John Lee, a student at Dartmouth College has blogged on whether our students are ready for the real world. His blog post is at Education Malaysia .
I personally think that we can all work together to share on tips on how to write good CVs etc. Hopefully, we can gradually help match Malaysians better, and indirectly grow the GDP.
Recently, JobStreet.com launched its Forum for Career & Education . Do go there and share on various of such tips!!!
Below is the quote of the article by John!
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Preparing for the Real World?
Let's put aside the academic and intellectual side of education for the moment, and focus on something more basic: basic communications skills. No matter how good a thinker you are, if you can't communicate those thoughts you will have a hard time, both in academia and the professional world. Wherever you end up, you need to know how to read and write, listen and speak. And I think it's almost indisputable that Malaysian schools are doing a pretty bad job when it comes to these skills.
Back when I was still in school, my father's company was looking to expand its operations, but to my father's chagrin, most of the candidates he encountered were simply incoherent. Their CVs were poorly-formatted and their personal statements virtually unreadable. Most of those he shortlisted for interviews were clearly unconfident and unable to speak coherently. My father was terribly put off by the experience, and he himself has always been bemoaning his own difficulties in communication.
At my job in a local research institute this summer, I got the chance to look through a number of CVs and job applications because the institute was hiring, and they were honestly not much to look at. Most of the CVs were so poorly formatted it was hard to even look at them, and the personal statements/cover letters were not much better. Many applicants didn't even bother writing anything in their emails or writing a cover letter, just sending us their CV as an attachment; a few didn't even state which position they were applying for!
I suppose I am not one to be too critical, since I am not yet in the job market (although I am actually looking for a job or internship in KL again this summer), but I do think this speaks to a problem with our education system. If we can teach students standard formats for letters, journals, diaries and reports in school, why can't we teach them standard formats for CVs or cover letters? What is the use of learning Bahasa Malaysia or English in school if you can't even muster the confidence to write a few sentences explaining which position you're applying for? Ultimately we learn languages for a reason — to communicate — and it does us no good if we can score A's but can't use these languages.
Then again, education systems around the world are generally doing a shoddy job of preparing high school graduates for the job market — I'm sure not many American high school diploma holders can actually write a resume much better than the CVs I've seen. But these positions were specifically meant for university degree-holders, and all the applicants were university graduates. Shamefully for our local universities, the vast majority of the properly formatted CVs with well-written cover letters were from foreign graduates.
Ultimately, most people graduating from university will not be going into academia; they will need to know how to write a CV and write a cover letter, and almost certainly how to handle an interview. For whatever reason, it seems like our local universities are not preparing their graduates to do these things, and that is inexcusable.
My university for example has an active Career Services department. The department regularly holds workshops on CV-writing, cover letter-writing, and how to handle interviews. You can even walk in to their office and have your CV and cover letter reviewed by them on a one-on-one basis. You can likewise practice interviews at their office, again in a one-on-one setting. While obviously Dartmouth has a lot of resources to spare, almost any American university has a similar department, and a big selling point for any institution here is how well the university can place its graduates into the job market.
At the moment, we are graduating people from secondary school and university who cannot communicate coherently with prospective employers. Is it any wonder why we have so many problems with unemployable graduates? As it stands, even university-calibre students lack basic skills — I know an alumni interviewer for Cornell University who has had to deal with applicants who refuse to show up on time for interviews, or lack the basic initiative to find out details like how to get to the interview venue (he actually had someone ask him where the KLCC is). In this time of economic recession, we need to take a long hard look at how our schools and universities are preparing students for the job market — if a graduate can't speak or write properly, all those straight A's will be for naught.
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
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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
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Saturday, February 21, 2009
Preparing for the Real World?
Win a Dublin Trip in Essay Contest
__________________________________________________________________________
KUALA LUMPUR: What are the best things in life? If you can pen your thoughts on the matter, you may win a trip for two to Dublin, Ireland.
Held for the seventh consecutive year, the Impac Dublin Literary Award for Young Malaysians 2009 essay-writing competition is open to all Malaysian students aged between 14 and 18 as of March 31.
This year's topic is "The Best Things In Life", and the essay should be between 800 and 1,200 words. It can be either factual or fictional but must be in English.
The best overall essay will earn the writer and a parent a trip to Dublin to attend the gala ceremony of the International Impac Dublin Literary Award 2009.
Irish Ambassador to Malaysia Eugene Hutchinson said the competition was an effective way to encourage students' interest in English and improve their skills in the language.
Taking off: Looking at the poster of the competition after the launch in Kuala Lumpur are students, (fourth from left onwards) Soh, IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2008 winner Genevieve Keizha Leon, The Star executive editor Leanne Goh, Hutchinson and National Library of Malaysia director-general Raslin Abu Bakar.
"Competence in English enhances not only the future career prospects of individuals, but also Malaysia's position as a successful and modern economy," he said when launching the competition at the National Library yesterday.
Impac services manager Carol Soh, speaking on behalf of Impac executive vice-president Christopher J. Houghton, said that the next two years would mark tough times for funding in literature and the arts due to the economic downturn.
"However, Impac will continue to support young writers as we believe in the value of developing the communication skills of our youth."
The competition also offers nine merit awards and 10 consolation prizes, as well as a special prize for the winner's school.
It is organised by the Irish Embassy, Impac, The Star and the National Library of Malaysia with support from the Education Ministry.
The sponsors are the Irish Universities and Medical Schools Consortium, the St Patrick's Society of Selangor, Tec-Surf Technologies and the Malaysian Irish Alumni Association.
Entries must be submitted by March 31. For enquiries, call 03-20959513, or email: <a href="mailto:write4idla@gmail.com">write4idla@gmail.com</a>.
The World Bank Essay Competition 2009
*The World Bank Essay Competition 2009*
*WANTED: The Next Generation of 'Green' Entrepreneurs*
/Climate change has been identified as one of the biggest global threats
of our time. Scientists agree that global warming and extreme climate
phenomena can be increasingly attributed to human activity - in
particular, heavy emission of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide,
resulting from industrial processes./
/Solutions to those pressing problems could lie in the rapidly growing
'green economy': environmentally sustainable enterprises, technological
innovations (new sources of clean, renewable energy), energy efficiency
measures, economic incentives for low-carbon choices, etc. How can youth
contribute? /
The Essay Competition 2009 invites youth to share ideas on:
*/How does climate change affect you?
How can you tackle climate change through youth-led solutions?/ *
Please answer both questions:
1. How does climate change affect you, your country, town or local
community? How do you think it will affect you in the future? Think
about the consequences for employment, health, security and other areas
of your life.
2. What can you do, working together with your peers, to address the
problem of climate change in your country, town or local community?
Think specifically about the role of youth-led initiatives in the 'green
economy'.
*Who can participate?*
The International Essay Competition is open to all young people,
students and non-students alike, between the *ages of 18 and 25*, from
all countries of the world.
If you are at least 18 and not older than 25 on *June 15, 2009*, you are
eligible to participate.
*Length and format*
*General*
All work must be submitted by individuals, group work is not allowed.
One participant may only submit *one work per category*. However, one
participant may (but doesn't have to, of course) submit work in all
three categories, that is: one essay, one video and one photo.
All submissions must be made *online* via the Essay Competition website
<http://www.essaycompetition.org/content09_78_1>. Videos are submitted
via YouTube.
Submissions can be made in *English, French or Spanish*.
