This Saturday, UKEC would be organizing the 2nd Annual Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS) at Nikko Hotel on 2nd and 3rd August 2008.
There would be a bunch of very interesting speakers, including the much awaited Khairy Jamaluddin vs Tony Pua session on subsidy.
Among the speakers are:-
Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia
Y.B. Dato’ Seri Khaled Nordin, Minister of Higher Education Malaysia
Y.B. Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Education Minister of Malaysia
Zainah Anwar, Executive Director of Sisters in Islam
Ruben Gnanalingam, Executive Director, Westport Malaysia
Karim Raslan, Founder, Karim Raslan Associates
Dr. Denison Jayasooria, Executive Director, Social Strategic Foundation
YB Senator Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department - Law and Judicial Reform
Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz bin Ungku Abdul Hamid, former Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaya
Khoo Kay Peng, Executive Director, SEDAR
Dr. Mazeni Alwi, Chairman, Muslim Professional Forum
Datuk Justin Leong, Head of Strategic Investments & Corporate Affairs, Genting Berhad
Dato' Ooi Sang Kuang, Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia
Ibrahim Suffian, Director, Merdeka Centre
Dato' VC George, former Court of Appeal judge
Mr Yeo Yang Poh, Former President of the Malaysian BAR Council
YB Khairy Jamaluddin, MP, Rembau
YB Tony Pua, MP, PJ Utara
Dr. Siva Ananthan, CEO, LTT Global Consultants
Nithiyananthan Muthusamy, Officer, Northeast (USA) Malaysia Forum
Afandy Sustrino Tanjung, Chairman, MPPK, UM
See you guys there!
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
2nd Malaysian Student Leaders Summit
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Impression of Philippines
Today is my Day 1 of Philippines. Let me share from where I left off.
6:50am - Boarded Air Asia flight - AK32 to Philippines. This is my first time taking Air Asia
7:10am - Almost everyone boarded. Thought that the flight would be on time, since departure time to be 7:20am
7:20am - Air Asia's plane left the gate.. Impressed. Air Asia is really punctual! :)
7:30am - Plane tried to be started....still no success
7:40am - Plane reversed back to gate - announcement said that it had to be repaired.. A bunch of repair folks came up the plane.
8:10am - Finished repair.. Plane reversed.. tried to restart engine..
8:20am - Succeed in starting and plane went air-borne.
8:45am - Tried Pak Nasser Nasi Lemak - not hot...(as in it is cold), and also not nice...Definitely hope Air Asia to buck up on this! But have to say that the menu is attractive...
12:05pm - Reached Clark. Everything is very fast. Immigration is fast, although they do not smile or greet anything.
12:20pm - The driver was there. He has waited for 1.5 hours due to plane delay... But he is very patient..
12:50pm - Journey been quite good. The driver drove very slowly. He stopped at a Caltex for petrol. I jumped down to get a Philippine newspaper called Philippine Daily Inquirer, and also a hotdog and also a green tea with apple juice.
1:40pm - Reached Manila area... Road is not that good quality. Lots of bus/taxi lane. Seemed great! Although drivers seemed to be cutting left and right, with lots of horn.
2:50pm - Reached hotel... Tried to contact JobStreet.com office, but couldn't reach... Hotel staff can't really understand English too... So, decided to check in. Then, Jenny from JobStreet.com call. So, I checked in.
3:30pm - In room. Continued to work on some JobStreet CAMPUS slides. Tried to rest a little too. Nica called that she would be here by 4ish or 5.
5:50pm - No one came to room, so decided to go down to 3rd floor. Met Jewel and others there. Nica came around in a while too. We all continued to pack the goodie bag.
6:20pm - discussion between Nica, Patrick and me on the checklist.
7:30pm - Go shopping for wine...hahaha... the Wine class at Cornell does not go to waste.... the bookstore is closed, so cannot get wrapper for the wine... Nica went to search. Jewel went to get McD, and I showed the supermarket staff how to bring wine to our hotel. It is interesting that in Philippines that the supermarket has the service of sending the stuff to where it needs to be, if it is within reasonable distance.
8:30pm - continued working on goodie bag, and then Ritchie, Marketing Manager came...had dinner - McD.
9:15pm - went back room for a while
9:45pm - continued meeting till around 10:30pm, when I went down to get more McD to eat...
10:30pm - back to room....chatting on MSN, blogged and also replied emails... =)
1:00am - to go to sleep now..
5:30am - wake up call...
Not sure whether I would have internet in next hotel, since I would be moving to Legend Villa after this.
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MCA Election - Against Menu
Last Sunday, Quek Ngee Meng gave me an opportunity to help out in his campaigning just before Bukit Bintang division delegate vote their precious delegate selection vote. I got a chance to see how people campaigning for party election.
Before I go further, do look at this campaign material and tell me whether Quek deserved to win one of the 2,000+ delegates in the MCA Election on 18th October 2008.
For Bukit Bintang, it is choosing 17 people as delegates to represent the division, and yet someone, like Quek, who have dedicated so many years of his life full time to MCA and Lifelong Learning and yet he is not selected. He is serving as Acting Director of Lifelong Learning for a few years, and yet those members are not recognizing it.
It is wierd, but as Ah Kam pointed out, it is the menu list that people voted "brainlessly" that caused Quek to lose out. It is sad that those MCA members who should be able to use their brain to vote, but yet decide to vote en bloc, and in the end Quek only got 99 votes.
Quek did manage to get a few times more votes, compared to the other 2 independent candidates in the division, but yet it is still short of 20+ votes to get the delegate ticket.
Quek, sorry to see this happen. Definitely see what you have done for MCA, Lifelong Learning and community, and I definitely admire your ability. It is very sad that the delegates are not willing to put the benefit of party as the main agenda.
Keep up your good work! Will definitely support you! Thanks for the opportunities for me to be there to observe and help out a little. Sorry that I was unable to swing more votes to you.
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Tuesday, July 29, 2008
At AIM Conference Center - Makati, Phillipines
Checking in at AIM Conference Center at Makati, Philippines.
Would blog more later. :)
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At LCCT - Onwards to Philippines
Currently blogging at LCC-T in KL.
Am very excited for my first overseas assignment, since I joined JobStreet.com . Would be visiting Philippines for the next 4 days! It is my first trip there! =)
Would get the chance to attend JobStreet.com Philippines Career Congress for School Administrators . It would be exciting!
Besides that, this is also my first experience taking Air Asia.com , despite my many years of admiration of Datuk Tony Fernandes and his staff. This is the first time for me to experience it! As of now, have been pretty happy with the services provided by them!
Besides going to meet my JobStreet.com colleagues in Philippines, I am going to get the chance to catch up with Krysty, from CSP5! It has been 4 years since CSP and would definitely cherish the opportunities to meet her there. Thanks, Krysty for coming out to meet up on 31st July.
