Angel On A Bike

Sir Winston Churchill

2009-02-24T15:54:00.001+01:00

I was reading a biography on Sir Winston Churchill last few weeks and found it very interesting. The master statesman stood alone against fascism and renewed the world's faith in the superiority of democracy. Power, prominence and a bit of a rebellious nature thrown in -- Winston Churchill quotes are definitely some of the most interesting you'll ever come across. For someone who was said to have a speech impediment, his words and message definitely did not suffer. Some of his famous quotes are:

1. "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."

2. "A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, and then asks you not to kill him."

3. "Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things."

4. "There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion."

5. "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile -- hoping it will eat him last."

6. "Once in a while you will stumble upon the truth but most of us manage to pick ourselves up and hurry along as if nothing had happened."

7. "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

8. "If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves."

9. "If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons."

10. "A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril."

11. "Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events."

12. "Never give in -- never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

13. "The price of greatness is responsibility."

14. "The farther backward you can look, the further forward you are likely to see."

15. "Difficulties mastered are opportunities won."

16. "It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations."

So there you have it -- a glimpse inside the mind of an extraordinary man. Honor, courage, bravery -- think it's the stuff fairy tales are made of? Guess again. These 16 Winston Churchill quotes show us just how real they can be in the right man.

Top 20 Asian progressives

2007-05-19T14:54:00.000+01:00

An Article from Michael Backman (World Business)

Who are the modernisers and reformers steering the region towards good business practice, transparency and management excellence?

World Business is more forward-looking than that. We have spotlighted the individuals driving Asia forward - those that are helping to bring about rules-based civil societies, or who are advancing the cause of better governance, be it in business or government. One of the greatest guarantees of freedom is the free-flow of information, debate and commentary, and so our list includes several who are integral to promoting debate where governments of the region seek to restrict it. Included are several prominent bloggers who risk their livelihoods to bring to the people of Asia commentary and opinion that is a matter of course in the West.

We have included some of the region's prominent businesspeople, notable not only for their forward-looking approach but also for their philanthropy, which remains essential in Asia where governments for the most part lack sufficient resources to do all that should be done to take care of society's most vulnerable. And there are some prominent legislators: Asia is home to some of the world's most repressive regimes, but others, such as Vietnam's current leadership, have shown a preparedness to ditch ideology in favour of improving their people's welfare.

Some of the names will invite controversy: as administrator of Tibet, Hu Jintao was responsible for a crackdown in 1989 that saw hundreds of Tibetan protestors killed; Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad did not use his period of power to introduce greater transparency in government tendering or stamp out corruption in Malaysia's police force; and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda, leader of the Maoists in Nepal, led a bloody decade-long war against the Nepalese government. But it is our contention that these individuals are now helping to reform Asia, so that in future the region's citizens will enjoy greater freedoms than in the past.

1. HU JINTAO, CHINA
2. RAJA PETRA KAMARUDIN, MALAYSIA
3. LOU JIWEI, CHINA
4. NARAYANA MURTHY, INDIA
5. NGUYEN TAN DUNG, VIETNAM
6. MUHAMMAD YUNUS, BANGLADESH
7. MAHATHIR MOHAMAD, MALAYSIA
8. LI KA SHING, HONG KONG
9. JAIME AUGUSTO ZOBEL DE AYALA, PHILIPPINES
10. SYED MOKHTAR AL-BUKHARY, MALAYSIA
11. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, INDONESIA
12. RATAN TATA, INDIA
13. WARREN LICHTENSTEIN, JAPAN/KOREA
14. MAHESH, AJAY AND SHARAD AMALEAN, SRI LANKA
15. JARUVAN MAINTAKA, THAILAND
16. LEE KIN MUN (ALIAS MR BROWN), SINGAPORE
17. ZETI AKHTAR AZIZ, MALAYSIA
18. TARISA WATANAGASE, THAILAND
19. DAVID WEBB, HONG KONG
20. PUSHPA KAMAL DAHAL (ALIAS PRACHANDA), NEPAL

emenang.com

2007-05-08T21:45:00.000+01:00

This is a website from a good friend of mine. Very interesting especially for those who are interested in taking parts in contest and competition. You can also earn some extra money from this website. Have a look, you might like it..

http://www.emenang.com/home/

Have a nice day!

'Melayu' oleh Dato' Usman Awang

2007-05-07T21:02:00.000+01:00

Melayu itu orang yang bijaksana
Nakalnya bersulam jenaka
Budi bahasanya tidak terkira
Kurang ajarnya tetap santun
Jika menipu pun masih bersopan
Bila mengampu bijak beralas tangan.