*Essay*
Your essay may not be longer than *4000 words* (about 10 pages of
standard text).
Essays are accepted in the following formats: .doc or .pdf.
You are also required to provide a *summary of no more than 250 words*.
The summary will be used by the jury to make a pre-selection.
*Video*
Your video may not be longer than *2 minutes*.
To submit a video, you must create a YouTube account and upload your
work on the YouTube website. Additionally, you are required to submit a
form via the Essay Competition website, which will allow us to identify
your work. Details of the submission process
<http://www.essaycompetition.org/content09_68_1>
*Photo*
Photos are accepted in the .jpg format.
A photo must be accompanied by a short *description* or commentary
explaining what the photo presents and how it is relevant to the topic
of the Competition. The description must be of no more than *150 words*.
The maximum size for the photos is *2.5 MB*.
**
*How to submit?*
The submission process for the Essay Competition is entirely
*Internet-based*.
You are asked to fill in a submission fo
<http://www.essaycompetition.org/content09_78_1>rm and attach your essay
or photo.
To submit a video, you must first create a *YouTube account* and upload
your work on the YouTube website. Additionally, you are required to
submit a form via the Essay Competition website, which will allow us to
identify your work. Details of the video submisison process
<http://www.essaycompetition.org/content09_68_1>
Work submitted by email or post will *not* be accepted.
*Rules*
• Submissions will be accepted until February 22, 2009.
• Each participant may submit entries in more than one category, but
only one submission per category is allowed. This means that you may
submit one essay, one video and one photo (although, of course, you can
choose to submit, for example, only an essay), but you may not submit,
for example, two essays.
• Participants must be between 18 and 25 years of age on June 15, 2009.
• Essays must not be longer than 4,000 words. Videos must not be longer
than 2 minutes. There is no minimum length.
• Submissions can only be made online, in English, French, or Spanish.
Essays and photos are submitted via the Essay Competition website and
videos are submitted via YouTube. Each participant must fill in a
submission form <http://www.essaycompetition.org/content09_78_1> on the
Essay Competition website.
• Each essay must be accompanied by a summary (max. 250 words). The
summary will be used by the jury to make a pre-selection. Each photo
must be accompanied by a description of no more than 150 words.
• All submissions will be blind reviewed. References to specific
individuals, firms, or schools, which might reveal the author's
identity, are discouraged. It is not allowed to indicate your name
anywhere on your work.
• Quotes and references must be clearly marked throughout the essay and
properly cited.
• All submissions must be original. No previously published material
will be accepted. Any form of plagiarism will result in automatic
disqualification. Please note that
all essays will be screened with specialized software to verify plagiarism.
• Essays are accepted in the .doc or .pdf format, while photos can only
be submitted as .jpg files of maximum 2.5 MB.
• The World Bank reserves the right to publish and/or to make available
to the public the winning submissions. The World Bank reserves the right
to modify the format and content of the submissions for publication
purposes.
• The decision of the Jury is final and is not subject to an appeal.
• Participants of the previous editions of the Essay Competition are
also encouraged to apply.
• Active (between the time of essay submission and the Final Jury in
June 2009), paid staff (term or open-ended) of partner organizations
(see list) of Essay Competition 2009 are not eligible to participate.
*Awards*
*1. Essay*
Eight finalists will participate in the Final Jury in Seoul, South
Korea, in June 2009, and attend the Annual Bank Conference on
Development Economics
Money awards:
1st prize: 3,000 USD
2nd prize: 2,000 USD
3rd prize: 1,000 USD
*2. Video*
Author of the winning video will be invited for a screening at the
occasion of the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics held in
Seoul, South Korea, in June 2009.
Money awards:
1st prize: 2,000 USD
2nd prize: 1,000 USD
3rd prize: 500 USD
*3. Photo*
Money awards:
1st prize: 500 USD
2nd prize: 300 USD
3rd prize: 200 USD
Winners of the photo competition do not travel to the
<http://worldbank.org/abcde>Conference in South Korea, but will have
their photos featured in the Essay Competition Summary Report, on the
website of the Essay Competition and partner organizations'.
The jury reserves the right to modify the allocation depending on the
number of winning essays.
Contact deatail email to info@essaycompetition.org
<mailto:info@essaycompetition.org> or akuznicka@worldbank.org
<mailto:akuznicka@worldbank.org>
Thursday, February 19, 2009
World Vision: Just CLICK to help Orang Asli Children!
All you need to do is CLICK to bring education to Orang Asli Children!
"Orang asli children have the odds stacked against them from their first day in school."
Liew Tong Ngan, World Vision Malaysia CEO
In the remote hinterland of Lawas, Sarawak, ethnic children are being left behind in the race for education and development. Unable to afford pre-school, they enter primary school unable to read or count. Soon they can't keep up, and inevitably drop out.
You can help the World Vision-Lawas Project give children a foundation in education that is critical to their development. All you need to do is log on and click away!
Go to http://www.samsunghope.org/ and click on the World Vision icon to pledge your support for World Vision Malaysia.
Samsung Hope has pledged to give an additional USD15,000 to the organisation that records the most clicks by the end of February. Help us to help the children in Lawas. "Click" today and make a difference! Tell your friends too!
Thank you very much for your support.
From all of us at World Vision Malaysia
Howwewill.org - Hip-hop Shakespeare
The website (howwewill.org) itself tracks the development of the performance, including the community interaction with the process
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Leading politicians join Malaysia Think Tank's Cross Party Advisory Group
A good step ahead for our country! Congrats Malaysia Think Tank.
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Kuala Lumpur, 16 Feb 2009
To mark the official opening of the second term of the 12th parliament by DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, the Malaysia Think Tank today announces the formation of its Cross Party Advisory Group (CPAG) comprising of leading politicians from different political parties.
The members are YB Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (UMNO, MP for Pulai), YB Dato' Kamaruddin Jaffar (PAS, MP for Tumpat), YB Yusmadi Yusoff (PKR, MP for Balik Pulau), YBhg Sdr Wong Nai Chee (MCA Central Committee Member) and YM Tunku Aziz Ibrahim (DAP Vice-Chair). Members are appointed in their individual capacity.
Commenting on the appointment, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said: "I am honoured and excited to be part of an organisation to help form the thinking of future generations of Malaysians. I want to share my thoughts on the values of liberal democracy and the responsibilities that freedom brings as a result to help in the formation of a true Bangsa Malaysia."
Wong Nai Chee agreed, saying "social conditions have changed since 1957. The most difficult thing now faced by the country is formulation of policies that will be accepted by all for the next 50 years and onwards."
Dato' Kamaruddin Jaffar stressed that "the Malaysian political landscape is changing and I hope the Malaysia Think Tank can make positive contributions towards that change."
Yusmadi Yusoff noted that "the cross-party model employed by the Malaysia Think Tank is very brave. I will try my best to help this ambitious organisation in their effort to make Malaysia a truly democratic country."
Tunku Aziz, a former Vice-Chairman of Transparency International, reiterated: "There is absolutely no substitute for democratic values, principles and practices as we strive to establish our national identity as a just, caring and enlightened society."
Malaysia Think Tank Director Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz said: "With this we hope to show that mature debates on policy and ideas can be accomplished in a peaceful and constructive way. All the political parties these individuals belong to have contributed to the national political landscape since Merdeka. They will continue to do so, and the nature of the competition between them will determine Malaysia's fortunes in the years ahead. We are confident that the Malaysia Think Tank will benefit from this discussion through the CPAG."
