i've always liked physics and the observance of laws in motion - Bernoulli's law, Hooke's Law, the 3 Newtonian laws - to name a few, and consider in amazement, momentum, the force of gravity and vectors. and of course, Einstein's theory of relativity. it boggles the mind to realise that Einstein first began his theorem by imagining what the speed of light would look like. ...
there is something about the dual orderly and chaotic nature of physics - the massive spin of the planets to the tiniest quarks - which invites a closer look at life, and contemplation of who we are and what we are to become. and this is where physics and philosophy converge in my mind.
recalling a lesson in mid-morning, my physics teacher, Mr. Lye had begun speaking about the chaos theory and the butterfly effect. when he talked about the constant and variable factors, i sensed so deep within, that craving in the human heart for a constant.
what shape does that constant take?
for some of us, it's the chase for more and better, but why are we still so unhappy?
for the rest of us, perhaps, it's something that bit more profound...
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
the BMW i m better off without
yeah. you read that right.
BMW = Bitching Moaning Whining (person/s)
that's the BMW i'm better off without.
you can't call people like that friends. no, with friends like those, who needs enemies?
they keep on complaining about their lot in life, how much work they have to do, how little the firm/company/organisation pays them, how many files are stacked up on their desks, how little life they have compared to the rest of the happening world.
you wouldn't hear them talk about what they're learning or how much they're growing. or even the fact they have a job in these troubled times. and a decent pay cheque. could be better, but so many things too could be better.
don't think you can catch them actually voicing out problems and thinking of solutions. or discussing it with you. no way, it's too wholesome, too productive, too bloody darn healthy.
better to indulge in non luxury BMW. and at the same time, spread their negativity round the office.
trust me, if i had my way, i'd line these people up against a wall and shoot all of them ala firing squad - guilty of spreading their mental poison and killing spirits.
how to be happier? simple. spend less time with such people. in fact, better, don't.
BMW = Bitching Moaning Whining (person/s)
that's the BMW i'm better off without.
you can't call people like that friends. no, with friends like those, who needs enemies?
they keep on complaining about their lot in life, how much work they have to do, how little the firm/company/organisation pays them, how many files are stacked up on their desks, how little life they have compared to the rest of the happening world.
you wouldn't hear them talk about what they're learning or how much they're growing. or even the fact they have a job in these troubled times. and a decent pay cheque. could be better, but so many things too could be better.
don't think you can catch them actually voicing out problems and thinking of solutions. or discussing it with you. no way, it's too wholesome, too productive, too bloody darn healthy.
better to indulge in non luxury BMW. and at the same time, spread their negativity round the office.
trust me, if i had my way, i'd line these people up against a wall and shoot all of them ala firing squad - guilty of spreading their mental poison and killing spirits.
how to be happier? simple. spend less time with such people. in fact, better, don't.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
on education
for many of us, our education culminates in a piece of paper, our degree scroll signifying our entry into one of the fields of work - be it engineering, law, medicine, teaching, management, the starting point of our careers.
but what does it mean, really?
the assurance of success? the compilation of knowledge waiting to meet application in the real world as opposed to the more sheltered world of school?
education is more than that and in its most ideal form, it is a means of opening our hearts and minds to growth and deeper understanding of who we are and what we can give to make our lives and the world at large a better place.
for some, the hard work studying and pursuing a diploma or degree is the method by which they seek to take their family to a higher strata of society and to enjoy a better quality of life.
which is why it becomes a fundamental liberty, guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. it should never become a mere commodity, but a life giving fire to be safeguarded and shared with all who need its warmth and light.
one of the saddest things is to know that a student has the gifts and abilities to excel, but is hindered by factors such as lack of resources or opportunities. why do we deprive our young of what they can do?
which is why also i don't understand why a career in education is sidelined and regarded as less important than engineering, for example. we are who we are today, regardless of what rung of the socio-economic ladder we stand on, because of our teachers. to say they have an easy job with very little responsibilities is to insult the ones who brought you where you are today.
a belated happy teachers' day to all teachers everywhere.
somewhere out there, you have touched someone's life. :)
but what does it mean, really?
the assurance of success? the compilation of knowledge waiting to meet application in the real world as opposed to the more sheltered world of school?