Melayu itu berani jika benar
Kecut takut kerana bersalah,
Janji simpan di perut
Selalu pecah di mulut,
Biar mati anak

Jangan mati adat.

Melayu di tanah Semenanjung luas maknanya:
Jawa itu Melayu, Bugis itu Melayu
Banjar juga disebut Melayu, Minangkabau memang Melayu,
Keturunan Acheh adalah Melayu,
Jakun dan Sakai asli Melayu,
Arab dan Pakistani, semua Melayu
Mamak dan Malbari serap ke Melayu
Malah mua’alaf bertakrif Melayu
(Setelah disunat anunya itu)

Dalam sejarahnya
Melayu itu pengembara lautan
Melorongkan jalur sejarah zaman
Begitu luas daerah sempadan
Sayangnya kini segala kehilangan

Melayu itu kaya falsafahnya
Kias kata bidal pusaka
Akar budi bersulamkan daya
Gedung akal laut bicara

Malangnya Melayu itu kuat bersorak
Terlalu ghairah pesta temasya
Sedangkan kampung telah tergadai
Sawah sejalur tinggal sejengkal
tanah sebidang mudah terjual

Meski telah memiliki telaga
Tangan masih memegang tali
Sedang orang mencapai timba.
Berbuahlah pisang tiga kali
Melayu itu masih bermimpi

Walaupun sudah mengenal universiti
Masih berdagang di rumah sendiri.
Berkelahi cara Melayu
Menikam dengan pantun
Menyanggah dengan senyum
Marahnya dengan diam
Merendah bukan menyembah
Meninggi bukan melonjak.

Watak Melayu menolak permusuhan
Setia dan sabar tiada sempadan
Tapi jika marah tak nampak telinga
Musuh dicari ke lubang cacing
Tak dapat tanduk telinga dijinjing
Maruah dan agama dihina jangan
Hebat amuknya tak kenal lawan

Berdamai cara Melayu indah sekali
Silaturrahim hati yang murni
Maaf diungkap senantiasa bersahut
Tangan diulur sentiasa bersambut
Luka pun tidak lagi berparut

Baiknya hati Melayu itu tak terbandingkan
Selaga yang ada sanggup diberikan
Sehingga tercipta sebuah kiasan:
“Dagang lalu nasi ditanakkan
Suami pulang lapar tak makan
Kera di hutan disusu-susukan
Anak di pangkuan mati kebuluran”

Bagaimanakah Melayu abad dua puluh satu
Masihkan tunduk tersipu-sipu?
Jangan takut melanggar pantang
Jika pantang menghalang kemajuan;
Jangan segan menentang larangan
Jika yakin kepada kebenaran;
Jangan malu mengucapkan keyakinan
Jika percaya kepada keadilan.

Jadilah bangsa yang bijaksana
Memegang tali memegang timba
Memiliki ekonomi mencipta budaya
Menjadi tuan di negara Merdeka

Malaysia Boleh!

2007-04-15T18:18:00.000+01:00

Got this from http://www.skthew.com/

When Multimedia University (MMU) is too indulged and frenzy about breaking records, a group comprising of students and graduates questioning the necessity of MMU-ians (as well as other Malaysians) to continue for records that can be easily achieved just by throwing in money.

The recent event that caused the outburst is a record breaking event for the longest kebab in Malaysia. It was alleged that RM24000 was spent to achieve the record and they felt that it’s a real waste of money which can be spent on better things mentioned below:

1. can save a cancer patient’s life.

2. can pay MMU tuition fees for 2 years.

3. can fund a master student to complete 50% of his/her research.

4. can feed a starving child for 6 and a half years to live in Malaysia.

5. is the daily living cost of 6857 people in under-developed region of the world.

6. can prolong the life of 8000 people in famine-stricken countries in Africa for another day!

Hence, they seek clarification from the organizers representing the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the university.

1. Is making Dodol and Kebab an effective way of promoting racial integration and understanding among different cultures, as what have been the main objectives of Cross Cultural Integration Program (CCIP)?

2. Is there other non-foppish way to achieve your activities objectives?

3. How does this different from buying a place in the record books?

4. Does making something longest (in length or in time) make it the best? Does quantity equal QUALITY?

5. Do the records make our university (as well as country) more competitive in facing global challenge?

6. By the end of the events, what are the benefits you bring to yourself, the society, our country and the humankind?

For those who are uninitiated, over the past few years (2001-2007), MMU has created 13 records ranging from the largest to the longest, you name it!