Director General Wan Saiful Wan Jan adds: "In combination, members of our CPAG bring decades of nation-building experience to us. I am deeply humbled that they have agreed to help. The MTT as an organisation does not claim to speak on behalf of our CPAG members. We recognise that there are differences. These are political leaders of outstanding capabilities, and they will continue to play their own unique roles to improve the country via their respective parties. But we will seek their advice to develop policy ideas to make the country more prosperous and more harmonious."
The Malaysia Think Tank's mission is to encourage the adoption of the principles of free individuals, free markets, limited government, and the rule of law in Malaysia. The MTT is a non-partisan and not-for-profit organisation based in Kuala Lumpur, with a branch in London. Its operations are funded by grants and private donations.
End
Monday, February 16, 2009
Researcher for Malaysia Think Tank
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The Malaysia Think Tank is inviting applications for the post of Researcher to work primarily on our new project: 'Petani Pahlawan Negara (PAPAN)'. The Researcher is also expected to conduct other researches, as well administrative tasks, as required by MTT.
To find out more, visit: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.waubebas.org%2Fnode%2F482
MMLM Talk: The Art of Happy Living (7 March 09)
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We would like to invite you to a free talk ?The Art of Happy Living for Peace and Prosperity by following ancient Indian wisdoms? by Mr T. Selva. The details are as below.
Date: 7 March 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 9:45am-12:00pm
Venue: Auditorium, Centre for Extension Education
UTAR PJ Campus, No.11 Jalan 13/6, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Admission: FREE (prior registration required)
Enclosed herewith is the flyer for the talk.
The talk is open to all. We welcome you, your family members and friends to the talk.
Kindly confirm your attendance either by replying this email at mmlm@utar.edu.my .
Regards
Secretariat, MMLM
Sunday, February 15, 2009
WauBebas Newsletter (Feb 2009)
WauBebas.org kini sebahagian daripada 'Atlas Global Initiative'
WauBebas.org kini sebahagian daripada 'Atlas Global Initiative for Free Trade, Peace and Global Prosperity'' Baca Lanjut
Demokrasi merupakan darah daging kita
Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
Negeri Sembilan merupakan antara simbol tertua tradisi demokratik di dunia. Rekod rasmi menyatakan bahawa Raja Melewar mula mentadbir pada tahun 1773, tapi ada yang mengatakan 1730. Sekiranya tahun 1773 sekalipun, itu masih lagi tiga tahun sebelum Pengisytiharan Kemerdekaan Amerika Syarikat. Tarikh yang tepat tidak penting dalam hal ini kerana kerajaan di Negeri Sembilan merupakan kesinambungan daripada kerajaan Minangkabau yang bermula pada abad ke-14 apabila Adityawarman memulakan dinasti tersebut. Baca Lagi
Perak: Akan Berakhirkah Peluang Keemasan?
Wan Saiful Wan Jan
Tanggungjawab membentuk institusi pembangkang yang sihat bukan terpundak di bahu parti pembangkang sahaja. Parti-parti yang memerintah mempunyai tanggungjawab yang sama besar dalam memperkasa institusi pembangkaang negara kita. Pembangkang yang sihat dan kuat akan memastikan negeri dan negara ditadbir dengan baik. Bukankah matlamat mana-mana parti pun, sepatutnya, ialah untuk mentadbir dengan baik demi kebaikan rakyat? Baca Lagi
Boleh Sepak Malaysia Boleh Dimajukan
Noor Amin bin Ahmad
Kemerosotan prestasi bola sepak Malaysia dibincangkan sekali lagi. Selepas beberapa waktu, pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan ternyata tidak menunjukkan prestasi yang boleh dibanggakan. Justeru, sasaran Malaysia untuk berjaya buat kali pertama melangkah ke pusingan akhir Piala Dunia pada tahun 2018 dipandang sinis oleh banyak pihak. Kedudukan semasa pasukan Malaysia di tangga ke-158 dalam ranking FIFA tentu saja memalukan kita apatah lagi melihat kepada prasarana yang gah di mata dunia. Baca Lagi
Akademi Merdeka January 2009 - a reflection
Wan Fadzrul Wan Bahrum
We were honoured by the presence of some of the most prominent proponents of the global libertarian movement - Professor Julian Morris from the International Policy Network, London; Barun Mitra from Liberty Institute, India; and Feng Xingyuan of the Cathay Institute of Public Affairs, Beijing. Local flavour was provided by none other than Khalid Jaafar of the Policy Studies Institute, Malaysia. Baca Lagi
Malaysian Liberty first, Malaysian Obama later
Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
Barack Obama uttered "liberty" twice and "freedom" thrice in his Inaugural Speech, which showcased his masterful oratory skills once again. Tun Dr Ismail's son Tawfik at a recent book launch joined many other Malaysian optimists in saying that we need our own Obama. I'm a bit cautious about the ostentatious fawning towards the new President. Yes, he is a brilliant speaker and his election will be highly symbolic for probably the rest of time, but let's remember that a new President has policy to contend with too. His silence on Israel's atrocities in Gaza was deafening. In his speech he said he would seek "a new way forward" with the Muslim world, "based on mutual interest and mutual respect". Let's see how much respect he gives to Palestinians the next time the tanks roll in. My observation from living in Tony Blair's Britain is that charismatic leaders of centre-left parties which erroneously enjoy the support of many Muslims can in fact be disastrous to Muslim communities, both foreign, as exemplified by the foolish foray into Iraq, and domestic, by designing policies to specifically target what the government deems to be ethnic minorities (such as expanding state-funded religious schools), thus impeding genuine integration. Baca Lagi
| The Waubebas Newsletter is a free monthly newsletter produced by the Malaysia Think Tank (www.WauBebas.org). For more information about the newsletter and our organization, please visit our website. If you wish to subscribe to this free weekly newsletter or update your address, please send an e-mail to info@malaysiathinktank.org. |
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Malaysian Young Execs Gathering (18th Feb, 7:50pm, Gardens OChaCha)
Quoting this from Facebook Event .
Do go there early to grab a copy of JobStreet.com Career Guide!!!
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Malaysian Young Execs will be having its first gathering this coming Wednesday (18th Feb), 7.50pm @ Gardens MidValley. Venue Sponsor is OChaCha Gardens (3rd Floor)
Quick Updates!
---------------------
Here are more reasons that you should come and also bring your friends along! We have a great speakers line up and you get to ask them questions after that.
Plus with the major HIGHLIGHT is you get to "Network and Befriend" with so many people from different and similar industries. It's going to be a power pack 2 hours of your life
Speakers & Topics
----------------------
Clayton Tan - Shares on HR and how you can take advantage in your workplace
Michael Tan - Shares on Part-Time Industry & Opportunities
Chris Tan - Shares on Legal Advice During The Down Economy & Your Rights
Caesy Ong - Shares on Shopping Online & Creating Income at the Same Time
Darian Lim - Shares on Financial Planning & Money Tips During The Down Economy
MORE GOODIES from Sponsors!!
----------------------------------------
We managed to get Jobstreet.com to sponsor some door gifts and prizes too! We've limited but dozens of Jobstreet Career Guide books (each worth approx. RM25 at Retail Bookstores) to give away.. first come first served. And some cool prizes to be won!