Just got an email from my former civic tutor (essentially form teacher) at Raffles Junior College, Dr. Ho Weng Kin. Great to hear that Dr. Ho is now back working at Raffles JC! Would definitely looking forward to meet up with Dr. Ho one day.
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Monday, July 28, 2008
Akademi Merdeka 2008
Obtained this from Wan Saiful Wan Jan from Malaysia Think Tank London.
-------------------------------------------------------
Akademi Merdeka 2008.
Do you value the rule of law? Do you wonder if the free market is
socially just? Have you ever wondered what freedom and liberty really
means? Do you want strong liberal democratic institutions in your
country? If so, come to the Freedom Academy series to explore some of
these issues.
University students, graduates, and young professionals from Malaysia,
Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei are invited to attend the first
Freedom Academy which will be held on 22 – 24 August 2008 (Friday –
Sunday) at Residence Hotel, UNITEN, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
We are particularly looking for those sympathetic to, or are curious
about, libertarian and classical liberal ideas.
Come and enjoy the Freedom Academy! You will be challenged
intellectually and you will get an invaluable opportunity to network
with like-minded friends.
Our main instructor is Dr Tom G Palmer, a member of Malaysia Think
Tank London's International Advisory Board.
BURSARIES ARE AVAILABLE ON COMPETITIVE BASIS.
TO ATTEND, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION FORM WHICH CAN BE FOUND
AT: http://www.malaysiathinktank.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=1
Feeding the heart of the city
Thanks to my loyal blog reader.
Quoting from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/27/focus/21634330&sec=focus
_____________________________________________________________________
Have you ever walked past a homeless person and wondered what you
could do to help? If so, join the Kechara Soup Kitchen which actively
goes out to the streets to find them, feed them and befriend them.
IT can't be easy living on the streets. Homelessness – its filth and
its forgotten people – is a subject that most would rather not talk
about, attributing this dire state of affairs to a sometimes mistaken
belief of drug abuse, a criminal mind or pure laziness.
So why then is a group of young Malaysians heading out every Saturday
evening to actively look for them?
The Kechara Soup Kitchen, an independent initiative run by volunteers
of all ages and backgrounds, seeks to bring relief to the streets by
going out twice a week to distribute halal food packets to the
homeless and urban poor with its tagline "Hunger knows no barriers."
Meeting a desperate need
Volunteers pack the food themselves and set out on foot in the early
evening on Wednesdays and Saturdays, rain or shine, to pockets of
Kuala Lumpur like Puduraya, Pudu Market and Chow Kit.
"KSK started off two years ago with only a few people delivering about
20 packets of food. They would just walk for hours looking for
homeless and poor people all over the city," explains KSK director
Chuah Su Ming.
"Now, we're delivering up to 350 packets of food each session and have
better identified the areas which are most populated."
KSK also provides basic first aid or brings those requiring more
serious treatment to a clinic. They also distribute umbrellas,
blankets and clothes and some volunteers even cook extra goodies
themselves to be distributed with the food packets.
"These people have become our friends," shares Chuah.
"We know their stories now, and although it is hard to pinpoint
exactly why most of them are on the streets, we know one thing for
sure – that they're not there by choice."
This poses a controversial question of whether they also feed drug
addicts, thieves and criminals, indirectly encouraging their
behaviour.
"Yes, we do feed all. Our policy is never to give money, but we will
feed anybody who is hungry," explains KSK non-executive director Peter
Nicoll.
"We would never encourage what might be criminal behaviour. Feeding
the homeless is only part of the plan – our aspiration is to make a
connection with them and try to earn their trust by meeting this basic
need of food. By doing so, we're in a better position to identify
those who wish to work and get off the streets. Then we can encourage
them towards rehabilitation and even introduce them back into the
workforce as responsible citizens," he adds.
KSK's long-term vision is to have a permanent base in the city where
the homeless community can go every day for food, a shower and rest.
Running simultaneously with the Soup Kitchen, KSK is also looking to
develop a nurture centre in the suburbs of KL where they hope to
temporarily house those wishing to undergo rehabilitation programmes
and re-enter society. There, training for basic work skills such as
gardening will be provided as well as programmes to assist in
re-integrating them back into the work force and society.
From its humble, small beginnings, KSK has grown exponentially in its
volunteerism, drawing people from very diverse backgrounds. Putting
aside age, occupation, race and religion, they unite in the common
objective of bringing relief and cheer to the less fortunate.
Through its noble efforts, KSK has even attracted the support of
corporate sponsors who sponsor food and help distribute food to those
who need it.
University professors, socialites, students, working professionals,
expatriates and even their visiting friends from as far as Indonesia
and Australia pitch in every week to bring relief to KL's most
forgotten streets
Says volunteer William Lee: "KSK educates that homelessness and
poverty can in fact affect anyone." It addresses a situation that
anyone could potentially find themselves in.
"To make bigger things happen it's important that the cause is
addressed at a grassroots level. Start small and build," adds the
human resource executive.
Jehan Omar, a student from HELP college shares that the experience of
going out with KSK has helped her realise that "we really are ignorant
about lots of things going on close to us."
She and two friends, Mohammad Rushdi Mohd Razif and Nikko Tan Ailynn,
were required to complete a project as part of their course work.
"We decided we would rather take an active part in something. This is
why we came to Kechara Soup Kitchen," says Rushdi.
<B><I></B>Note: The Kechara Soup Kitchen is a registered charitable
NGO under the Malaysian Registration of Societies Ordinance. For more
information on how to participate in Kechara Soup Kitchen's work,
visit <B>www.kskcommunity.org </B>or call Peter Nicoll 012-705 9022,
Chuah Su Ming 012-2911 178.</I>
Syabas to Malaysia Team for International Maths & Physics Olympiad!
Syabas and Congratulations to Malaysian Contingent to International Mathematics Olympiad and International Physics Olympiad. Congrats to the coaches too!
Thanks to Suhaimi and Shien Jin for sharing this good news for International Mathematics Olympiad. Congrats to Zhi Kin for winning our first Silver Medal in International Mathematics Olympiad, as well as Yi Hui, Muhamad Amir, Joshua and Ying Hong for winning Honorable Mention! Suhaimi and Shien Jin were past Bronze Medal winner for Malaysia! Lets hope that we would have a Malaysian won this Gold Medal next year!
You can read from Education Malaysia .
Besides that, Xin Zhao has also won a silver in International Physics Olympiad. You can read it here Congratulations! Congrats to Chow Fu for winning Honorable Mention too! You can get full results here
Quoting fully from Suhaimi's email from Madrid for International Maths Olympiad!
-----
Greetings and Buenos Dias,
The Jury just voted to approve the official scores for IMO 2008, as
well as the medal cutoffs (31 for Gold, 22 for Silver, 15 for Bronze).
Our official result is 1 Silver and 4 Honorable Mentions, with an
unofficial total score of 65 points.
