+ months, everyday except for Sunday. I hope my cholesterol dipped a bit…Have a good weekend.1 year ago… The principal that was2 years ago… When cost is not an issue… The young begins to hump… That’s why the young humps3 years ago… Do you know why?

Facebook caption from our badminton player

2010-05-17T21:07:00.003+08:00

I’ve mentioned before, facebook is extremely dangerous…I don’t know if this is real... but... if it is real, then we shouldn’t brand the China team as arrogant, because our 1badminton team ain’t that far behind in terms of arrogance as well.[click to enlarge] - image taken from here.P/S: Anyone wants to take over Tan Boon Heong? He said he will sponsor racquets if you are good enough…1 year ago…

Baru aku tahu kenapa ramai orang tengok Piala Thomas

2010-05-14T21:20:00.000+08:00

Masa aku tulis ni, bergu pertama negara baru tumbang. Kononnya, bergu nombor 1 dunia. Chong Wei pun pemain nombor 1 dunia. Pemain China tak bakyak masuk tournament saja. Kalau tidak, kau ingat pemain kita boleh jadi pemain nombor 1?Kau orang tahu tak, kenapa ramai orang sokong pasukan Piala Thomas? Betul ke semangat 1Badminton? Aku bagi tahu kau orang… semua orang yang sokong ni, pasal nak dapat

Lagi pasal Piala Thomas

2010-05-13T00:03:00.001+08:00

Kalau orang kata lelaki tak erti multi-task, memang tak merangkumi lelaki Malaysia. Lelaki2 Malaysia, bukan main terrer… masa tengok badminton, boleh juga kecoh kat facebook, sms tak berhenti-henti. Kat facebook, bukan update status saja, komen pun tak berhenti. Itulah dia, lelaki2 Malaysia handal multi-task.Woaaah… Hafiz yang main lembab semalam kembali jadi penyelamat. Aku rasa, isteri semalam

Dari stadium kejohanan Piala Thomas

2010-05-12T01:00:00.003+08:00

Aku baru balik dari stadium selepas menyaksikan negara mencipta sejarah dalam Piala Thomas. Kalau tak silap, Malaysia tak pernah kalah kepada Jepun dalam Piala Thomas. Akan tetapi, itu sudah berubah…Malaysia mencipta sejarah setelah tumbang 2-3 kepada Jepun sebentar tadi.Aku memang tak faham. Kenapa Zakry-Fairuzizuan dipilih dalam skuad Piala Thomas dan bukannya bergu Tan Fook-Wan Wah yang

Just the next stage of infection

2010-05-10T01:03:00.000+08:00

The death of 15-year-old Aminulrasyid is not a case of irresponsible parenting, over-adventurous teen or trigger happy police. It is not.In this country, particularly in small towns, you will see people riding motorcycles without helmet. Some of them are so young, even riding bicycle would be a challenge. But they are riding motorbikes. It’s against the law. But no one gives shit.In this country,

Same theme, different team

2010-05-07T01:48:00.000+08:00

Music out of nowhere. The character began to sing and suddenly, dancers appearing out of nowhere to accompany the character. They were all Indians, and everyone will call it a bollywood movie and laugh about it.Music out of nowhere. The character began to sing and suddenly, dancers appearing out of nowhere to accompany the character. Sometimes, you even get back-up singers appearing. But they

Like student once again

2010-05-05T21:31:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being a student once again. Actually, it has been the case for slightly more than 2 weeks now. I had an exam yesterday and in the last couple of weeks, I have been frantically doing last minute revision studying.Waiting outside the exam hall, the whole scenario just brought back the good ‘ol memories. Congregated at one corner were those who continued to dig into

Short & Sweet: Ep. 8 - 3 facts

2010-04-29T23:57:00.002+08:00

Fact 1 –A lot of Malaysians complain about Malaysia and refer to Singapore as a better country.Fact 2 –A lot of Singaporeans then say Malaysians under Fact 1 are stupid because these Singaporeans think Singapore is worse and that Malaysia is actually a better country.Fact 3 –You see Malaysians under Fact 1 migrating to Singapore, but you hardly (or never) see Singaporeans under Fact 2 migrating

The price that really kills

2010-04-28T22:03:00.002+08:00

We have all heard about how prices have increased over the years. I know this chicken rice shop I frequent which used to charge MYR2.60 a plate when I first started working now charges MYR5.50. That’s a 112% increase.When I started working, my starting pay was MYR1,800 (USD560) a month and currently, I understand that the starting pay for that same position in that same company is MYR2,600. That