education is more than that and in its most ideal form, it is a means of opening our hearts and minds to growth and deeper understanding of who we are and what we can give to make our lives and the world at large a better place.
for some, the hard work studying and pursuing a diploma or degree is the method by which they seek to take their family to a higher strata of society and to enjoy a better quality of life.
which is why it becomes a fundamental liberty, guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. it should never become a mere commodity, but a life giving fire to be safeguarded and shared with all who need its warmth and light.
one of the saddest things is to know that a student has the gifts and abilities to excel, but is hindered by factors such as lack of resources or opportunities. why do we deprive our young of what they can do?
which is why also i don't understand why a career in education is sidelined and regarded as less important than engineering, for example. we are who we are today, regardless of what rung of the socio-economic ladder we stand on, because of our teachers. to say they have an easy job with very little responsibilities is to insult the ones who brought you where you are today.
a belated happy teachers' day to all teachers everywhere.
somewhere out there, you have touched someone's life. :)
Friday, March 20, 2009
Owning your body
What does it mean to own your body?
Yes, to claim ownership over the physical self you have been given by God at the moment of conception.
not to be subject to the judgments and condemnations that you yourself or more often, others heap upon you.
it's not an easy concept to explain.
but i believe that ownership of your body begins when you look at the mirror and realise that love it or loathe it - the lack of curves or too many curves and the flat chest or the full bodied chest, the body is yours. you can't trade it away or give it away, and certainly you carry it around with you. everyday. all the time.
and you make a choice to take full responsibility for it, and to care for it by protecting it from unwholesome judgments and unreasonable expectations, either from yourself or from the rest of the world.
looking back, i remember turbulent times when i was grossly overweight or to put it medically, obese. without descending into the gory details,i recall low moments of utter self-hatred and a feeling of slow sluggishness caused by bouts of said self-hate and drowning myself in too much food. way too much food.
while i still am overweight now, there are curves where there weren't any before, and i can buy a wider range of clothes.
one of the biggest changes i found in myself of late was in wanting to own my body, coming to love it and wanting it to be healthy and strong. not sluggish, slow and lazy.
owning my body meant deciding to make sensible food choices, to choose stir-fried over deep fried, soupy noodles over Hokkien fried noodles, plain over sugary, vegetables and tofu over meat, oats over nasi lemak.
it also meant taking a commitment to exercise and to ramp up physical activity more seriously. not to give it the sort of lip service once a year exercisers do. trying out new exercises and new machines in the gym which i used to be afraid of gave me a sense of accomplishment and confidence in varying my usual gym routine.
there are relapses, and i have binged eaten more times than i care to remember. but in every relapse, i remember that this body is mine, and i care for it and love it for all it has given me and continue to give.
nobody can tell you this - you have to believe it first. i'm still miles away from my target optimum weight, but at least it's a goal in sight, not something i never even dreamed of being able to achieve.
so own your body. love it. listen to it, and it will tell you when it's really hungry and when you are stressed, unhappy and need some other form of comfort.
dieting books will give you all kinds of advice, and i m not really qualified to comment, but my two sens' worth is take the sensible and above all, own your body. the change doesn't begin outside, it begins in your mind.
Yes, to claim ownership over the physical self you have been given by God at the moment of conception.
not to be subject to the judgments and condemnations that you yourself or more often, others heap upon you.
it's not an easy concept to explain.
but i believe that ownership of your body begins when you look at the mirror and realise that love it or loathe it - the lack of curves or too many curves and the flat chest or the full bodied chest, the body is yours. you can't trade it away or give it away, and certainly you carry it around with you. everyday. all the time.
and you make a choice to take full responsibility for it, and to care for it by protecting it from unwholesome judgments and unreasonable expectations, either from yourself or from the rest of the world.
looking back, i remember turbulent times when i was grossly overweight or to put it medically, obese. without descending into the gory details,i recall low moments of utter self-hatred and a feeling of slow sluggishness caused by bouts of said self-hate and drowning myself in too much food. way too much food.
while i still am overweight now, there are curves where there weren't any before, and i can buy a wider range of clothes.
one of the biggest changes i found in myself of late was in wanting to own my body, coming to love it and wanting it to be healthy and strong. not sluggish, slow and lazy.