MAS 1
Loke Zhi Kin
5 5 0 7 7 0 =24
Silver Medal
MAS 2
Saw Yihui
7 1 0 1 0 0 =9
HM
MAS 3
Lim Yu Wei
1 1 0 1 1 0 =4
MAS 4
Muhamad Amir Mohd Fadzil
7 0 0 0 0 1 =8
HM
MAS 5
Joshua Lim Kai Tsen
5 1 0 7 0 0 =13
HM
MAS 6
Tham Ying Hong
7 0 0 0 0 0 =7
HM
I'd like to wish my heartfelt congratulations to the team, the
trainers and the IMO 2008 Committee for their hard work. This is by
far the best result for Malaysia in the IMO.
Special congratulations to Loke Zhi Kin for the first ever Silver
medal. This is the first Silver medal for Malaysia not only in IMO,
but in any international science olympiad.
This will be my last dispatch from Madrid (to those who received my
earlier dispatches). Stay tuned for my observer reports to be sent in
due time.
Till then, take care.
Signing off,
--
M. Suhaimi Ramly
Observer with Leader
Malaysia Team to the IMO 2008
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Syabas!!!
-----
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Dr. Randy's Final Lecture
Dr. Ewe Hong Tat passed me a CD of Dr. Randy's final lecture. Thanks to TG Lee for sharing this Youtube link.
Below is Dr Randy's final 90 min lecture in front of students of his
Carnegie Melon University in Sept , 2007. he passed away July 25, 2008
Watch Here
Enjoy!
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Sunday, July 27, 2008
A Saturday - 26th July
Was at Central Market this afternoon with 4 friends from MIT....hahaha...me the odd one out...1 of them came from Myanmar (Myat) and 1 from US-China (Kelly) (originally from China and has been in US for many years) and 2 more Malaysians (Wun Min and Tian Jing)...
At Central Market, they were shopping at a stall, where Anuar Dan produced very interesting art work. Here is the link to his art works.
After that, we had tea at Malay Tea House there (my favourite tea place, although I preferred their branch at FRIM.) One of the tea that we tasted was similar to tomyam taste, although it looked like normal tea.
Just now, 6 of us (Ming Loong, Joe, Hui Hsing, Wun Min, Yang Li and myself) went to Sri Damansara to have crab at Tan Fok Restaurant. It is interesting, where 1kg of crab costs around RM18 to RM20. Very tasty and cheap. We had 3kg of crabs with 3 different cooking style. The price for fried rice is a little overboard though. RM24 for fried rice...hahaha...
Next time, we should only order crab.
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Human Development Report 2008
------
In a Foreword of the Human Development Reports 2008, UNDP Administrator
Kemal Dervis, says, "The last year held great promise for developing
countries in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
<http://www.undp.org/mdg/> (MDGs) and other development objectives. In
early 2007, the world economy was still in its third year of
exceptionally rapid growth, progress which has had a positive impact on
poverty reduction in general, and on the performance of the least
developed countries, in particular sub-Saharan African countries grew,
on average, at more than six percent in 2007. Robust growth in a number
of large developing countries, led by China, India and other members of
the "emerging South," gave further proof that rapid advancement towards
reducing poverty and achieving the MDGs is possible.
"By mid-2007, however, it was clear that developing countries would have
to respond to a great deal of uncertainty in the global economy. The
spread of the United States sub-prime mortgage crisis into a serious
financial sector crisis affecting the US and Europe, together with
serious concerns about the sharp slowdown in the advanced economies, in
the US economy in particular, now threatens to turn into a major setback
for poverty reduction. For many countries, the situation has been made
much worse by the soaring price of energy and food. Moreover, the
unavoidable expansionary macroeconomic policies that have been used to
respond to the financial sector problem have created inflationary
pressures throughout the world economy. Additionally, most donors are
now not on track to meet the commitments they made to scale up
development assistance and will need to make exceptional increases to
meet the targets they have agreed for 2010.
"The nature of today's global economy highlights our interdependence and
the need for much better global policies. Yet each country also has to
address its own particular set of challenges."
Click the link to download Human Development Report 2008:
http://www.undp.org/publications/annualreport2008/pdf/IAR2008_ENG_low.pdf
------------------------------------
ASIAN YOUTH COUNCIL
Email : asiayouth@asiayouth.org
Blog : http://www.asiayouth.blogspot.com
AYC is an NGO in consultative status with the United Nations' Economic
and Social Commission.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
China Synergy Programme Newsletter
Calling all CSPers, (China Synergy Programme For Outstanding Youth) people, to sign up for CSP Newsletter!!! It's here .
To all CSP5, we still have a long way to go to get everyone to sign up!!!
Right now, the stats is so:-
From CSP1: 4
From CSP2: 14
From CSP3: 43
From CSP4: 56
From CSP5: 64
From CSP6: 61
From CSP7: 95
From CSP8: 73
From CSP9: 154
Total: 564
We are in front of CSP6 lar... Hooray!
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Asia-Europe Training for Young Volunteers
Dear colleagues,
I am forwarding an email received from Asia-Europe Foundation. If you
are from ASEM countries, this is an opportunity for you to take part in
the ASEF training program. Please take a look at the attached
information. Should you are interested, please contact the organizers
directly.
Norizan Bin Sharif
Executive Secretary
Asian Youth Council
Dear friends,
We are pleased to inform you about our upcoming event, the *Asia-Europe
Training for Young Volunteers, "Learning the Unimaginable" -
Volunteering as a Tool for Mutual Understanding*, which will take place
from the *9*^*th* * to the 15*^*th* * of October 2008, in Ha Long, Vietnam.*
The project is co-organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and
Volunteers for Peace Vietnam (VPV).
The training will bring together up to 30 motivated youth trainers and
leaders active in the area of youth, training, capacity building and
non-formal education (aged between 18 and 30), from any of the ASEM
countries, who are already active in a youth organisation and willing to
remain, as volunteers or staff, for at least one year. Fluency in
English is essential. Background information on the event, including the
draft programme and the criteria for participation have been enclosed
for your perusal.
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further inquiries.
Yours sincerely,
Bogdan Imre
*************************************
Bogdan Imre (Mr)
Project Officer
People-to-People Exchange
Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
31 Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Singapore, 119595
Tel: +65.68749737
Fax: +65.68721206
Email: mailto:bogdan.imre%40asef.org
Website: http://www.asef.org/ <http://www.asef.org/>
Email : asiayouth@asiayouth.org
Blog : http://www.asiayouth.blogspot.com/
AYC is an NGO in consultative status with the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Lifelong Learning Debate on 1st August
Quoting from from Huy Sean .