Salient points from a good HS by-election post

2010-04-27T20:33:00.001+08:00

A very big thank you to deus X machina for pointing me to this particular blog which painted what is arguably the best summary of the recent Hulu Selangor by-election. Ribuan terima kasih. Kalau ada lagi rencana sedemikian, jangan segan nak beritahu Zewt.I sent the link of the post to a few friends and they all agreed with what was said. But because that post is written in BM, some of my friends

A very sad day

2010-04-25T22:02:00.000+08:00

Money talks bullshit walks.You can choose to play by the rules but the won’t.Results matter, not the passion shown on facebook status updates.Promising RM3m! Talk about open bribery.Somehow, I feel this particular one is significant.I see no hope…But then again, do we deserve hope?

The timing of the take-off

2010-04-21T22:48:00.000+08:00

I wouldn’t rate the initial years of my modern slavery life as anything near a success. Yes, it started off well with good review from my seniors and mentor. I was moving up the ladder in line the normal scale. But it did hit a snag.At that time when I missed promotion, it did felt like shite. I saw my peers moved ahead of me. Those who missed the preceding level have all but left. As such, I

Together for tigers

2010-04-19T23:50:00.001+08:00

I remember my A-levels economics lecturer once told the class that one day, mankind will have to go to the museum to see how leaves look like. Yes, that green product of nature which we lay our eyes on everyday may well one day be a specimen in the museum in the name of economic development.But that “one day” has not reached yet, though it is not very far away.The same cannot be said about tigers

Should you tell the girl?

2010-04-15T23:59:00.001+08:00

Imagine if you were at your work place, and there were 2 big bosses having a heated discussion next to your place. The discussion did not concern you but since it was a heated and rather loud discussion, you can’t help but to take notice.But in trying to pick up what exactly was the issue, you inadvertently noticed that one of the big bosses did not zip up her skirt. There was a rather “

Why Helen the mother and not Hank the father

2010-04-14T21:11:00.001+08:00

It would appear that my post regarding “The story of Helen, who’s only the mother” has attracted some not very happy souls. There are people who are not happy that women are seen as responsible for nurturing children while men are seen as responsible for “bringing back the bacon”.The discussion on the existence (or non-existence) of gender-bias responsibilities will never come to an end. Like it

Parents these days

2010-04-13T21:40:00.002+08:00

I met up with some friends a few weeks ago over lunch. Turn the clock back 5 years and we will most probably be bitching about our bosses. But since one of them is now a director while the other is a senior manager with one of the Big 4 accounting firms, we usually now bitch about… staff, about how staff nowadays will resign if you make them work excessive overtime and so on.This time however,

The story of Helen, who’s only the mother

2010-04-12T21:08:00.002+08:00

Perhaps it’s the drive to achieve equality, perhaps it’s the desire to prove that women are as good, if not better as men… Career driven women are everywhere these days. Helen is one of them.Rose from rank to rank, always given the recognition in her workplace, a legion of staff under her command… Helen was the epitome of a successful female corporate figure. If you thinking that Helen is single

GST - yes no yes no yes yes yes no!

2010-04-09T00:06:00.001+08:00

16th June 2009 – The Second Finance Minister announced that govt has no plans to implement GST in the near future.24th Nov 2009 – Prime Minister announced GST bill to be tabled in Parliament.11th Mar 2010 – Second Finance Minister dismisses speculation that GST will be called off.8th Apr 2010 – The same Second Finance Minister who dismisses the above speculation announced that the GST will be

Need help to file your tax return?

2010-04-07T21:16:00.003+08:00

Folks, it’s time to file your tax return. I have done mine and geeee… with the amount of taxes I paid, I think I contributed to a metal door or two of the submarine!Anyway, you should be going yours too. Need any help? Individual tax… corporate tax… drop me a line… I am sure the regular readers will know my credentials…I may charge though… hehe…

If you think you are better and smarter than your parents

2010-04-07T00:35:00.001+08:00

Midway through my teens, I had this belief. At that time, I strongly believed that my parents were very blessed to have me as a son. It was a very proud mentality, not exactly a good thing.My parents were illiterate. I was told that my dad kept failing when he was in school while my Mom never got to school at all. And, they do not know how to play any musical instruments or engage in any sporting

What auditors do?