owning my body meant deciding to make sensible food choices, to choose stir-fried over deep fried, soupy noodles over Hokkien fried noodles, plain over sugary, vegetables and tofu over meat, oats over nasi lemak.
it also meant taking a commitment to exercise and to ramp up physical activity more seriously. not to give it the sort of lip service once a year exercisers do. trying out new exercises and new machines in the gym which i used to be afraid of gave me a sense of accomplishment and confidence in varying my usual gym routine.
there are relapses, and i have binged eaten more times than i care to remember. but in every relapse, i remember that this body is mine, and i care for it and love it for all it has given me and continue to give.
nobody can tell you this - you have to believe it first. i'm still miles away from my target optimum weight, but at least it's a goal in sight, not something i never even dreamed of being able to achieve.
so own your body. love it. listen to it, and it will tell you when it's really hungry and when you are stressed, unhappy and need some other form of comfort.
dieting books will give you all kinds of advice, and i m not really qualified to comment, but my two sens' worth is take the sensible and above all, own your body. the change doesn't begin outside, it begins in your mind.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
of bullying and suicide
“My feeling was the childrens’ mental health service was so short-staffed they were only too ready to pass him on to adult services, although emotionally, he was much younger.
“We were told he did not tick the right boxes.”
So said Linda Jones, mother of the late Matthew Jones, a British teenager who committed suicide recently by gas inhalation, after announcing his chosen method of suicide on an online chat forum.
(read the full article here)
When I first read this article, my first thought was that of how much Matthew Jones must have suffered to drive him to commit suicide.
While adolescence is a time of great ups and downs physically, mentally and emotionally, it should not reach such depths so as to drive a teen to take his or her own life.
I understand that although the thrust of this article to is to speak out against the ill-effects of websites which glorify and assist teens in committing suicide, I have chosen today to touch on one of the underlying issues which caused Matthew to take his life – bullying.
Bullying is something we all like to pretend doesn’t exist and when we do acknowledge its existence, we choose to downplay its effects, saying that our children need to toughen up, they need to be less sensitive and more patient with those who cause them physical pain and mental anguish.
What we often fail to realise is how long-lasting these effects are and just how far-reaching they can be because children and adolescents’ make-up is different from adults.They have a less developed sense of perspective and more crucially, their sense of self, their very essence is still being formed. In such circumstances, bullying can cause the self to be malformed and to stunt the growth of our youth, even perhaps having a negative impact on their growth.
As adults, we all long to protect our children, shield them from the negativity which surrounds them. What are the concrete ways in which we can do so?
For a start, we need to take a stand against bullying and speak out against those our abuse our children. We should not shrug our shoulders and in a sense, collude with the bullies. We should be prepared to report the matter to the appropriate authorities and where necessary, take direct action.
Nevertheless, the most effective method is to listen to our children, to take note of their concerns, to hear the unspoken words they long to say to us, hoping we will care and understand. Besides helping them to lodge a report with the right authorities, we need to strengthen our children and give them that confidence and courage to deal with the lesser people in their lives, to assure them that they are indeed, bigger than their circumstances.
We also would need to set a good example for our children – to show them that assertiveness and not aggression is the way forward. When they see with their own eyes that bullying is taking the low road, they will be able to take the high road i.e. adopting a positive and firm approach in their dealings with others.
To this end, we would have done the best for our children. We cannot escape evil, but we can draw upon our collective strength and knowledge and take a stand against it.
I end with a requiem for the late Matthew Jones and pray for his family that they may be able to recover from their grief and pain and take with them the memories of a loving son.
Amen.
“We were told he did not tick the right boxes.”
So said Linda Jones, mother of the late Matthew Jones, a British teenager who committed suicide recently by gas inhalation, after announcing his chosen method of suicide on an online chat forum.
(read the full article here)
When I first read this article, my first thought was that of how much Matthew Jones must have suffered to drive him to commit suicide.
While adolescence is a time of great ups and downs physically, mentally and emotionally, it should not reach such depths so as to drive a teen to take his or her own life.
I understand that although the thrust of this article to is to speak out against the ill-effects of websites which glorify and assist teens in committing suicide, I have chosen today to touch on one of the underlying issues which caused Matthew to take his life – bullying.