----
全民辩翻天--民意大过天
以《一虎一席谈》的模式为蓝本，《全民辩翻天》广邀各界人士，包括从政者、专家学者、名人及公众针对热门时事课题交流，表达看法。你有你立场，我有我看法。无论是针锋相对，还是观念激荡，我们强调求同存异。在《全民辩翻天》，必是民意大过天。
论坛进行方式：
1． 模仿凤凰卫视《一虎一席谈》的进行方式。
2． 策划小组与主持人决定主题。再依据主题设计一系列的讨论题目。
3． 首先，由主持人（胡一虎先生）介绍论坛的主题及背景资料解说 （若条件许可，可播放相关的资料）。
4． 接着支持的一方由一名嘉宾发表支持意见，然后反对的一方也有一名嘉宾发表反对意见。双方有短暂的交锋辩论。
5． 针对两位嘉宾的言论，坐在第二圈的出席者（特邀观众）给与投票（支持/反对）。主持人将点名由谁发言。台上的嘉宾可以针对发言进行维护或反驳。
6． 接着支持的一方由第二位嘉宾上台发言，反对方亦然。
7． 针对刚上台的两位嘉宾，第二圈的出席者会进行第二轮投票，主持人选出从中发言者。台上的嘉宾可以进行论点维护或反驳。
8． 可考虑开放给到场的观众在这个环节发问。
9． 主持人做出总结。
日期：2008年8月1日（星期五）
时间：7:30pm-9.30pm
地点：吉隆坡马华大厦三楼视听室
主持：胡渐彪
嘉宾：
第1轮 蔡添强（Batu国会议员）VS 拿汀巴杜卡周美芬（马华妇女组署理主席）
第2轮 迦玛Jamaluddin VS 胡逸山博士
详情请游览终身学习网站：www.lll.net.my/chinese
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Obama's speech in Berlin
Thanks to CK Ng for forwarding this to Malaysia Forum Mailing List. It
is an inspiring speech!
------
For those who missed this amazing and inspirational speech,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAhb06Z8N1c
and, the text is found here:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaroadblog/gGxyd4
"A World that Stands as One"
July 24th, 2008
Berlin, Germany
Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let
me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for
welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin
Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.
I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before.
Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a
citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen
of the world.
I know that I don't look like the Americans who've previously spoken
in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My
mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up
herding goats in Kenya. His father – my grandfather – was a cook, a
domestic servant to the British.
At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others
in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning – his dream –
required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he
wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until
somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life.
That is why I'm here. And you are here because you too know that
yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And
you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and
women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle,
and sacrifice for that better life.
Ours is a partnership that truly began sixty years ago this summer, on
the day when the first American plane touched down at Templehof.
On that day, much of this continent still lay in ruin. The rubble of
this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow had swept
across Eastern Europe, while in the West, America, Britain, and France
took stock of their losses, and pondered how the world might be
remade.
This is where the two sides met. And on the twenty-fourth of June,
1948, the Communists chose to blockade the western part of the city.
They cut off food and supplies to more than two million Germans in an
effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin.
The size of our forces was no match for the much larger Soviet Army.
And yet retreat would have allowed Communism to march across Europe.
Where the last war had ended, another World War could have easily
begun. All that stood in the way was Berlin.
And that's when the airlift began – when the largest and most unlikely
rescue in history brought food and hope to the people of this city.
The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog
filled the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without
dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were
filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold.
But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope
burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day,
hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and
heard the city's mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom.
"There is only one possibility," he said. "For us to stand together
united until this battle is won…The people of Berlin have spoken. We
have done our duty, and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the
world: now do your duty…People of the world, look at Berlin!"
People of the world – look at Berlin!
Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together
and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on
the field of battle.
Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity
of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory
over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to
defend our common security.
Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber
stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never
forget our common humanity.
People of the world – look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a
continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge
too great for a world that stands as one.
Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has
led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you,
the German people, tore down that wall – a wall that divided East and
West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope – walls came tumbling down
around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed,
and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the
spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity
and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a
common destiny, the 21st has revealed a world more intertwined than at
any time in human history.
The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness
has given rise to new dangers – dangers that cannot be contained
within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean.
The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in
Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe
on American soil.
As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the
ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and
bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya.
Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets
from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in
Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The
poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The
genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.
In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster
than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be
divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat
such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape
responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks
and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if
we're honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of
the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny.
In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our
world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too
common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the
importance of Europe's role in our security and our future. Both views
miss the truth – that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and
taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that
just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend
the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice
greatly for freedom around the globe.
Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt,
there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global
citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in
Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans
and Europeans alike will be required to do more – not less.
Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the
one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our
common humanity.
That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide
us from one another.
The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot
stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with
the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives
and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now
are the walls we must tear down.
We know they have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people
of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity. Here, at the
base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center
of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but
they have come down in Belfast, where Protestant and Catholic found a
way to live together; in the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance
ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice; and in South
Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid.
So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is
never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work
and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of
development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies
who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all,
trust each other.
That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot
turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the
time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that
bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together,
through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice,
and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the
21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in
the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today.
And this is the moment when our nations – and all nations – must
summon that spirit anew.
This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of
extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink
from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face
down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to
dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London
and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of
ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of
Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.
This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the
terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the
traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I
recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country
and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO's first mission beyond
Europe's borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for
our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this
alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support
and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their
economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at
stake to turn back now.
This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without
nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the
wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have
built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand
idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to
secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear
weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the
moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without
nuclear weapons.
This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to
choose its own tomorrow free from the shadows of yesterday. In this
century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the security and
prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand abroad. In this
century – in this city of all cities – we must reject the Cold War
mind-set of the past, and resolve to work with Russia when we can, to
stand up for our values when we must, and to seek a partnership that
extends across this entire continent.
This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets
have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a
cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be
able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many.
Together, we must forge trade that truly rewards the work that creates
wealth, with meaningful protections for our people and our planet.
This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all.
This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the
Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in
sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear
ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for
democracy, and the Israelis and Palestinians who seek a secure and
lasting peace. And despite past differences, this is the moment when
the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild
their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government
and finally bring this war to a close.
This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet.
Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the
oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our
lands. Let us resolve that all nations – including my own – will act
with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce
the carbon we send into our atmosphere. This is the moment to give
our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one.
And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in
a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this
city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the
planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they
delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that
show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory.
They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust – not just from
the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of
what they did here.
Now the world will watch and remember what we do here – what we do
with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the
forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity
and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in
Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the
scourge of AIDS in our time?
Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the
blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to
the words "never again" in Darfur?
Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the
one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture
and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from
different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don't look
like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and
opportunity for all of our people?
People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time.
I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled
to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people.
We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions
around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.
But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two
centuries, we have strived – at great cost and great sacrifice – to
form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful
world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or
kingdom – indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every
culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed
in our public squares. What has always united us – what has always
driven our people; what drew my father to America's shores – is a set
of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can
live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds
and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.
These are the aspirations that joined the fates of all nations in this
city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart.