This blogger would like to call upon a halt to this wastage of resources, be it in term of monetary, time or human resources. In the end of the day, the objective of creating a world class university is to have a forward-looking world-view, cutting edge research, lead scholars, drive, high aspiration and strategy in order to stay ahead in the academic arena, not unwanted records!

Perjuangan Yang Belum Selesai

2007-04-12T20:38:00.000+01:00

Sajak yang sangat mendalam ini telah ditulis oleh Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad ketika beliau masih menjawat jawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia. Sajak ini sering mengingatkan aku tentang kegagahan dan kehebatan bangsa Melayu suatu ketika dahulu yang terkenal dengan kemasyhurannya dimata dunia. Sajak ini ditulis Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad untuk mengingatkan bangsanya bahawa perjuangan membangun bangsa yang masih belum selesai.

Dari setiap bait sajak ini Mahathir seakan-akan mengingatkan bangsanya bahawa seorang pemimpin boleh datang dan pergi, tetapi semangat bekerja keras, disiplin dan semangat untuk selalu ingin hidup lebih baik harus terus menerus diperjuangkan. Ketepikanlah fahaman politik atau perbezaan ideologi yang disanjungi. Cubalah untuk menghayatinya dengan penuh semangat untuk memperjuangkan bangsa. Cubalah untuk menghayati kandungan dan maksud yang cuba disampaikan dalam sajak ini. Perjuangan kita memang masih belum selesai.

PERJUANGAN YANG BELUM SELESAI

Sesungguhnya tidak ada yang lebih menyayatkan
dari melihat bangsaku dijajah

Tidak ada yang lebih menyedihkan
dari membiarkan bangsaku dihina

Air mata tiada ertinya
sejarah silam tiada maknanya
sekiranya bangsa tercinta terpinggir
dipersenda dan dilupakan

Bukan kecil langkah wira bangsa
para pejuang kemerdekaan
bagi menegakkan kemuliaan
dan darjat bangsa
selangkah beerti mara
mengharung sejuta dugaan

Biarkan bertatih
asalkan langkah itu yakin dan cermat
bagi memastikan negara
merdeka dan bangsa terpelihara
air mata sengsara
mengiringi setiap langkah bapa-bapa kita

Tugas kita bukan kecil
kerana mengisi kemrdekaan
rupanya lebih sukar dari bermandi
keringat dan darah menuntutnya

Lagi pula apalah ertinya kemerdekaan
kalau bangsaku asyik mengia dan menidakkan,
mengangguk dan membenarkan,
kerana sekalipun bangganya negara
kerana makmur dan mewahnya,
bangsaku masih melata
dan meminta-minta di negaranya sendiri

Bukan kecil tugas kita
meneruskan perjuangan kemerdekaan kita
kerana rupanya selain memerdekakan,
mengisi kemerdekaan itu jauh lebih sengsara

Bangsaku bukan kecil hati dan jiwanya
bukankah sejak zaman berzaman
mereka menjadi pelaut, pengembara
malah penakluk terkemuka?

Bukankah mereka sudah mengembangkan
sayap, menjadi pedagang dan peniaga
selain menjadi ulama dan ilmuan terbilang?

Bukankah bangsaku pernah mengharung
samudera menjajah dunia yang tak dikenal

Bukankah mereka pernah menjadi
wira serantau yang tidak mengenal erti takut
dan kematian?

Di manakah silapnya hingga bangsaku
berasa begitu kecil dan rendah diri?

Apakah angkara penjajah?

Lalu bangsaku mulai melupakan kegemilangan
silam dan sejarah gemilang membina empayar

Tugas kita belum selesai rupanya
bagi memartabat dan memuliakan bangsa
kerana hanya bangsa yang berjaya
akan sentiasa dihormati

Rupanya masih jauh dan berliku jalan kita
bukan sekadar memerdeka dan mengisinya
tetapi mengangkat darjat dan kemuliaan
buat selama-lamanya

Hari ini, jalan ini pasti semakin berliku
kerana masa depan belum tentu
menjanjikan syurga
bagi mereka yang lemah dan mudah kecewa

Perjuangan kita belum selesai
kerana hanya yang cekal dan tabah
dapat membina mercu tanda
bangsanya yang berjaya

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Mei 1996

Love is a Losing Game

2007-04-11T17:56:00.000+01:00

I'm currently hooked on the new CD from Amy Winehouse 'Back To Black'. 'Love is a Losing Game' is my favourite song on this album. Actually i bought the album in Dec last year but only got the opportunity to really listen to it for the past couple of weeks. She is a jazz and soul singer/songwriter from London. I really enjoy listening to new artist because their music are so pure and honest. Some say that it is only at the beginning before they go BOOM and soon they will only talk about something that doesnt even make sense. But i dont believe in that, i'm sure there are lots of artist who are very sincere in making music.