Bullying is something we all like to pretend doesn’t exist and when we do acknowledge its existence, we choose to downplay its effects, saying that our children need to toughen up, they need to be less sensitive and more patient with those who cause them physical pain and mental anguish.
What we often fail to realise is how long-lasting these effects are and just how far-reaching they can be because children and adolescents’ make-up is different from adults.They have a less developed sense of perspective and more crucially, their sense of self, their very essence is still being formed. In such circumstances, bullying can cause the self to be malformed and to stunt the growth of our youth, even perhaps having a negative impact on their growth.
As adults, we all long to protect our children, shield them from the negativity which surrounds them. What are the concrete ways in which we can do so?
For a start, we need to take a stand against bullying and speak out against those our abuse our children. We should not shrug our shoulders and in a sense, collude with the bullies. We should be prepared to report the matter to the appropriate authorities and where necessary, take direct action.
Nevertheless, the most effective method is to listen to our children, to take note of their concerns, to hear the unspoken words they long to say to us, hoping we will care and understand. Besides helping them to lodge a report with the right authorities, we need to strengthen our children and give them that confidence and courage to deal with the lesser people in their lives, to assure them that they are indeed, bigger than their circumstances.
We also would need to set a good example for our children – to show them that assertiveness and not aggression is the way forward. When they see with their own eyes that bullying is taking the low road, they will be able to take the high road i.e. adopting a positive and firm approach in their dealings with others.
To this end, we would have done the best for our children. We cannot escape evil, but we can draw upon our collective strength and knowledge and take a stand against it.
I end with a requiem for the late Matthew Jones and pray for his family that they may be able to recover from their grief and pain and take with them the memories of a loving son.
Amen.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
a follow up to 'of stress and suicide'
How do I know someone is harbouring suicidal thoughts?
There are some warning signs you can look out for in your friends or loved ones:
* If they talk or write about hurting or wanting to kill themselves, and this is out of the ordinary for their character
* If they start looking for ways to kill themselves, like seeking access to pills and weapons
* If they feel hopeless or trapped
* If they start acting reckless and engage in risky activities
* If they start increasing their alcohol or drug intake
* If they start withdrawing themselves from family, friends and society
* If they feel anxious, agitated, and have difficulty sleeping all the time
* If they have dramatic mood changes
taken from an article in the Star Health segment today.
i really encourage all of you to read it in full.
it's still one of my wishes to volunteer at the Befrienders ... i remember how my mother stopped me from joining them when i was younger. she told me that i needed much inner strength to actually be able to help.
looking back, i think she was right. when one of us in the throes of emotion, caught up and unable to see reason, then the other must stay sane, calm and rational. it doesn't matter who the person on the other side is, it could be your family, your friends, your colleagues, maybe even your clients or your boss.
this does not apply only to depression or sadness, it also applies to anger and frustration.
i realise that in more ways than one, i have grown since those days when i longed to reach out to the exclusion of everything else. now i see that the process of maturity is something we must go through to truly make a difference. i may not be full grown yet, but i will get there someday as i m slowly being equipped to fulfill my vision.
There are some warning signs you can look out for in your friends or loved ones:
* If they talk or write about hurting or wanting to kill themselves, and this is out of the ordinary for their character
* If they start looking for ways to kill themselves, like seeking access to pills and weapons
* If they feel hopeless or trapped
* If they start acting reckless and engage in risky activities
* If they start increasing their alcohol or drug intake
* If they start withdrawing themselves from family, friends and society
* If they feel anxious, agitated, and have difficulty sleeping all the time
* If they have dramatic mood changes
taken from an article in the Star Health segment today.
i really encourage all of you to read it in full.
it's still one of my wishes to volunteer at the Befrienders ... i remember how my mother stopped me from joining them when i was younger. she told me that i needed much inner strength to actually be able to help.
looking back, i think she was right. when one of us in the throes of emotion, caught up and unable to see reason, then the other must stay sane, calm and rational. it doesn't matter who the person on the other side is, it could be your family, your friends, your colleagues, maybe even your clients or your boss.
this does not apply only to depression or sadness, it also applies to anger and frustration.