It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is
because of these aspirations that all free people – everywhere –
became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that
a new generation – our generation – must make our mark on the world.
People of Berlin – and people of the world – the scale of our
challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before
you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a
people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with
resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our
destiny, and remake the world once again.
========================================================================
Going Phillipines 29th July to 1st August
Finally, I would be entering my 4th ASEAN Countries, after Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand (that too is just Thailand border)... I would be going over to Phillipines next week, from 29th July to 1st August.
It is going to be exciting! Would be attending JobStreet.com School Administrator Career Congress for Phillipines!
This would be my first overseas trip for JobStreet.com ! Feel so happy to get this chance. Would make full use of it to learn the most, and try my best to bring up the performance of JobStreet Campus for Phillipines too!
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Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sabrina's First Article in Businessweek
Sabrina Chan, a student at Tufts is a reporter for Business Week and she has successfully published her first full article!
You can read it here
Congrats, Sabrina! Looking forward to read more articles of yours!
Full article quoted as follow:-
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Chinese Tourists Spend Big in Hong Kong
Powered by a strong yuan, mainlanders are flocking to Hong Kong, which has no sales tax, to snap up luxury goods and visit theme parks
by Sabrina Chan
Shopping in Hong Kong can be quite a workout for twentysomething Lucia Jiao. Carrying four heavy bags filled with bags and clothes bought from Gucci (GUCG) and Christian Dior, the advertising executive from Shanghai will "spend until my credit cards max out," she says as she heads into a Louis Vuitton shop in Central, the city's trendy financial and luxury shopping district.
Turn to your left and right in any high-end store in Central, and chances are you will see Chinese tourists like Jiao, for whom the plunge in the U.S. dollar has made Hong Kong an even more attractive destination. The yuan, China's currency, has appreciated 9.7% against the greenback in the past 12 months. Since Hong Kong's dollar is linked to the U.S. currency, China's nouveaux riches find their money goes further now in the former British colony.
Easily spotted from across the mall, the typical mainland Chinese shopper is usually decked out in an outfit of matching color and matching brand and carrying possibly five or more shopping bags from the most expensive stores. Many are repeat visitors. Bernice Yang, a 24-year-old university student, travels to Hong Kong from nearby Shenzhen in China at least once a month to spend around $500 a pop on branded clothes, cosmetics, and bags. Since Hong Kong has no sales tax, she says, luxury goods can be 10%-20% cheaper than in China, which raised its taxes on cosmetics from 20% to 50% last year.
Favoring Luxury Goods
While it's obvious the number of Chinese shoppers in Hong Kong has been growing steadily for years, drawn by the greater supply of goods and the absence of sales tax, more recently visitors like Yang are making their presence felt more strongly in the retail sector. According to figures released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, during the first half of 2008, same-day visitors made up close to half of all visitor arrivals from mainland China this year, up from 41% last year. In the same period, same-day visitors from China also increased by a stunning 22.2% compared to a paltry 3.1% increase in overnight visitors, who make up the rest of all visitor arrivals.
While overnight visitors mostly consist of tourists who spend their time touring Hong Kong and visiting friends and relatives, most of these same-day travelers come to Hong Kong with the specific purpose of spending. That's one reason single-day Chinese tourists had the highest per capita spending in 2007 with an average of $235, up 19% from the year before.
Visitors from the mainland who stay for a few days have doubled in the past five years and have made up around 55% of all overnight visitor arrivals from different market regions every year since 2003. Overnight visitors' per-capita spending from China grew 10%, to $665 last year. Although that number is 10% less than that of American tourists (who lead the spending list), the Chinese visitors tend to stay in less expensive hotels and dedicate more of their spending to luxury goods, devoting a substantial 73% of their outlay to shopping—the highest among all market regions. "An average customer from China who comes into our store can spend thousands or even millions," says Nelson Wan, an assistant manager in Central's Chow Tai Fook, a Hong Kong-based jewelry franchise popular with mainland visitors. About 35% of Chow Tai Fook's business comes from Chinese tourists and the company has seen approximately 30% growth in sales to these Chinese tourists last year.
Many mainland visitors are increasingly entering Hong Kong individually rather than in tourist groups. Before Beijing's Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) begun in July 2003, the Chinese government allowed mainlanders to enter Hong Kong only in tour groups or for business. In 2003, just 7.8% of all Chinese visitors entered Hong Kong through the IVS, but in 2007 that number grew to 55% of visitors.
Theme parks popular
Luxury shopping outlets are not the only beneficiaries. Popular theme park destination Ocean Park Hong Kong has also seen an increase in travelers from mainland China in the last few years. Although the mainlanders consistently make up 45% of all Ocean Park visitors, their attendance hit a high of 2.25 million last year, up 70% from 2003, the year the IVS was first implemented. At Hong Kong Disneyland, the number of mainland Chinese bringing their families peaks at more than 50% of total attendance during the Chinese New Year school holidays, says a Hong Kong Disneyland spokesperson.
Hong Kong also has a variety of luxury boutiques, five-star hotels, and exclusive restaurants that cater to the rapidly growing coterie of the affluent in China (BusinessWeek.com, 07/02/08). "A lot more travelers are comfortable traveling here by themselves," explains Catherine Scown, director of marketing at the luxury Four Seasons Hotel in Central. While most mainlanders still tend to stay in tourist hotels, Scown predicts the Chinese market for five-star hotels will see an increase of 10%-20% in the next year.
Many businesses are making plans to accommodate the growing group of visitors by making sure their employees are conversant in Mandarin in addition to English and Cantonese. The Peninsula Hotel has recently gone so far as to woo wealthy mainlanders by taking its marketing road shows to China to promoting its latest happenings.
Sabrina Chan is a reporter for BusinessWeek in Hong Kong.
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Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
Research Fellow with NTU
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Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - a research-intensive
university with English as the medium of instruction and located in
the modern city of Singapore – has tenure track faculty positions with
generous research funding for your postdoctoral research associates.
There are two schemes:
1. National Research Foundation Research Fellow cum Nanyang
Assistant/Associate Professor @ NTU, with up to US$1.5 million
research grant:
<<NRF Poster.pdf>>
Up to 10 positions available annually.
2. Nanyang Assistant Professor @NTU, with up to SGD$1 million research grant:
<<NAP Poster.pdf>>
Up to 10 positions available annually.
We would be grateful if you would encourage them to apply. Closing
date is September 30, 2008 at 5pm (Singapore time).
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Ms Michelle Teo
Assistant Manager
College of Science
Nanyang Technological University
E-mail: glteo@ntu.edu.sg
Tel: +65 6513 8467
Fax: +65 6515 8229
Dim Sum Buffet
Lysha told me about this place before, and today, saw it thorugh
another mailing list. Maybe should check it out one day!