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Documentary on Markus Ng's Life
An initiative has been started in memory of Markus Ng (1985-2009). If you are interested/able to help, do let me know. I'll put you in the loop. Do let me know if you are willing to volunteer to help in any aspect listed below, or any other aspect involved.
Please kindly help to spread the words around too.
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Hi everyone,
Please bear with me as this will be quite a lengthly email.
I'm making a documentary (estimated 30-45 minutes, with a possible cutdown version of 10-15 minutes) based on the life of my friend, Markus Ng Chung Yau. Markus is my high school classmate, who passed away suddenly in his sleep on 4 February 2009.
Markus was an exceptional individual. From the crowd turnout at his wake services and funeral, and the tributes at his memorial website (http://markusng.memory-of.com ) ... one can only imagine the amount of lives that he has touched and inspired, even just at the young age of 23.
Personally, I know Markus as a bold young man who stood firm for his faith in Jesus Christ, a gentle soul who showed me what it is to live a Christlike life. In his own quiet ways, he was a big influence while I was taking my baby steps as an infant Christian. He has my utmost respect for his love for God, people and our country, Malaysia. One of his dreams is to see our country united under one banner, under one race called "bangsa Malaysia". Markus equipped himself by studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics for this purpose. He was to sit for his civil service exam this 21 February 2009.
Markus dedicated his life to work for the good of many causes, which is so many till I don't know all of them. The few that I know of are:
Unicef (http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/ )
Malaysia Mental Health Association (http://www.mentalhealth.org.my/ )
Projek Kalsom (http://www.projek-kalsom.com )
UKEC (http://www.ukeconline.com/forums/portal.php?page=3 )
(University of) Essex Malaysian Society
Running for charity, Sports Relief (www.mysportrelief.com/markusng )
Malaysian Student Leaders Submit (MSLS)
ASEAN Student Leaders
Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) (http://www.cpps.org.my/ )
Anak Bangsa Malaysia, some friends are working to register this officially (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50135088123 / http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=44867516909&id=508852699&ref=share )
PJ Anti-ISA vigil
You can read more at http://markusng.memory-of.com/Timeline.aspx
The purpose of the documentary is not only to remember this extraordinary young man, but my personal hope that it can serve as an inspiration to spur on others who knows him, and even those who haven't yet... to continue to fight for the causes that Markus has so passionately championed for. One of the focus would be on the organizations Markus has worked with and what they stand for.
With permission from Markus's family, Thomas Chew and I had documented some photo and video materials during the wake services and funeral. We really hope that we can see through this video as Markus's life has been a great testimony to all who had came into contact with him, even for just a short time.
I have zero budget for this video, so I'm humbly asking for your help. Markus' family, Thomas and I would be most grateful. Particularly, I am looking for help in the following areas:
1. Video and audio, lighting equipment loan: (Ideally) Video, mid-range 3CCD one would be sufficient. Audio, shotgun mic for camera and a lapel as backup. Lights, depends on gaffer.
2. Research assistant(s)/ writers(s): To compile Markus's life story, and the various works he has done. Will be working with myself, Thomas and Markus' family for content.
3. Assistant producer: To help with paperwork and communication with people that Markus worked with. No prior experience needed, I can guide you.
4. Assistant director: To assist during production.
5. Production assistant(s): An extra pair of hand would be helpful anytime.
6. Music composer(s)/ Sound engineer(s): Yeemeng, I hope you don't mind that I've included you for this one before asking you.
7. Videographer: Prior experience would be helpful. I'm a videographer myself but I try not to fuss with technical stuff when I'm directing.
8. Editor/ assistant editor(s): Would greatly appreciate help in this area. To ensure file compatibilities, I use Final Cut Pro 6 and have Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 on a MacBookPro. But it'd be great if there's a common editing machine that we can borrow to work on.
9. Still photographer: Glad for the photographer to use my lenses and photo accessories if needed, but I have a humble Canon 400D only.
I have estimated that the whole production will take about 3-6 months before we see the final product, and probably takes about 4weeks before we sit down for the first meeting. I need some time to gather my thoughts, and also to give everyone who knew Markus some time and space first.
There is no money involved for participation, and the only profits that I foresee are the changed lives as a result of this documentary video. I think it sounds like an attractive enough return.
Thank you for reading, and please feel free to forward this mail to anyone that you think would be interested to work together for this good cause.
Regards,
Yihwen.
Markus's official memorial site http://markusng.memory-of.com
In memory of Markus Ng Chung Yau (1985 - 2009) Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49506098971
Markus's blog http://liltots.wordpress.com/
Markus's (old) Xanga blog http://www.xanga.com/markuzzz
Markus's myspace http://www.myspace.com/markusng
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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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
P&G ASEAN Business Challenge Launch - MMU, UM, Monash
P&G ASEAN Business Challenge will be launched at 3 Campuses in Malaysia on 18th Feb, 23rd Feb and 10th Mar at MMU, Universiti Malaya and Monash!!!
You'll get to find out:
1. What the P&G ASEAN Business Challenge is all about.
2. How to Apply and what is the process
3. Sit for the compulsory Reasoning Test
4. Learn the different career options in P&G
5. Hear from P&G Managers who are ex-MMU students
The launch are respectively for MMU, UM and Monash students only. For other students, do check out at P&G Business Challenge .
P&G ASEAN Business Challenge allows you to live through a real-live business challenges & case studies. You will not just propose but also EXECUTE YOUR IDEAS in real world. We will take you across nation boundaries where you will compete & work with your ASEAN peers. Now that's a real Challenge!
Prove you have what it takes to be P&G leaders and work for regional level responsibilities through P&G ASEAN Business Challenge.
Visit P&G Business Challenge to find out more!
The 3 launch details are:-
Event: @ MMU Cyberjaya - P&G ASEAN Business Challenge Launch and P&G Career Talk
"p/s: you could get full-time job or internship offer right away from this Challenge!"
What: Business Meeting
Host: P&G ASEAN Business Challenge
Start Time: Wednesday, February 18 at 11:30am
End Time: Wednesday, February 18 at 1:30pm
Where: FOM Theatre (FOMXR0001).
Facebook Page: Here
Event: @ University Malaya - P&G ASEAN Business Challenge Launch & P&G Career Talk
"p/s: you could get full-time job or internship offer right away from this Challenge!"
What: Business Meeting
Host: P&G ASEAN Business Challenge
Start Time: Monday, February 23 at 12:00pm
End Time: Monday, February 23 at 2:00pm
Where: Exact Hall to be confirmed @ University Malaya Campus
Facebook Page: Here
Event: @ Monash Malaysia - P&G ASEAN Business Challenge Launch and P&G Career Talk
"p/s: you could get full-time job or internship offer right away from this Challenge!"
What: Business Meeting
Host: P&G ASEAN Business Challenge
Start Time: Tuesday, March 10 at 12:00pm
End Time: Tuesday, March 10 at 2:00pm
Where: Auditorium 2, Monash Malaysia Campus
Facebook Page: Here
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Cornell Malaysian Association - Malaysia Cultural Night (22nd Feb, 7pm, WSH Memorial Room)
The Cornell Malaysian Association (CMA) cordially invites you to the Malaysia Cultural Night -- A Malay Wedding Affair.
Come join CMA to celebrate a Malay Wedding at the WSH Memorial Room, 22nd Feb (Sunday) 7pm, starting with the marriage ceremony followed by a dinner feast, malay style!