i realise that in more ways than one, i have grown since those days when i longed to reach out to the exclusion of everything else. now i see that the process of maturity is something we must go through to truly make a difference. i may not be full grown yet, but i will get there someday as i m slowly being equipped to fulfill my vision.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
of stress and suicide
the figures are alarming - stress and suicide.
the root causes of suicide are manifold, but stress certainly ranks among the most prevalent factors leading to suicide.
indeed, the 2006 National Morbidity Survey showed that 20% of children and 11% of adults had stress-related mental problems and more strikingly, the group aged between 70 and 74 was the group with most stress-related problems (19.5%), followed by those aged between 16 and 19 (14.4%).
there is a wide gap between both groups - with both taking up opposing positions on the age spectrum. nevertheless, a common factor unifying both groups is their relative vulnerability when compared to the young adult and adult age groups.
generally, both age groups have a less-than-viable economic position wherein they have little or no earning power. also, both age groups tend to be emotionally dependent on the young adult and adult age groups.
what are the implications of the above analysis?
it follows that the aged have reached a point where they must retire and depend on both their savings i.e. their retirement funds and their pension. in a perfect system, their pension would be sustainable and give them well-deserved peace of mind while they peacefully enjoy their twilight years. however, in the light of the recent petrol price increase and the spiralling price of food and other essentials, this is no longer the case - leading to stress, anxiety, suicidal thoughts which culminate in suicide.
the young, on the other hand, are in the awkward position where they are still dependent financially on their parents but are feeling the first few signs of desire for greater independence.
the emotional dependence of the aged is vital in understanding their vulnerability. in our formerly close-knit Asian culture where family is paramount, it is not just the lack of love and closeness among family members which can cripple the aged and leave them despairing and despondent. it is also seen as a failure.
for the young, it is the paper chase which wears them down - the singular pursuit of good grades and a lucrative career which brings with it stress, struggles and the link between approval and emotional support.
what is needed, crucially, is support system for these two groups whose struggles are seldom highlighted. the paper is full of stories of JPA would-bes, but how much attention is given to those who fall in between the cracks?
it would pay for the government to provide more counseling services, with emphasis on understanding the issues faced by these age groups. the pension scheme is important, but more so inculcating the values of familial love and support and gratitude to our parents as they age. more retirement homes should not be the answer - in fact, do we need to wait until care for our parents is legislated as it is in Singapore?
at the end of it all, we can do something about this - it involves being more open to our family, friends and society at large, to take note of problems when they surface and to be willing to lend both a listening ear and helping hands.
'nothing happens out of nowhere, it always had a starting point somewhere.'
the root causes of suicide are manifold, but stress certainly ranks among the most prevalent factors leading to suicide.
indeed, the 2006 National Morbidity Survey showed that 20% of children and 11% of adults had stress-related mental problems and more strikingly, the group aged between 70 and 74 was the group with most stress-related problems (19.5%), followed by those aged between 16 and 19 (14.4%).
there is a wide gap between both groups - with both taking up opposing positions on the age spectrum. nevertheless, a common factor unifying both groups is their relative vulnerability when compared to the young adult and adult age groups.
generally, both age groups have a less-than-viable economic position wherein they have little or no earning power. also, both age groups tend to be emotionally dependent on the young adult and adult age groups.
what are the implications of the above analysis?
it follows that the aged have reached a point where they must retire and depend on both their savings i.e. their retirement funds and their pension. in a perfect system, their pension would be sustainable and give them well-deserved peace of mind while they peacefully enjoy their twilight years. however, in the light of the recent petrol price increase and the spiralling price of food and other essentials, this is no longer the case - leading to stress, anxiety, suicidal thoughts which culminate in suicide.
the young, on the other hand, are in the awkward position where they are still dependent financially on their parents but are feeling the first few signs of desire for greater independence.
the emotional dependence of the aged is vital in understanding their vulnerability. in our formerly close-knit Asian culture where family is paramount, it is not just the lack of love and closeness among family members which can cripple the aged and leave them despairing and despondent. it is also seen as a failure.
for the young, it is the paper chase which wears them down - the singular pursuit of good grades and a lucrative career which brings with it stress, struggles and the link between approval and emotional support.
what is needed, crucially, is support system for these two groups whose struggles are seldom highlighted. the paper is full of stories of JPA would-bes, but how much attention is given to those who fall in between the cracks?
it would pay for the government to provide more counseling services, with emphasis on understanding the issues faced by these age groups. the pension scheme is important, but more so inculcating the values of familial love and support and gratitude to our parents as they age. more retirement homes should not be the answer - in fact, do we need to wait until care for our parents is legislated as it is in Singapore?
at the end of it all, we can do something about this - it involves being more open to our family, friends and society at large, to take note of problems when they surface and to be willing to lend both a listening ear and helping hands.