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Oriental Spoon
No. 1-5, Sooka Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
1 Jul - 10 Aug, 2008
Weekend Dim Sum Buffet (Halal)
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays
11.30 am – 3.00 pm
Kindly call to make reservations (Tel: 03 2261 3222)
RM18.80+ (Adult)
RM9.80+ (Child below 10 years old)
(Minimum 2 Persons)
蒸點心
STEAMED DIM SUM
黑椒羊仔骨
Black Pepper Short Ribs
帶子干蒸賣
Steamed 'Siew Mai' with Fresh Scallops
過海蝦餃皇
Steamed Prawns Dumpling – 'Har Gau'
金醬蒸鳳爪
Steamed Chicken Feet with Homemade Sauce
海皇珍珠雞
Steamed Glutinous Rice with Pacific Clam and Chicken
雞肉叉燒包
Steamed Chicken Paste Buns
菠菜像生包
Steamed Spinach Buns with Sesame Paste
腐皮牛肉球
Steamed Beef Balls in Beancurd Skin
木魚花蘿蔔糕
Steamed Radish Cake with Bonito Flakes
桂花糠蓮藕
Poached Lotus Root with 'Gui Hua' Syrup
煎, 炸點心
FRIED DIM SUM
鳳巢竽角
Deep Fried Yam Dumpling
家鄉煎貼餃
Potsticker Dumpling
家鄉竽頭糕
Pan Fried Yam Cake
雞絲炸春卷
Deep Fried Spring Rolls with Chicken Floss
DELICACIES
蘿蔔燜牛腩
Stewed Beef with White Radish
燒汁茄子
Egg Plant with BBQ Sauce
酸辣雲飩
Hot and Sour Wanton
順德釀涼瓜
Stuffed Bitter Gourd with Fish Paste
Stir Fried Seasonal Vegetables with Garlic
Fried Rice with Silver Fish
Cantonese Fried Kway Teow
腸粉, 粥
RICE ROLLS AND CONGEE
金粟叉燒腸
Steamed Rice Rolls with Minced Chicken and Sweet Corn
老火皮蛋雞絲粥
Shredded Chicken and Century Eggs Congee
甜點
DESSERT
冬瓜冰肉酥
Puff Pastry with Winter Melon Paste
蛋撻
Egg Tart
果凍啤梨
Chilled Strawberry Pudding
Double boiled Water Chestnut with White Fungus
Map location here
All dim sum items are Halal certified
No wastage
Not inclusive of 10% service charge
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Public Speaking and Media Relations
Last weekend, thanks to Lifelong Learning , I get the chance to go for 2-day training camp by The Voice Academy .
It was seminar on Public Speaking and Media Relations.
It is great that the instructor shared with us many tips on that, from how to conduct press conference, how to handle podium, how to speak, intonation, voice control, body language, the needs by those reporters, how to face tv screen etc. It was definitely interesting and great learning!
Some of the key learnings.
1. 55% of the Golden ratio of public speaking is actually body language, with 38% on intonation and only 7% on the content! Yet, we need the content to speak..
2. Major skills in presentation - stressing point, where to stop, intonation, rhythm and who is the audience.
3. Main things that public speaker should avoid - fabricate content/avoid questions, hide from reporters, don't dare to say "I don't know", do not be too friend with reporters, do not be against reporters, do not say "I can't tell you", do not try to control reporters, do not ask reporters for source of news, do not memorize texts.
Hopefully, these would be good teasers to begin with. :) To know more, go and take the lessons lor... hahaha...
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Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
The Ten Commandments For Business Failure by Donald Keough
Yesterday, while I was at Kinokuniya at KLCC waiting for a friend, I was browsing the book. Really enjoyed the time I get to spend in book store, just that I haven't been doing that frequently.. :(
Saw a book near the entrance of Kinokuniya. The title is "The Ten Commandments For Business Failure" by Donald Keough, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Coca-Cola. You can see the book from Amazon .
Somehow this book is not even released in US yet. It is going to be released on 24th July 2008, but somehow Kinokuniya did have it already.
It is an interesting book, where Donald shared on 10 (or in fact 11) characteristics that would most likely cause business to fail. He tried to argue that there is no formula for success, but there is formula for failure.
I am going to share the 10 (+1) key points he highlighted, which is sure to doom on business.
1. Quit taking risk
2. Be inflexible
3. Isolate yourself
4. Assume infallability
5. Play game close to foul line
6. Don't take time to think
7. Put faith in consultants
8. Love bureaucracy
9. Send mixed message
10. Be afraid of future
11. Lose passion for work & life
It is interesting to read that Donald Keough actually lived across the street from Warren Buffett, both in the little town of Omaha. Two billionaires and world renowned figure across the road.
Donald talked about how he had good mentor since his early stage of career. And how his CEO (when he was President and COO), delegated task to him, but in the end, never delegated the CEO position to him...hahaha...
It is a refreshing reading for this book, and I am just half way done...So guess, this weekend, I have to get myself to book store again to read. :)
If any of you have read this book, do share your thoughts!
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Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Rambling
It has been quite some time, since I really blogged. Sharing my own personal thoughts, rather than merely sharing useful info (I hope it is useful) that I got from others.
This might have made my blog less personal. :(
Today, a good friend of mine was telling me that she preferred my previous blog at xanga, where I blogged on myself, rather than merely on information blog. I thought through and agreed. Yes, my blog has gotten so much more impersonal.
I'm not sure how much I could blog about myself, but I promise myself that I would try. At least share more on my personal thoughts on things, rather than just posting. But often, due to time factor, I just forward it out..
For this post, I would look back at my last 3 months of my life. Time flies. It has been almost 3 months since I joined JobStreet.com . It has been great fun working there, and I would say that it is very rewarding. Really enjoy the responsibility and trust given by the management and colleagues there. I would never imagine myself getting such opportunities to work on many interesting projects. Everyday is a very engaging day there.
I would definitely credit Accenture for giving me very good training for the past 2.5 years, so that I am able to do my work now. So, the hard work definitely comes to something. :)
Besides work, I would say that recently I do make quite a lot of good friends through P&G Business Challenge Week . Definitely meet quite a number of very sincere and friendly people there, and that definitely make me feel much more younger. Haha..
Olympic Games is coming, so definitely would like to hope that our national contingent of 33 athletes could really perform! The incentive of RM1 Million for Gold Medal and RM5,000 (if I don't remember wrongly) of monthly allowance throughout life, would be a great motivation!
This edition of Olympic Games, I would say that our badminton (Chong Wei and even Mew Choo) could stand a good chance, and of course, our cyclist (Azizul, Josiah etc) and also our archers. For the first time, we have 3 sports that our athletes have a fighting chance of securing medals. And taekwando has some outside chances too.
I would predict that we can return with 2 medals of any colour. That would be good, since in the history of Olympic Games, we only brought back 3 medals (1 bronze in 1992 and then 1 silver and 1 bronze in 1996, and we had dry spell for the last 2 edition.
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Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!