Menu:
- Nasi Kuning
- Beef Rendang
- Chicken Curry
- Sayur Lodeh
- Chicken Satay
- Sambal Kang Kong
- Roti Canai
Featuring MP3 Player Raffle, Henna Tattooing sessions, Handicrafts Booth, a chance to be part of the wedding procession....and many more!!
PLUS an authentic Malay wedding souvenir for every guest!
Tickets: $7 (advance) / $10 (at the door)
For more info, contact Jun Hui Erh (je96) or Xiaorui Loo (xrl2).
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Seminar (Opportunities Within A Crisis - Mark Chang, Leo Arinayanaka, 17th Feb, 4pm-7pm)
Thanks to Daniel Cerventus for this information.
Quoting this from Entrepreneurs Malaysia
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On the 17th of Feb, Tuesday, TeAM and MDEC are joining forces to bring you “Opportunities within a Crisis”. We will be hearing from the experiences of 2 amazing entrepreneurs who made their mark during the last economic downturn Mark Chang, CEO of Jobstreet and Leo Arinayanaka, CEO of Scicom.. both running public listed companies. We will also be hearing from the COO of the blue ocean strategy institute, Peter Ng!
Venue:
MSC Malaysia Cyber Centre
Incubation Centre
Block 1B, Level 3 (1B-3-1)
Plaza Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5
50470, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 17 Feb 2009 (Tues)
Time: 4.00pm – 7.00pm
Due to limited seats for the dialogue, we kindly invite you to register by completing the registration form and submit before Tuesday, 17th February, 2009.
Payment will be settled at the door. Please make cheques out to Technopreneurs Association of Malaysia
RM30 for TeAM, NEF & MSC Status.
RM50 for non-members
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Talk by Dr. KS Jomo (16th Feb, 8pm)
Thanks to Jing Pei for sharing this!
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Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRD) Publishing invites you to a public talk on
The World Economic Crisis and Asia
by Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram
Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, and Member, United Nations Commission of Experts on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System
Date : 16 th February 2009 (Monday)
Time : 8.00pm – 10.00pm
Venue : The KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, No. 1, Jalan Maharajalela, 50150 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Together with his colleagues, Dr K. S. Jomo was responsible for United Nations and other reports warning from late 2006 about the likelihood of the current crisis.
All are welcome. Please feel free to circulate this notice.
For further details, please contact Mr Zulhabri at 03-79578342/ 8343 or 019-389 3804
Mr Chong Ton Sing at 016- 379 7231
We look forward to welcoming you to this interesting talk.
Yours sincerely.
Mr Chong Ton Sin
Executive Director, SIRD
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Monday, February 09, 2009
Yield of U.S. Universities
This is a ranking by US News, according to Yield of various top U.S. Universities. Yield is defined as % of students who enrol in the university, out of those who get admitted.
We can see that it is not just the top universities that show high yield. A bunch of other universities that admit strategically do show high yield as well.
This analysis is done based on 2007 Entering Class.
This is quoted from US News.
The ranking is as follow:-
1. Harvard University (79%)
2. Brigham Young University - Provo (77%)
3. University of Nebraska-Lincoln (71%)
4. Stanford University (70%)
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (69%)
6. Yale University (69%)
7. Princeton University (68%)
8. University of Pennsylvania (66%)
9. Yeshiva University (65%)
10. University of Florida (63%)
11. Columbia University (59%)
12. Brown University (56%)
13. Texas A&M University (56%)
14. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (56%)
15. University of Notre Dame (56%)
16. Louisiana State University (55%)
17. University of Texas - Austin (54%)
18. Dartmouth College (52%)
19. University of Virginia (52%)
20. University of Georgia (51%)
21. Kansas State University (50%)
22. University of Alabama (50%)
23. University of Oklahoma (50%)
24. North Carolina State University (49%)
25. Ohio State University (49%)
26. University of Missouri (48%)
27. University of Tennessee (48%)
28. Cornell University (47%)
29. Georgetown University (47%)
30. University of Kentucky (47%)
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Top Posts for January 2009
This is the statistic of the most popular posts for January 2009. Thanks for the support!
1. Early Decision Statistic for Class of 2013 - 654 Page Views (2 Times Top 10)
2. Malaysia Budget 2009 - 178 Page Views (6 Times Top 10)
3. Princeton's Admission Rate for Class of 2012 - 145 Page Views (New Top 10)
4. JobStreet.com 8th Malaysia Career & Training Fair - 131 Page Views (2 Times Top 10)
5. PMR 2008 Results Analysis - 91 Page Views (New Top 10)
6. Charis Loke - Brown University Class of 2013 - 82 Page Views (2 Times Top 10)
7. CEO Series of Talk 10 - Ibrahim Nasir, CEO of Societe Generale Investment Bank in Malaysia - 75 Page Views (New Top 10)
8. Teaching of Mathematics & Science in English - 69 Page Views (4 Times Top 10)
9. Commonwealth Essay Competition 2008 - 68 Page Views (New Top 10)
10. UPenn Acceptance Rates Increase - 66 Page Views (3 Times Top 10)
Besides that, I do take a look at all the Labels for my blog and below are the top 10 most popular label for January 2009
1. Ivy League - 69 Page Views
2. University Applications - 60 Page Views
3. Scholarship - 53 Page Views
4. JPA - 37 Page Views
5. Malaysia - 32 Page Views
6. US Applications - 27 Page Views
7. Education - 22 Page Views
8. China Synergy Programme - 20 Page Views
9. SPM - 19 Page Views
10. Jit Sin High School - 18 Page Views
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
WebMazers.com
To all hunters, if you want to take part in online hunts, do sign up for WebMazers.com .
You need to sign up by 9th February, to take part in the 1st Online Hunt. Every now and then, they would have an online hunt!
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Fresh Air Fund
You can get the info from http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/
They are also always looking for Fresh Air hosts for the summer to open their homes to a child, and any help would be appreciated.
Talk on Global Economic Meltdown - 18th Feb 2009
Lifelong Learning is organizing "Global Economic Meltdown: Its Implication & How To Cope".
The talk by Y. Bhg Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Lau Ban Tin.
It would be on 18th February 2009 (Wednesday), 7:30pm to 9:30pm at Auditorium, Dewan San Choon, Wisma MCA, Jalan Ampang.
Registration / Inquiry : MCA Lifelong Learning Secretariat, Tel: 03-2161 8044 ext 418-421 (Ms Law /Ms Tan / Ms Hoo )
Email: info@lll.net.my
Website: http://www.lll.net.my
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
CEO Series of Talk 11 - P. Gunasegaram, The Star (10th Feb 2009)
The 11th CEO Series of Talk by Young Corporate Malaysian will be on 10th February 2009 (Tuesday).
The speaker would be P.Gunasegaram, Managing Editor of The Star. Formerly, he was with The Edge.
It would be at 7:30pm at 67, Jalan U-Thant. Direction to get there would be if you are driving on Jalan Tun Razak. Turn left immediately after US Embassy. Go straight for about 2-3km. Follow the road and when the road curves right, slow down. When you see a signboard that says Palestine Embassy. Turn in. It is on the bungalow on the left hand side, just next to Palestine Embassy.
To RSVP, go to Facebook.
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Saturday, February 07, 2009
JobStreet.com Forum for Career & Education
Since I joined JobStreet.com, I have had the opportunity to work on many stuff, but the launch this week (in fact, a soft launch, since it hasn't been largely promoted yet) is on something that I am really passionate on.