'nothing happens out of nowhere, it always had a starting point somewhere.'
Sunday, June 01, 2008
From good to grotesque - whither local law graduates?
i only managed to find time to read the online Star paper when i came across Dr Azmi's reply to Gopal Sri Ram's statement inter alia that:
"the standard of lawyers, most of whom graduated from local universities, range from the good to the grotesque...
Many of them are bad because of the low-quality training they received at local institutions of higher learning"
Azmi's response is excellent, and i am in total agreement with all the points he raised.
Here i'd like to add on my two sens' worth in responding to Gopal Sri Ram's statement from my perspective as a graduate of UM. i will also consider other criticisms which have been levelled at local law graduates in the process.
the first and most obvious is the lack of English skills prevalent among most local law graduates. this common complaint has made its rounds and there is a perception that most of us cannot string a proper sentence in English, let alone complete a written submission or write a simple letter to a client.
i believe that students need to recognise the importance of English in legal practice and beyond. i understand that UM has introduced English classes and i commend this move. in fact, i suggest that it be followed up with English for Legal Usage classes to reinforce the skills learned at the basic level. perhaps some may argue that this is unnecessary, but as i see it - lectures are conducted in Malay and tutorials in English so this would be the bridge between both, enabling local law grads to have the best of both worlds i.e. a solid footing in both Malay and English.
the second is the perception that local law graduates are less well-versed in etiquette and street 'smarts' as our foreign counterparts or as Azmi once put it, we don't have chutzpah. we are just too damned polite.
again, this is down to the students' attitude and the faculty in instilling a sense of enquiry and professionalism in its students. this can be done in stages - the talk of soft skills is nothing more than making students realise the importance of other abilities besides being able to understand and memorise legal principles.
we live in a world that is increasingly competitive, and these criticisms must wake us up to where we need to improve. nevertheless, i would also like to highlight the strengths of local law graduates:-
1. a sound grasp of Malaysian law - unless foreign grads have done the CLP, they would be quite ignorant of Malaysian legal principles and even good Malaysian textbooks on the subject. this familiarity often translates into increased research ability to navigate the laborious labyrinths of Malaysian statutes and case law. we are better
2. humility and reliability - on the flipside of lacking the 'street smarts' , local law grads are mostly humble and reliable workers who will ultimately get the job done, which in the results-oriented world of practice, is what counts the most.
'backroom boys and girls'?
i strongly disagree with this statement, but i will refrain from listing famous academics and lawyers who claim UM as their alumni. this is self-explanatory.
i will continue my ideas on improvement in a subsequent blogpost. suffice to say, let this not dent our confidence but give us increased self-belief in moving forward to meet the challenges of the future.
"the standard of lawyers, most of whom graduated from local universities, range from the good to the grotesque...
Azmi's response is excellent, and i am in total agreement with all the points he raised.
Here i'd like to add on my two sens' worth in responding to Gopal Sri Ram's statement from my perspective as a graduate of UM. i will also consider other criticisms which have been levelled at local law graduates in the process.
the first and most obvious is the lack of English skills prevalent among most local law graduates. this common complaint has made its rounds and there is a perception that most of us cannot string a proper sentence in English, let alone complete a written submission or write a simple letter to a client.
i believe that students need to recognise the importance of English in legal practice and beyond. i understand that UM has introduced English classes and i commend this move. in fact, i suggest that it be followed up with English for Legal Usage classes to reinforce the skills learned at the basic level. perhaps some may argue that this is unnecessary, but as i see it - lectures are conducted in Malay and tutorials in English so this would be the bridge between both, enabling local law grads to have the best of both worlds i.e. a solid footing in both Malay and English.
the second is the perception that local law graduates are less well-versed in etiquette and street 'smarts' as our foreign counterparts or as Azmi once put it, we don't have chutzpah. we are just too damned polite.