Notepads for Charity! - pls forward to all & support poor kidney patients
Specially Designed Notepads
Its back! by popular demand.
Renowned cartoonist Reggie Lee has drawn 8 different cartoon designs which are now available on notepads,
sold at only RM 4.00 each.
If you are kind enough to purchase by sets (1 set = 8 different designs),
You would only need to pay RM 30.00.
All proceeds will go towards sustaining the operational cost of our 12 dialysis centres nationwide.
For enquiries and Orders:
Please contact Kenneth Koh from the Fundraising Department
at 03-2142 1166 or email KohWeeTiong@maa.com.my
- We will issue tax exemption receipt for purchases of more than 10 sets.
- For a minimum order of 500 notepads we can customize the notepads with your company logo
Copyright and exclusivity exists in this material; therefore no copies (in whole or part thereof) or reproductions may be made to any media whatsoever, without the implicit written authority of the owner hereof.
thank you & regards
kenneth koh
CARAM Asia internship programme now available for students
Thanks to my blog reader for submitting this.
This is quoted from
http://www.bangkit.net/2008/07/20/caram-asia-internship-programme-now-available-for-students/\
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CARAM Asia's internship programme aims to develop a human rights
perspective and deepen the understanding of interns on the issues of
migration and health.
More specifically, this will afford them the opportunity to acquire
practical experience of work in NGOs and civil society while learning
different advocacy, campaigning, researching and networking skills.
We welcome highly motivated candidates with keen interest to advocate
for the migrant communities. This internship can also be used for
academic accreditation purposes but interns will have to apply
individually with their university to obtain accreditation for their
work while CARAM Asia can assist in acknowledging the intern's work
with us.
Internships with us are not paid. Applicants are advised to seek
financial support independently. However for interns from overseas our
staff may give suggestions on accommodation.
Interested candidates should contact our Regional Coordinator, Cynthia
Gabriel: cynt…@caramasia.org <cynthia%40caramasia.org>
Thank you.
Best Regards,
Vivian Chong
Information & Communication Officer
CARAM Asia
8th Floor, Wisma MLS,
31 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman,
50100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: 603-2697-0708 | 603-2697-0219
Fax:603-2697-0282
www.caramasia.org
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Biz Leaders List Top Energy Efficiency Strategies
July 15, 2008
Biz Leaders List Top Energy Efficiency Strategies
Business and government executives from across the U.S. recently swapped ideas on energy efficiency, Forbes reports .
Some of the ideas shared were: create a baseline to measure patterns in energy use; lobby corporate leadership to focus on efficiency; and tap into young people's awareness of energy concerns as a means to attract talent.
Forbes wrote up a list of 10 money-saving efficiencies that the group came up with:
1. Lighting Improvements
Compact Fluorescent lamps, which lasts up to 15,000 hours longer than the standard bulb, can save up to 75 percent in energy costs.
2. Reducing Vehicle Idling
By not letting vehicles idle, UPS saves about $190 per driver per year. And with more than 90,000 drivers under its wings, that about $ 17.1 million in savings.
3. Building Orientation
Buildings facing north-south instead of east-west can reduce energy consumption by as much as 20 percent. "E" or "H" shaped offices maximizes sunlight and window area, reducing light costs. While long, thin buildings maximize natural ventilation.
4. Green Roofing
Reduce cooling costs by planting green roofs to soak up sunlight during the day. Light-colored roofs can also reduce cooling expenses by about 40 percent because it reflects light.
5. Water Recycling
Industrial cooling to irrigation can be taken care of with reused or treated water.
6. Maximizing Thermal Efficiency
Save as much as 40 percent on thermal heating costs by maximizing the efficiencies of the entire production line instead of individual components. Operate furnaces and boilers at or close to design capacity. Restricting loose air used for combustion will lead to heat savings.
7. Bicycles
Use bikes as a form of transportation. This will reduce traffic and carbon emissions. In 2007 Paris made more than 20,000 bicycles available to subscribers, similar pilot programs are also planned in the U.S.
8. Energy Auditing
Have your building audited for wasteful energy to determine what efficiency improvements are needed. Reducing drafts alone can save around 30 percent in energy costs per year.
9. Driving the Speed Limit
Drive slow, fast driving wastes gas. Keeping tires properly inflated could also improve gas mileage by about 3 percent. Keeping the car light by emptying out unwanted items from the truck can also improve the car's efficiency.
10. Lobbying
Lobby congressmen to renew policies such as the federal tax credits for residential energy efficiency improvements, which expired at the end of 2007.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Conference on Urban Poverty and Low Income Groups
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Dear Loyal CPPS supporters,
The Centre for Public Policy Studies recently co-organized a
conference on Urban Poverty and Low Income Groups. Here is the
link to the report and recommendations derived from the one day
conference, as well as the Urban Poverty Factsheet that CPPS has
compiled.
(http://www.cpps.org.my/sub_page.aspx?catID=398&ddlID=401)
Thank you for your continued support of CPPS. Together we can
help create a better Malaysia for all Malaysians.
Sincerely,
The CPPS Staff
Cornell Social Entrepreneurship Interest Group
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Hi all, last year the Cornell Entrepreneur Network (CEN) featured four events under the banner "Doing Well by Doing Good." (12/3/08, 3/31/08, 4/17/08 and, 4/23/08) As a result, we've had an avalanche of correspondence from alumni asking us to help them network more on this theme.
After examining Cornell's strengths and the interests of alumni and students, we've landed on the term Social Entrepreneurship to define this genre of activity.
According to Wikipedia, a Social Entrepreneur is "someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a social entrepreneur assesses success in terms of the impact s/he has on society. While social entrepreneurs often work through nonprofits and citizen groups, many work in the private and governmental sectors."
To help Cornellians network in this space we've created our newest Google group: Cornell Social Entrepreneurship Interest Group. This is a place for alumni, students, faculty, and staff, to exchange ideas, advertise events, and connect. Whether you work in a large for-profit company, a small non-profit, or have made the plunge from napkin to business plan, we hope you'll find this group useful.
To sign up, visit Cornell Social Entrepreneurship Interest Group
I'll hope to CU on-line soon!
Regards,
Shannon
The following event is not a CEN event but may be of interest to many.
Cornell University New York City Network
A Network for Change
TUESDAY, JULY 22, 2008 AT 6 P.M.
City Year New York
20 West 22nd Street 3rd Floor (between 5th & 6th Ave)
New York, New York
Join fellow Cornell students, alumni and representatives from New York City Nonprofit and Government agencies for a unique night of networking. Learn how fellow Cornellians have made their way in New York City leading some of the most innovative and effective programming and tackling some of New York's biggest challenges. Expand your network by meeting others working in the field of social change. The most exciting city in the world, is doing some of the most exciting work in the nonprofit sector - learn how you can get involved!