2010-04-05T23:48:00.001+08:00

Of late, quite a number of people have mailed me, inquiring about Big 4 modern slavery world. The types of query vary, but there appears to be a common curiosity… what exactly does an auditor do? How does it work in those big firms?In a nutshell, the auditor is to certify that the accounts of a company reflect the “true and fair view” of the company. Of course, it goes through quite a long

That’s what I call a high-income economy

2010-04-02T00:15:00.002+08:00

There was this department secretary in the division that I worked in when I was seconded to London 2 years ago. She was the person who booked my service apartment, arranged my transport from the airport, arranged my workstation in the office, books meeting rooms when there is a need for one, arranged my farewell lunch, things like that.She was the department secretary… apparently the lowest paid

What's USD15,000?

2010-03-31T21:51:00.002+08:00

Maybe I am ignorant, but I have yet to understand what exactly is the newly announced National Economic Model (NEM). From the brief summary, I can only see a lot of promises and pledges.Remember the 11 goodies dished out after the initial 100th day?Measures to be announced to curb correction = 1 goodie.The NEM seems to carry the same tone, with its major selling point…Aim to increase per capita

Elimination of poverty is a myth

2010-03-29T22:55:00.001+08:00

Every noble organisations talk about it, and every governments trying to boost profile or enhance propaganda talk about it. But will it be reality? Do they really want that to happen?I think it’s all a load of bullshit.The fuel that keeps the world turning is called money. Money makes the world go round. The rich and the poor, the have(s) and have not(s) form the very core of our human community.

Crazy money

2010-03-28T21:11:00.001+08:00

I am sure we have all heard about how investment bankers or hedge fund managers or forex traders making huge amount of money. There were also plenty of media coverage on bonuses and payouts at the peak of the so called “financial crisis” about a year ago.But they are all just hearsay, and what we read of the media. As far as I am concern, I know they money involve is huge, but just don’t know how

They can't order

2010-03-25T21:38:00.000+08:00

A bunch of students walked into a chicken rice restaurant. Having browsed through the menu and decided on what they want, they started to centralise their orders to a particular person known as S in their group…“S, I want chicken breast rice please” – Shervina Chan said.“I want chicken breast and roast pork” – Antonio Lim.“Drumstick for me, de-bone please” – Luke Lau.“Just chicken rice, any parts

That lie I told

2010-03-24T23:33:00.001+08:00

Was talking to someone about childhood today. It’s always good to talk about childhood regardless of whether it was good or bad, the reminiscent of our early days always bring a smile.Talking about it reminded me of one lie I told my parents, a lie that changed my life forever.When I was in primary school, I wanted to join scouts. But my parents never agree. They just refuse to let me join. I

Pants

2010-03-23T20:55:00.000+08:00

For guys doing desk bound job, how often do you wash your pants? Everyday? Every other day? Once a week?I know guys who wash their pants on a daily basis. This also means they have quite a big collection of pants to accommodate daily change. Not me though. I think many would consider me as “dirty”. I only wash my pants once a week, sometimes… once a fortnight. Dirty? Unhygienic? Maybe…Ya’ know,

Always in memory

2010-03-22T20:09:00.002+08:00

Never forgottenWonderful MomLeft March 2007

Short & Sweet: Ep. 7 - Bicycle

2010-03-18T22:28:00.003+08:00

Someone sent me this……………………………………………………………………………………………Be mindful of the colour of your bicycle seat…2 years ago… To prove that I am good

It’s not about image

2010-03-17T21:33:00.000+08:00

I am sure many will agree that our country tends to hit the limelight for the wrong reason. From burning of churches to statements by Australian MPs to bad coverage in recognised international media to purchase of non-dive-able submarine… certainly, this is not going to give our country a good image, no?I observed one thing… the immediate reaction of people to this “bad image” is that, we will

That “hectic” project

2010-03-16T20:28:00.002+08:00

Slightly more than 6 months ago, I blogged about my involvement in a confidential project which redefined the word “hectic” to me and I promised to blog more about it once the project is over.The project involved the potential acquisition of financial assets of a major corporation in 3 jurisdictions, i.e. China, India and Malaysia. I was in the project team and was also the tax focal point for

I never said GST is bad

2010-03-14T17:52:00.002+08:00

I think there is a need to make this point clear. I have never said GST itself is bad. It is an efficient tax collection mechanism, one that ensures an equal spread of tax burden. Just like how some readers have highlighted, GST is currently functioning in many countries. It would appear that it has a proven track record and hence, we shouldn’t be complaining about GST.The above are all true, I

Those e-mail addresses

2010-03-12T00:02:00.002+08:00

I was talking to someone today and asked for that someone’s gmail address to be added into my chat list. I was given:-jin.long-chan@gmail.com (name has been changed)My reaction was… gee, why is the e-mail so freaking formal? It’s like a freaking working mail type of address. Don’t you think so?I was told that this particular e-mail is used for formal purposes, predominantly… application for jobs.