again, this is down to the students' attitude and the faculty in instilling a sense of enquiry and professionalism in its students. this can be done in stages - the talk of soft skills is nothing more than making students realise the importance of other abilities besides being able to understand and memorise legal principles.
we live in a world that is increasingly competitive, and these criticisms must wake us up to where we need to improve. nevertheless, i would also like to highlight the strengths of local law graduates:-
1. a sound grasp of Malaysian law - unless foreign grads have done the CLP, they would be quite ignorant of Malaysian legal principles and even good Malaysian textbooks on the subject. this familiarity often translates into increased research ability to navigate the laborious labyrinths of Malaysian statutes and case law. we are better
2. humility and reliability - on the flipside of lacking the 'street smarts' , local law grads are mostly humble and reliable workers who will ultimately get the job done, which in the results-oriented world of practice, is what counts the most.
'backroom boys and girls'?
i strongly disagree with this statement, but i will refrain from listing famous academics and lawyers who claim UM as their alumni. this is self-explanatory.
i will continue my ideas on improvement in a subsequent blogpost. suffice to say, let this not dent our confidence but give us increased self-belief in moving forward to meet the challenges of the future.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Common Bar Examination - Moving Ahead?
After a good 15 years, finally there is a definitive statement on the adoption of the Common Bar Course (CBC) and Common Bar Examination (CBE) in favour of the CLP Examination which is the current admission point for law students who have neither studied in a local university nor been called to the English Bar.
Is this step a progression or a regression?
It is my view that this represents a progression. That is only if done properly and in accordance with its stated objectives of overcoming the weaknesses inherent in the CLP e.g the overwhelming focus on memory work whereby students are tested in a 3 hour closed book examination and the CLP preparatory course which is heavily exam based as well as the exorbitant exam fees and the lack of transparency in the marking and grading process. The restructuring of the outmoded CLP course - which is severely lacking in practical aspects when compared to its English counterpart is welcomed and will help in preparing students for their pupillage later on.
From a more 'insular' perspective, as I was a product of a local university, I believe that the CBC can rid the profession of the perception that local law undergraduates are behind their overseas trained brethren. By the very fact of their sitting for and passing the CBE, local law undergraduates are given an opportunity that they are equally as capable.
What interests me most, however, is the potential for expansion and reform in the current syllabi adopted by Malaysian law faculties which has been given by this proposal.
The current two-pronged approach of preparing students with a firm grasp of theoretical legal principles and professional training has placed a strain on the faculties with one being emphasised at the expense of the other which ultimately results in lawyers which are not as well-rounded. We cannot have one without the other.
The upshot of this is at last we are seeing closer co-operation between practitioners and academia - the creaky CLP must make way for the sprightly, brand new CBE. And it is my sincere hope as well that this move will make apparent the relation and role both universities and the Bar play in creating lawyers who are dynamic, able in practice and have a firm grasp of the theoretical principles and philosophical underpinnings of the law.
The fact is that we need those in the ivory tower to give us a macro view of the law and to see how much further we can go from where we stand and we need the battle-worn soldiers down in the field to see the law as it is now i.e. a micro view of the law and to understand its actual mechanics.
Is this step a progression or a regression?
It is my view that this represents a progression. That is only if done properly and in accordance with its stated objectives of overcoming the weaknesses inherent in the CLP e.g the overwhelming focus on memory work whereby students are tested in a 3 hour closed book examination and the CLP preparatory course which is heavily exam based as well as the exorbitant exam fees and the lack of transparency in the marking and grading process. The restructuring of the outmoded CLP course - which is severely lacking in practical aspects when compared to its English counterpart is welcomed and will help in preparing students for their pupillage later on.
From a more 'insular' perspective, as I was a product of a local university, I believe that the CBC can rid the profession of the perception that local law undergraduates are behind their overseas trained brethren. By the very fact of their sitting for and passing the CBE, local law undergraduates are given an opportunity that they are equally as capable.
What interests me most, however, is the potential for expansion and reform in the current syllabi adopted by Malaysian law faculties which has been given by this proposal.
The current two-pronged approach of preparing students with a firm grasp of theoretical legal principles and professional training has placed a strain on the faculties with one being emphasised at the expense of the other which ultimately results in lawyers which are not as well-rounded. We cannot have one without the other.