As many of you who know me, know that I am very passionate on ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network, so this launch by JobStreet.com is on the same direction.
It is the JobStreet.com Forum for Career & Education , a way for JobStreet.com to create a platform for job seekers and students to discuss about their career and also education that would help them in their future career. In addition, with the global financial crisis looming, a dedicated section on retrenchment was created as well!
Besides that, it provides a platform for any JobStreet.com members to feedback to us, with your responses answered within minutes or hours, be it on your complaints, suggestions, questions or even to share with us the success story of your employment.
Do check it out here !
Do help me to spread the words too!
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
O/T - NEED: Research Assistant - will pay RM50/hour
This is posted for a friend of mine.
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Hi,
I need to hire a generalist research assistant to help me with some projects I am working on.
- High integrity: ability to maintain confidentiality of work-related matters
(to judge this we are going to have to establish references through social networks, I'm afraid the candidate must know people I know, etc. etc.)
- Excellent textual literacy: must know what to do with a sentence, even if he/she doesn't understand it
- Excellent scientific/quantitative literacy: minimum A1 for SPM Modern Maths, and A1 for two (2) SPM CORE science subjects (Physics/Chemistry/Biology/Add Maths) or the equivalent.
- Excellent summary skills: must be able to read fast and offer critical evaluations on textual documents. Ability to present data in graphical format would be a plus.
- Wired: must have ad hoc access to the Internet for research and communication purposes (IM, Email, Google)
Recruitment Process:
- Candidate should contact me with his/her resume and/or official certification, written references, and portfolio of work (writing samples, graphical presentations, analytical writing, software code, mathematical proofs, etc.). Email yj@quackyogi.com or yangjerng@gmail.com
- Short-listed candidates must attend a face-to-face interview in KL/PJ.
Other Information:
- I can offer a minimum work volume of 8 hours per month (RM400). Maximum work volume will be up to 50 hours per month (RM2500). Expected work volume will be 16 hours per month (RM800)
- This role would be excellent for a top-notch science/mathematics/engineering highschool/university student who needs pocket money, and exposure to commercial affairs (business planning, raising capital, strategic management, organisational development)
hwa yang jerng
Friday, February 06, 2009
The Last Supper by Alvin Ung - Dedication for Markus Ng (1985-2009)
Do visit http://markusng.memory-of.com/About.aspx for updated details.
Alvin Ung has the privilege to be the last person to say goodbye to Markus. Below is his account of it. This was shared at Markus's wake on 5th February 2009.
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The Last Supper by Alvin Ung [6 February 2009]
To the family and friends of Markus,
I write this with the knowledge that many of you know Markus, and love him, with deep and tender affection.
Alas, I knew Markus all too fleetingly. I met Markus on only four occasions. In that short time, I've been struck by Markus’ deep love for the Lord Jesus Christ, his passionate love for our country, and the bond of friendships woven across racial and religious lines.
The reason why I am writing this is because I represent the Headstart group which Markus belongs to. Together – the twelve of us – we were among the last ones to bid farewell to Markus on Tuesday night. And I may have been the last person to wave goodbye to him. (Markus was called home on Wednesday morning).
Let me tell you more about the last supper with Markus.
On Tuesday evening, shortly after nine o'clock, Markus rang the doorbell of my apartment. He arrived late, somewhat breathless. He was here to join us for the first Headstart small group session. Headstart, as some of you know, comprises a small group of committed Christian young adults who have made a covenant to help one another grow in their discipleship with Jesus Christ in the workplace. Headstart is a ministry of the Graduates Christian Fellowship.
Markus arrived just in time to share with us the moments he felt most and least grateful over the past week. He had a crazy week at work, he said. Long hours. He lamented how he wasn’t able to spend Chinese New Year with the family. However, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity last Friday to enjoy a deep and heartfelt conversation with a few trusted friends. From that brief sharing, it was evident that Markus valued spiritual friendships that went beyond the superficial.
Like the rest of us, Markus had signed a group covenant. Together, we pledged that we would pray for one another. We would endeavor to be as open as we knew how in our sharing. We would listen to one another. We would encourage, support and trust one another. Then as a group, we stood up and waved aloft our signed agreement. Markus waved his, too. We congratulated each other. We gave one another fist bumps. We laughed.
Then came an awkward moment. As a group, we had to decide whether to permanently eject one of our Headstart members because she didn’t show up for the first meeting. When I posed the question on what we should do, the room fell silent. I scanned the room for faces. Most people avoided eye contact. Silence. But Markus had a smile on his face – a half-crooked smile, a broad smile that stretched from cheek to cheek. He spoke up first: "Why so serious? Just let her in lah." Markus' remarks released a chorus of agreement from everyone else.
It's always hard to be the first one to speak up, especially in a potential awkward situation. But Markus spoke up. Markus stood up for a voiceless person, someone who wasn’t there to speak up for herself. And he did it with class... and a smile. It was only later on that I learned that Markus had been standing up for the voiceless for many years. He spoke up against unjust laws. He spoke up for the poor and marginalized. In speaking, he gave the power for others to speak. Let us also speak up on behalf of the voiceless.
At about nine-thirty, that Tuesday night, I asked if everyone had read the two assigned chapters of reading – nearly 40 pages. The confident look in Markus' eyes told me he had. It was an almost challenging look: “C’mon, test me, I’ve read it.” He looked confident, not combative. He relished a challenge. It was only later on that I learned how busy he was over the past few weeks. Yet he found the time to read.
As the night passed, while the group discussion was going on, my wife and I cajoled Markus to eat something. We knew he'd missed dinner. We offered him snacks, Tim Tams, bread with bak kua. But he politely said no each time. "My mother has bought something for me to eat," he whispered. "I'll eat it after the meeting ends."
At about 10.15pm, our Headstart group of 12 people separated into three breakout sessions. Markus join my sub-group, together with two others, Ernest and Charis. Though all four of us had just gotten to know one another, we launched into a deep, earnest conversation about education, friendships, and church. Markus shared about his assumptions about relationships. We also invited one another to critique our assumptions about life. I shared about how, from young, I've seen education as a pathway to success. Markus immediately challenged me: "What's your definition of success? If you don't define success, you’ll soon be a lost soul. And you'll end up living a selfish life." Amen, brother, amen.
Later on, I asked for prayer requests. Markus cleared his throat. "I'm not sure whether I should share this or not.” He paused. I could hear an internal struggle. "Okay, I'll take the plunge. As the group covenant says, 'I will endeavor to be as open, as I know how, in sharing with the group.’” And so for 10 minutes, he shared from the heart. In his honesty, we could identify with his struggles, the adrenaline buzz, the oscillating emotions. But beyond the contents of his sharing, I remember being struck by two things. First, he could quote verbatim the line from our group covenant. He must have had an amazing memory. And secondly, he took the group seriously. He was willing to take the plunge. He was the first to build the bridge of trust. Markus, your legacy will live in our group.
And then we prayed. Once again, I recalled Markus starting us off, asking God for forgiveness for the assumptions we made about life. Markus asked for wisdom, for all of us, in developing the marker points in the process of discerning God’s will in our lives.
By the time prayer was over, it was 11.15pm. The Headstart session was officially over. But we were still standing around talking.
I was in the kitchen helping Markus warm up the food for his last supper: rice, curry vegetables and fried kembong.