Drain construction commences [Type: Brain]

2010-03-10T09:39:00.004+08:00

After so many discussions and debates and publications and all, I was very surprise that many people out there do not know what does the term “brain-drain” means. This includes some people who are currently part of the brain-drain phenomena. Are you one of them?Anyway…Quite some time ago, I mentioned about a regional position that was coming up in the organisation that I am working with. After an

Doc visit this time

2010-03-08T21:07:00.002+08:00

Medical check-up is never a pleasant experience, regardless of the purpose. It’s much worse in mine as my check up is to see whether things have gotten worse. It’s either status quo, i.e. still abnormal but within control, or the situation has worsened. Either way, it’s not exactly good news.Thank God though, things have actually improved in my case. There are still red blood cells in my urine

Anxious

2010-03-04T21:22:00.004+08:00

Time really flies... and I have reached that time of the year again, where I will see my Nephrologist for my semi-annual check-up. Rather anxious about this time though. Not that I am expecting anything serious (hopefully not), but this check up will most probably influence a big decision that I will make next week.Hope everything turns out well...

Short & Sweet: Episode 6 - Environment

2010-03-03T21:18:00.003+08:00

Last year, I initiated a “bring your container to tah-pau” exercise and most of my colleagues follow suit. I think I prevented about 100 Styrofoam containers from polluting the environment last year.Did you do anything for the environment lately?P/S: Earth hour and pausing for the environment while posing for camera doesn’t count.P/S/S: Though most of my colleagues have lost the momentum, I have

The reality of GST

2010-03-02T20:38:00.000+08:00

In the past weeks, I have been trying to explain GST to a lot of people; ranging from acquaintances to friends to colleagues to business heads. I ended up with a common conclusion… it is very difficult to get these people to understand the technicality of GST.I suppose I should be glad. If everyone can comprehend the topic easily, people like us will be out of job…Anyway, I have tried to explain

Anyone know what fruit this is?

2010-02-28T21:01:00.002+08:00

I think the first time I had it was when I was 13, the year I joined the Boys’ Brigade. We have this place that we call “Rock Garden”, and the tree is located there.After school, or during our limited Boys’ Brigade break time, we will be on the look out for it. Some are within a jump’s reach while some require a certain amount of climbing before you can lay your hands on it.Those located high up

A great 3rd day at the Wall and Tomb

2010-02-26T11:22:00.012+08:00

“Wang Li Chang Chen” (translated as 10s thousands miles long city), famously known as The Great Wall of China is located out of Beijing. We booked an English guided tour, thanks to PurpleMushroom’s recommendation. It was a good choice.We departed from the hotel an hour before the meeting time but the morning traffic chaos is akin to KL, we were late, albeit just a little. Glad they waited for us.

Today...

2010-02-24T23:36:00.001+08:00

Today was an important.Today, I was put to the test to see whether I am up for it.Today, I have to be convincing.Today, I have to demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence.Today, the drain becomes nearer.Today, the drain made an offer in principal.Today… has been a great day.Tomorrow, I might fall into the drain.1 year ago… The story of Mr. Suck Plime

2 similar stories

2010-02-22T21:06:00.002+08:00

A story was told about a man who fervently prayed to God, asking God to let him strike the lottery jackpot. He is a man who diligently fulfils all his religious responsibilities and was a man of faith. He too, never gave up, keep praying and believing that his prayer will one day be answered.Alas… he never did, and died without his prayer answered.Upon meeting God in heaven, he asked why his

Where Kilkenny became kill Kenny

2010-02-18T23:50:00.000+08:00

True story…Terence was having lunch with his colleagues when he got a call on his mobile. A quick glance and it showed that it was from an unfamiliar number.“Hello” he answered.“Siapa ni?” (Who’s this?)“Kamu yang panggil saya. Kamu siapa?”(You are the one who called me. Who’re you?)“Ini serius. Saya tengah buat siasatan. Apa nama kamu?”(This is serious. I am doing an investigation. What’s your