Panelists Include:
Kate MacKenzie '00: Director, Program Development and Policy, City Harvest
Maria Torres '93: President & Chief Operating Officer, The Point
Drew Warshaw '03: Chief of Staff, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Itai Dinour '01: Moderator, Executive Director, City Year New York
Please respond by July 17th to Carol Rundle at car7@cornell.edu, or by phoning 607.255.1148.
This event is sponsored by: The Cornell Public Service Center, City Year New York, Cornell Urban Scholars Program, Cornell Urban Mentors Initiative, Cornell Urban Semester Program and Cornell Career Services.
Shannon Murray '94
Director Cornell Silicon Valley
csv.cornell.edu
cen.cornell.edu
shannon.murray@cornell.edu
650.755.9711
Entrepreneurship@Cornell
Join CEN's New Networking List
Join Cornell's linkedin group
Join the "Cornell Entrepreneur Network" group on Facebook
Watch Quality CU Video
eclips.cornell.edu
cybertower.cornell.edu
cornell.edu/video/
Search Cornell's Alumni Directory at directory.alumni.cornell.edu
Invitation to Malaysia Festival of the Mind III
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|
We are pleased to inform you that MMLM will be organising the Malaysia Festival of the Mind III in August 2008. The event will be officiated by YB Dato' Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.
These are the 5 W's of the Festival:
When ? 1 – 3 August 2008 (Friday – Sunday), 9:30am – 5:00 pm
Where ? Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 11, Jalan 13/6, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Why Festival of the Mind ? To provide Malaysians, from all walks of life, the opportunity to train and enhance their brain capabilities.
What are the highlights of the Festival ? Public talks, exhibition, memory demonstrations, 3D mind drawing workshops, TranceFormation® Corner, books, mind related activities, etc. The activities include training on memory skills, creativity, mind mapping, speed reading, thinking skills and more.
Who can attend? Everyone – students, teachers, working adults, senior citizens … Admission is FREE. No prior registration is required.
For more information, please log on to www.utar.edu.my or email MMLMMALAYSIA@YAHOO.COM. Bring along your family members and friends to this exciting Festival!
See you there! This is not a spam message. You received this email because you previously attended or have enquired on MMLM activities. If you do not wish to receive any news or activities related to MMLM in future, kindly reply with the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE" to this email. |
Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
Oon Yeoh's Latest ICT columns
Oon Yeoh's articles on ICT
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Will Powerset give Microsoft the edge?
When I wrote about an interesting new "natural-language" search engine called Powerset in May, I ended my article by saying, "Perhaps, Google should just buy it up. Perhaps, that's just what Powerset wants."
A new mindset for the conceptual age
The first time I met Jason Lo, several years ago, he was a musician and I was a journalist. Today, somehow, we've ended up in the telco industry. He's the CEO of Tune Talk and I'm a senior research scientist at Telenor.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Vacancy at Force of Nature Aid Foundation
Thanks to my loyal blog reader for this article.
Please email us your resume directly at jobs@forceofnature.org
Volunteer Wanted For Centre For Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia (CETDEM)
Interested persons may call Ms Tan at 03-7875 7767 or email of@cetdem.org.my.
Invitation to join Green Living Committee (MNS)
The Green Living SIG is now entering its 3rd year of existence and active participation in MNS outreach work! I would like to invite other volunteers and members to join the Green Living SIG Sub-Committee so that there will be a greater diversity of ideas and opinions and opportunity for a change of leadership.
The SIG Coordinator's duties include:
1. Coming up with a monthly article for the Green Living column in the Pencinta Alam newsletter.
2. Responding to members' inquiries on environmental practices and choices.
3. Assisting members who wish to initiate Recycling / 3R programmes at their workplaces / educational institutions.
4. Setting up a Green Living exhibition and activity booth during MNS events (for example, Members' Day, Raptor Watch, Kota Damansara Community Forest Merdeka Celebrations) and environment-themed events conducted by other organisations for which MNS has been invited to set up booths and coordinate activities (for example, The Star – FRIM World Environment Day, Garden International School's Malaysian Animal Awareness Day).
5. Delivering talks and presentations at MNS events (for example, New Members' Day) and non-MNS events (for example, National Recycling Week).
6. Conducting and coordinating educational programmes such as the Green Living Eco Kids Camp (at KDCF and Bukit Gasing) and as a tie-in with other MNS activities and events such as the Marine SIG's seahorse monitoring trip at the Pulai River Estuary.
7. Preparing reference and resource materials for use by consumers, students and laypersons (for example, the Green Living handbook and the 3R poster-handout prepared at the request of the Ministry of Housing and Local Govt in conjunction with the National Recycling Week).
8. Representing MNS and the Green Living SIG at conferences and forums (for example, the Sustainable Living in Malaysia Conference 2007 and the CETDEM CACCET project).
9. Preparing multimedia presentations for talks and delivering the presentations at the premises of corporate bodies and community groups.
10. Planning and preparing games, contests and activities (for example, the 3R Game, the Climate Change Action Survey) that will further the cause of environmental education among members of the public.
11. Raising funds through donations (for example, through the sale of used books) and through speaking engagements and activities conducted for corporations and social clubs.
Please join the Sub-Committee if you:
1. Are able to contribute to any of the above, both as an initiator and a volunteer.
2. Have ideas on how to improve Green Living's management, operation and service.
3. Read widely on environmental issues and have articles to contribute.
4. Are creative and can design and create charts, posters, display/ educational materials or Powerpoint presentations.
5. Enjoy public speaking and can render talks and presentations on environment-related topics to a largely lay audience, including during other SIGs' trips and events.
6. Are able to assist community or school groups in kickstarting their own Green Living projects, contests and campaigns.
7. Have administrative skills and are willing to assist with correspondence, financial records and minutes of meetings, if any.
8. Are able to plan trips for MNS members, 'recce' proposed destinations (e.g. organic farms, eco resorts etc) and coordinate the trip.
The Green Living SIG will not be holding meetings unless when training or preparation is necessary for a trip or event. All discussions will take place by e-mail, and all decisions will be made with the consensus of all sub-committee members. There is no compulsion for any sub-committee member to attend any event, volunteer for any activity or meet any deadlines. All duties will be undertaken in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation and if any sub-committee member is indisposed or overburdened, all others will step in to assist.
Please send me the following details if you are interested in joining the Sub-Committee:
1. Your full name. 2. Telephone number(s) 3. E-mail address(es)
Thank you for your concern for the environment!
Ee Lynn - For the Green Living SIG
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Genting "Go Green" Trailblazer 2008: volunteers needed!
Working hand in hand with MNS, the Genting Trailblazer has committed to minimise the impact on the environment by implementing several "Go Green" measures including the prohibiting the use of plastic bottles, sustainable methods of preparation and implementation of the race, perusing eco-friendly products and conducting green forums and talks.
We are calling for volunteers who want be a part of this event to write to us at trailblazer@genting.com.
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