"Whoa, that's a lot of rice!" I exclaimed.
"It's a lot, isn't it?" he said. He scooped back half the rice into the paper packet. I gave him a rubber band to secure the package.
While he stepped out of the kitchen (the group needed to fix our next meeting date), I warmed the rice in the microwave. Fifty seconds. When I brought out the plate of food, my wife Huey Fern asked: "You sure it's hot enough?" So I used my finger to poke the rice, and the fish (that's what I usually do with my own food; I’d forgotten that I was poking Markus' meal.) Markus saw me do it. He just smiled.
When he finished his meal, he disappeared into the kitchen to wash the plate, the fork and the spoon. I've always appreciated people who insist on washing the plates (saves me the work!). Most guests don’t offer; others offer to wash, but then they desist when my wife tells them they don’t have to. But Markus simply did it without announcing his intention. That gave me an indicator of his servant spirit.
By now it was 11.45pm. Markus had finished his last supper. One by one, the group members went home, leaving only the three of us – Markus, Huey Fern and I. Markus did not seem in a rush to leave. We talked about his work at UNICEF. He admitted to mixed feelings.
On one hand, he said his time at UNICEF had exposed him to how global organizations could be dysfunctional. He observed that organizations could obsess about internal matters and self-preservation rather than serving the people and children. He looked forward to joining a new company in March, where he’d be reading and researching on matters related to Indonesia.
On the other hand, while he felt ambivalent about UNICEF, he was incredibly dedicated to its projects. He needed to go back to his office in Damansara Heights, he explained. He needed to look through the final logistical details for a camp jointly organized with the Ministry of Education, that's being held for 20 children in Melaka on Wednesday morning.
"Everything's running fine, actually," he said. "But I've not had the opportunity to do one final look-through . I’ve got to make sure that things run smoothly, especially on the transportation side. Then I can go to sleep knowing that everything is all right."
At fifteen minutes past midnight, we were still chatting at the table. Finally we got up. Markus hoisted two bags on his shoulders. He wore his black leather shoes. He said good night to Huey Fern. He was about to close the door of our condo, but I walked out onto the corridor. I walked with him to the lift on the second floor. He looked puzzled.
"This is the Penang tradition," I said.
"What do you mean?" he said.
"Well, Penangites usually walk their guests out of the house. Then they stand at the gate and wave goodbye. Since I live in a condo, I'm walking you to the lift."
He walked into the lift. I saw the doors close behind him as he waved good night.
Good night, Markus. Death is a revolving door. We’ll see you on the other side of Paradise.
p.s. The door bell rang a few minutes later. Markus again. He looked sheepish. "I left my food behind," he said. I looked behind me. There it was: the unfinished curry rice, wrapped in a wadded pile of newspaper on our dining table, bound by a rubber band. Markus gratefully scooped up the package, and walked away with his last supper.
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Message from Markus's Family
To all of Markus' friends and extended family:
Thank you all so much for the support shown to the family and all the heart-warming tributes to Markus. The family is truly touched by all the messages from everyone who have come together to share stories about Markus and how he has touched your lives.
You must all be wondering what actually happened to Markus. The truth is until now, the cause of his death is still not certain. Postmortem findings were negative so far, but there are more tests to be done.
Markus started working with UNICEF in November 2008. He had been working almost non-stop in the past week, sleeping only 3-4 hours a day. He came back from the office at 3am the night before his death and was found dead on his bed the next morning. His computer was still switched on. Obviously he had continued working even after coming home.
After much discussion with doctors, our theory is that his acute stress could have caused some biochemical (electrolyte) imbalance which triggered a cardiac arrythmia (sudden disarray of heart rhythm) and cardiac arrest. The whole thing is at the biochemical level and therefore, there are no organ changes to be detected at post-mortem.
The family is still trying very hard to cope with this sudden loss. Markus was not an ordinary son, friend and person. He was a future leader who genuinely cared for the society and the country. In fact, he had been in contact with former student leaders from the UK to nurture the next generation of political leaders for the country. Markus had truly been an exceptional young man and his passing is a great loss to the family, his friends and the country.
May he rest in peace and the memory of him live on forever.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Markus Ng (1985-2009)
This morning at around 10:30am, Gabrielle brought to me a news that really way beyond my imagination. A good friend, Markus Ng has just passed away in sleep over the last night. His family found him this morning.
It is a shock to know about it. He is such a young guy. Someone who is of my age group and look perfectly fine. The last time I met him was in the Clinton's lecture, and before that at Kat's Hari Raya open house. He last smsed me, on the eve of Chinese New Year, talking about Ziad and Kat's wedding. Markus was the guy that brought ReCom.org to get involved with UKEC on 1st MSLS.
Markus struck to me as a very sincere friend. Knew him initially online at ReCom.org and over the past few years, have had the opportunities to work with him in several activities and met him in various events. He is always cheerful and fun to hang out with. He is always energetic and positive thinking.
His desire to contribute to country and community is definitely something very laudable. His desire to join civil service and serve the nation, his dedication to serve the community through his involvement with UKEC, CPPS, UNICEF and many other platforms show his selfless personality.
Am very saddened by his passing, especially at such a young age. He is definitely someone that still has a lot of potential to give back to community.
Deepest condolences to Markus's family.
For his memorial, visit http://markusng.memory-of.com/About.aspx
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Wake service:5th & 6th Feb 2009 at 8pm.
Gui Yuan Modern Casket, Jalan 229, Section 51A, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Funeral service:Saturday, 7th Feb 2009 at 9.30am.
Will then proceed to:Subang Lutheran Garden Cemetry
http://lutherangarden.com/index-2.html
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A few of my previous posts that is posted after highlighted by Markus. You can see his passion from there.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
20 Million Lost Jobs in China
While many seem to think that the economy slowdown is not affecting China much, do think twice. Based on this estimation by China's Ministry of Agriculture, about 20 Million China's migrant workers from rural areas who go to cities in China to work, have suffered job loss recently due to the global financial crisis.
This is definitely significant, as 20 Million is about double Malaysia's workforce.
This news is quoted from Xinhuanet.com
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BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- About 20 million of China's migrant workers have returned home after losing their jobs as the global financial crisis takes a toll on the economy, said a senior official here on Monday.
Chen Xiwen, director of the office of the central leading group on rural work, said about 15.3 percent of the 130 million migrant workers had returned jobless from cities to the countryside.
The figures were based on a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture in 150 villages in 15 provinces, carried out before the week-long Lunar New Year holiday which began on Jan. 25.
His remarks came a day after the central government issued its first document this year, which warned 2009 will be "possibly the toughest year" since the turn of the century in terms of securing economic development and consolidating the "sound development momentum" in agriculture and rural areas.
The country's economic growth slowed to 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, dragging down the annual rate to a seven-year low of 9 percent.
The document urged local and central government departments to adopt measures to create jobs and increase rural incomes.
Companies were asked to take on more social responsibilities and give rural migrant workers more favorable employment treatment. Flexible employment policies and more training chances were also encouraged.
Meanwhile, local government departments should increase investment to provide favorable tax and fee policies to those who lost jobs in cities and expect to find new work in their hometowns.
The government also urged departments to map out basic pension insurance measures suitable for rural conditions and migrant workers to ensure their rights.