I believe, music can be beautiful, a beautiful expression of emotions. And for those who play an instrument, the musical experience is even richer, especially if you want to be a professional musician. No matter what your chosen instrument is, there is a professional path. Some desire fame. Others simply want to get paid doing what they love. No matter what their goals are, there are things to consider that will help put them on the path to success.

I admit it's kind of hard to find a very good and sincere artist or musician in Malaysia. I'm not trying to be ignorant but i hate the fact that most of the people dont really appreciate the real talent. Everybody talks about the 'whole package' when they really dont know what the real package is. To them you have to be beautiful or good looking to be a good singer. We do have lots of talented artist in Malaysia but they rather call themselves as 'Underground/Independent Artist'.

I dont really care if they are mainstream or underground artist as long as they can produce good music. But this is a question that I am most commonly asked. 'Why do undeground or independent artist fail?' I had an opportunity to talk to a friend in Indonesia who works as a producer there and this is what he said to me. The answer is pretty simple – most independent artist do not understand the concept of marketing let alone online marketing. The first thing that they MUST do is learn to put themselves in the shoes of their target audience or in this case their fans. That is a lot easier said than done. Without a fan base they wont have a music career. Internet is a good way to create a strong fan base.

So maybe our beloved Malaysian artist should really consider this idea. I'm signing off now, going to continue listening to Amy Winehouse.

Learn to say NO

2007-04-10T18:17:00.000+01:00

Knowing when and how to say "no" is a constant battle for many people. In our Malaysian community we always try to please other people and often puts us in a situation where we just dont know how to say NO. Many associate this kind of situation as being polite or maybe sometimes as being humble. But if we really think about it, it has got nothing to do with being polite or humble. Saying NO is just another choice that you have to make in life. Maybe it is a matter of how you say it so that you would not end up hurting the other party.

This becomes especially difficult for business professionals or even politicians who are looking to please and impress higher-ups. Almost from birth, the world has conditioned us to do what others ask without question for any number of reasons. We, too often, get pushed and pulled in all sorts of awkward directions that had not been on our intended agenda due to the inability to confidently speak that singular two-letter word.

Why do we allow ourselves to be ruled by people or things that make us uncomfortable? Does going the extra mile for that prospect result in cognitive progress in regards to your own morals? Is the undue stress caused by bending over backward for an overbearing manager worth the possible reward? What value does inviting such negativity into our lives really afford us?

Just say "NO".

Saying "no" is a very reasonable response to any request no matter how big or small. If you can't do what is being asked or even just don't want to, it is truly okay to say "no". No further explanation is required. The fact that you don't want to is more than enough reason. If you are a person that has trouble saying "no" outright then respond by saying "I'll consider it and get back to you". This is alright too. It is much better to give no commitment at all than to commit to something you didn't want to do in the first place. Mastering the art of delegation is another way to lessen the burden of being so agreeable. Don't be afraid to request help from others of similar competence. By delegating tasks that you are either unwilling or unable to perform, you can focus your attention on matters that are more pressing or important to you.

There is so much additional stress that develops when a person attempts to perform a task unwillingly. Think about times when you have worked at something you truly enjoyed. How easy was it for you to complete the task successfully? Now think about a time when you have agreed to a task that was not really your cup of tea but you just couldn't say "no". Did you give the task your complete 100%? Was the task completed and completed on schedule? How did you feel during the process?

Saying "no" firmly and asserting your position can give you power beyond your wildest dreams. Speaking "no" is to overcome your fear of rejection. It is to embrace independence. It is to get in touch with your true values. What do you stand for? How do you want to live your day? Saying "no" gives you back the control over how and with whom your time and energy is spent.

So where does one begin? By just learning and choosing the positive power of saying "NO".

Make a Wish

2007-04-06T21:25:00.000+01:00

When asked, "If you could wish for one thing only, what would that wish be?" almost everyone; from beauty pagent contestants, to politicians, to religious leaders, to children, to the average person on the street states, "Peace On Earth" or "An end to all wars". Those wishes, while exemplary, are meaningless. As long as humans exist there will never be peace on earth or will there be peace on earth?