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Monday, February 02, 2009
Lecture by Prof Khoo Kay Kim on Unity in Malaysia
This morning, I attended one of the very interesting lectures at Rumah UKEC. It was organized by Young Corporate Malaysians and Wau Bebas by Malaysia Think Tank
The special lecture is given by Tan Sri Prof. Emeritus Khoo Kay Kim. Would definitely say that he is one of the most knowledgable historians ever produced in Malaysia and he is very willing to share with us his view points, and also his humble personality. He shared with us for about 2.5 hours, taking all of our questions and after that, he even spent at least about 1 hour chatting with the 20+ young professionals who attended the session. The topic is "Unity in Malaysia".
I would try my best to share based on what I understand from Prof Khoo. As I am not a history student, so I might be understanding it wrongly. So, read this with that understanding in mind.
Prof Khoo shared that he is frighthened by how Malaysians discuss Malaysian affairs these days. We assumed a lot, and did not take history seriously. There is serious concern about the teaching staff, who is supposed to be the educators in history. They might not have a real understanding of the history themselves.
Prof Khoo highlighted that if we want to do research on Malaysia, the availability of the resources are plenty. We can look even from sources like from Portugese, Dutch, Thai, Chinese etc. Main problem is that we don't have people who learn those languages to be able to really understand history from their view points.
Archives in India have very good detailed records and those are in English as well.
Malaysia has a long history in newspaper. The first newspaper was produced in 1806, named Prince of Wales Gazette, and it was the 2nd newspaper East of the Suez.
Prof Khoo highlighted on Malayan Tribune, which was around from around 1915 to about 1950, and it was produced in Singapore to cover entire Asian continents. Unfortunately, when Malayan Tribune shut down, the photos etc were destroyed.
Prof Khoo is a big proponent of 1 Education System for Malaysia. He clarified that he does not say that one should not learn their own language, but just that he argued that for unity sake, we should have one education system that catered for all Malaysians.
He highlighted on the reason of why vernacular school was set up previously. During those time, the Chinese and Indians were very transient. They were not looking to stay back in Malaya permanently, so British set up those schools to prepare them, and help them to get transitioned back to their home countries, if needed.
However, when we reached our nation state, that policy was continued, and we are perhaps one of the very few countries in the world that have this vernacular school system.
Prof Khoo cited Singapore used to have vernacular system, but it was scrapped when it reached nation state, and it implemented the policy of everyone needs to learn their people's own language (Singapore does call it mother tounge).
Prof Khoo also commented that we and also Singapore have been wrongly using the phrase "mother tounge". Mother tounge is the language that we speak at home. So, if one uses English at home, the mother tounge should be English. But what we have been wrongly used for is to associate mother tounge with the language of one's race. It should be termed as People's Own Language.
Another contentious point brought up by Prof Khoo is that British does not practice "Divide and Rule". The job function was more due to circumstances and society, rather than due to British actions.
Some of the terms that Prof Khoo highlighted.
Kingdom should be the actual word for "Kerajaan" and not "Government".
"Negeri" should not be translated as state, but rather territory. Or else, Negeri Sembilan would have been 9 states.
"Tanah air" does literally mean land and water that exist within the boundary of the country.
"Bangsa" was being used to define race, but in reality, "Ras" should be used. United Nations are being translated as "Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu". "Bangsa Malaysia" should be Malaysian Nationals.
Prof. Khoo stressed on the points that terms should need to be accurate. (Hope I don't mess up the definition above. It is based on what I understand, and I might wrongly interpret).
Prof Khoo lamented on the lack of solid teachers' training college, and highlighted that we should enhance ways to train the teachers.
Prof Khoo gave an example of how a rural school in Sarawak operated. During class time, the classes are all taught in Malay Language, but once outside of class room, everything is done in English. So, the students have environment to learn and pick up both the languages.
Prof Khoo wants everyone involved in education, be it educationist, politician etc, to think of the future generation. I gave a suggestion that maybe for Chinese education, a referendum or study is done with those students involved, and perhaps not with those educationist who are not directly involved in the education currently and they might not even have their children studying there now. This suggestion might earn the wrath of educationist, but my point is that do we really know what our students want to learn? Is it the current system of vernacular school? Could there be some middle ground? What are the main reasons parents send their children to vernacular school? Is it due to learning an extra language? Is it due to the dedication of the teachers? Is it due to the environment there? Is it due to racism? Is it due to loyalty towards China and India? What are the actual reasons?
Prof Khoo talked about a sad happened, when Universiti Malaya ranked even lower than Chulalongkorn.
Prof Khoo highlighted that a lot of pronunciation problem was not corrected when the children are young.
Prof Khoo gave some historical background of how Chinese came to Malaya. It was mainly by those towkeh who brought them in, and not by British. The initial groups were mainly traders from Hokkien, and that explained why port towns are mainly Hokkien - eg: Kota Bharu, Teluk Intan, Port Weld etc. After that, Cantonese came when urbanization started. Hakka came for mining, and Chinese rubber tappers are mainly Hainanese.
Prof Khoo highlighted that the light house that went into the contention in ICJ, was built during the time of a power struggle in Johor by 2 brothers who were differently installed as rulers.
Before the end of the session, there was a show of hands on what do we think of 2 of the questions:-
If we're to choose a language to unite Malaysians, what is the language? And interestingly enough, Malaysians consist of multi-races there choose Malay Language.
When asked about choice of language as medium of instruction, English is chosen instead by the majority, although for this one, it is quite split.
Firdaus talked about the issue that ties up Malays - Islam, Special Rights, Chinese on Vernacular schools, and his opinion is that irrespective of their political parties, they seem to be having similar opinion on these issues. And those in urban areas, PJ/Damansara would choose English as the main medium of instruction. Firdaus links all these to saying that people choose the stuff, based on stuff that they have a strength, i.e. it is to their advantage. And on the concept of Malaysia for Malaysia, often, there are various variations of what one's understand of this concept.
Hope this sharing is insightful to you. Do feel free to discuss here. If any of the other attendees do blog on it, do share me the URL. Would hope to let others read it too!
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
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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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Air Asia flying to Tianjin, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xian, Taipei, Kaoshiung
Air Asia is planning for greater in roads to China and Taiwan!
Attached is the news from The Star
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PETALING JAYA: Budget airline AirAsia Bhd is increasing the total number of destinations to the greater China region to 13 by year-end from the current seven.
It currently flies to Guangzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Hangzhou and Shenzhen in China and, the Special Adminstrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao.
AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes said at a media briefing Monday that the airline’s new destinations are Tianjin, Chengdu, Chongqing and Xian in China and Taipei and Kaoshiung in Taiwan.
He also said the airline was aiming to increase the total number of passengers on the Malaysia - China routes to 1.5 million.
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
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
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Brunch with Tan Sri Prof Khoo Kay Khim on "Unity in Malaysia"
Waubebas.og with the assistance of Young Corporate Malaysians will be organising a small roundtable session with eminent historian and academic, Tan Sri Prof Khoo Kay Khim. He will be sharing his views on what "unity in malaysia" is all about, and what are his vision for the future of Malaysia.It will be an informal session.
Details of the event are as follows:
Monday 2nd February (Public Holiday)
10.00am to 12.00noon
Rumah UKEC-ALMA 67 Jalan U Thant Kuala Lumpur
Please RSVP as places will be limited.
Contact Firdaus at wmfirdaus@maxis.blackberry.com or text to confirm your attendance at 0123902877
Refreshments will be provided.
See u there!
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