Throughout the history of humankind there has never been peace on earth. Cavemen fought other cavemen over territory, food and even women. World war I and World War II, America fought the Revolutionary War for freedom and brother fought against brother in the Civil War for more freedom. There have always been wars and there will always be wars.

As long as humans can think, there will be wars. Wars over such concepts as freedom, honor, dignity, etc.. Wars over territory, greed, power, prejudice, etc.. Sometimes it makes me wonder, is war a part of human nature? Martin Luther King once said, every human being is prejudiced. If they don't like some race, nationality or religion, they don't like short or tall or fat or skinny or smart or not smart or loud or quiet people. Some people don't like children, some people don't like old people, some people don't like people with pets, or people that play their music too loud, or bad drivers. What is right and proper to some people can be wrong or even enraging to other people.

Some people said that religion can stop wars, but some also said that many wars are fought over religion and some believe that religion is used as an excuse for war not the real reason for war. Christians fought against Muslims during the Crusades. The Catholic Church killed heretics during the Inquisition. The Nazis killed millions of Jews and then started killing Catholics. The Russians under Stalin killed anyone even remotly religious. Protestants killed other Protestants for being the wrong type of Protestant. Don't forget about Atheists, Stalin was an Atheist and wanted to get rid of all religion. Most of China's leaders are Atheists and have jailed and killed huge numbers of religious people. History is rife with various types of religious battles.

The main reason for war, however, is the lust for power. The power to make others do and believe as you do and believe, the power to make other people render unto you what you believe is rightfully yours, the power to make other people treat you as you believe you should be treated, the power to gain what you want (ie: money, love, respect, etc.), the power to punish others for doing things that you don't believe they should do, the power to keep other from having things or thoughts that you don't have. In other words, the power to have the ultimate control, to make everyone else in your image with you as their ruler.

As long as people have the ability to think, there will be greed, envy, prejudice and anger. They can think but they can't control their greed and emotions. As long as those things exist, there will be wars. Most people believe, either religiously or secularly, in the rules set down in their religion, but very few people can follow those rules all of the time because our ability to think causes us to want. Wanting causes us to break some or all of the rules. Humans are not perfect. If they were they would not be human.

So how do we achieve peace? Would there be world peace?

Talking Politics

2007-04-05T14:34:00.000+01:00

Politics seems to be the hot topic of discussion these days, and many innocent conversations turn into screaming matches with neither party being able to get a word in edgewise. I have been engaging in a few political discussions with some friends for the past couple of months and since then have learned a lot about Malaysian politics (especially about our current Government). Since then i've learned the art of discussion.

It is well known that the country is divided on many political parties (UMNO,PAS,Keadilan,MCA,MIC,etc),topics, and people seem to feel stronger about certain issues than ever before. Many people engage in political discussions for the express purpose of changing another person’s mind, but often tempers flare and no one leaves the conversation having learned anything. There is a difference in taking a political discussion seriously and simply having a heated argument with someone.

The general definition of the word discussion is to exchange ideas. Quite often so-called political discussions couldn’t be further from this definition. When people feel very strongly about a subject they often refuse to see another person’s point of view, let alone listen to them. If you feel that someone you know could learn something from you about politics keep in mind you could probably learn something from them as well.

To take a political discussion seriously you must be willing to listen, not only speak. Understand that part of what makes up a person’s feelings and opinions is their experiences. Since you certainly haven’t had the same experiences as someone else you can’t expect to see eye to eye on everything. Discussions require each party to allow the other to speak in turn and have a chance to say their piece.

When engaging in a political discussion with someone who holds differing opinions, be prepared to learn if you expect them to. No one likes to be told they are wrong, and if you really want someone to see where you’re coming from you need to pay them the same respect. Name calling and general rudeness will get you nowhere, and your civil political discussion will soon turn into an argument.

Always keep your cool during a discussion. If you aren’t willing to listen to the other person, then perhaps you shouldn’t bother trying to engage them. Starting discussions simply to rile the other party or insult them is both juvenile and lacks any constructive purpose. The other party probably feels as strongly about certain issues as you do, so don’t expect them to concede to your points right away. A good political discussion may have no outcome other than an opportunity to understand someone else’s view points and why they hold them.

It is important to engage in civil political discussions, even if you feel you’re not getting anywhere in terms of changing someone else’s mind. We all live in this country together, and no matter what party is currently in power and it is important to be sympathetic to all our fellow country people.