The upshot of this is at last we are seeing closer co-operation between practitioners and academia - the creaky CLP must make way for the sprightly, brand new CBE. And it is my sincere hope as well that this move will make apparent the relation and role both universities and the Bar play in creating lawyers who are dynamic, able in practice and have a firm grasp of the theoretical principles and philosophical underpinnings of the law.
The fact is that we need those in the ivory tower to give us a macro view of the law and to see how much further we can go from where we stand and we need the battle-worn soldiers down in the field to see the law as it is now i.e. a micro view of the law and to understand its actual mechanics.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
A post-election ... POST (pun definitely intended!)
From where i was, voting went by rather smoothly - my grandparents, followed by my parents then me and my sibs went to Marian Convent to vote ...
the next exciting part was watching the results. for the last one, i was gung-ho and more importantly, free enough to stay the whole night to watch the entire results of the election.
this time around, it was a case of spirit willing, flesh weak. i slept in at 12 something while my dad continued watching the tv updates.
anyway, i read the news and yes, we HAVE denied BN 2/3rds majority.
and Perak is officially an opposition state.
but the bigger issue on my mind is quo vadis - where do we go from here?
i am heartened that the people have spoken, and spoken so vocally too. but what next?
for one thing, i really hope that the opposition will keep to their promises and that the truth about so many of the things the previous government have kept hidden from us will come out.
and also, now that the opposition IS in power, they need to start thinking about planning and fulfilling the nation's policies.
time to start walking the talk, my friends.
here's to a good four years ahead!
the next exciting part was watching the results. for the last one, i was gung-ho and more importantly, free enough to stay the whole night to watch the entire results of the election.
this time around, it was a case of spirit willing, flesh weak. i slept in at 12 something while my dad continued watching the tv updates.
anyway, i read the news and yes, we HAVE denied BN 2/3rds majority.
and Perak is officially an opposition state.
but the bigger issue on my mind is quo vadis - where do we go from here?
i am heartened that the people have spoken, and spoken so vocally too. but what next?
for one thing, i really hope that the opposition will keep to their promises and that the truth about so many of the things the previous government have kept hidden from us will come out.
and also, now that the opposition IS in power, they need to start thinking about planning and fulfilling the nation's policies.
time to start walking the talk, my friends.
here's to a good four years ahead!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
The Sex DVD Scandal and Brokeback Mountain
just the other day i was messing about with my comp when my bro in law, who was watching tv, told me that Dr Chua was the guy in the sex dvd.
my first thought was how much pain the wife, and his family members must have gone through. and my mind reached back to a scene from Brokeback Mountain - when the wife of one of the cowboys turns over in her bed and night and cries herself to sleep after discovering that her husband is in an affair with another man.
part of the pain is discovering the homosexuality. But more importantly, it is about the lies and deception that the men, in both cases, put their loved ones through. and lies always hurt, wound, destroy.
a prayer for the wife and family, and for him to hopefully not do this anymore.
and to someone else who is in a better place - your pain was great but know that it's over now. and you were loved.
and to God, for how close it was to this. but You saw fit to stop it. thank you.
my first thought was how much pain the wife, and his family members must have gone through. and my mind reached back to a scene from Brokeback Mountain - when the wife of one of the cowboys turns over in her bed and night and cries herself to sleep after discovering that her husband is in an affair with another man.
part of the pain is discovering the homosexuality. But more importantly, it is about the lies and deception that the men, in both cases, put their loved ones through. and lies always hurt, wound, destroy.
a prayer for the wife and family, and for him to hopefully not do this anymore.
and to someone else who is in a better place - your pain was great but know that it's over now. and you were loved.
and to God, for how close it was to this. but You saw fit to stop it. thank you.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
bread and butter v cupcakes
versus
this isn't a post about food ya, now that i've got your attention.
it's about the nature of human rights, and whether there is really a dichotomy between satisfying basic human needs like food and shelter i.e. bread and butter rights and rights like freedom to speech and the right to choose our leaders which have been described as non-essential. bringing me to the comparison that they are like cupcakes. nice to look eat and delicious. but you can get on by fine without them.
the bread and butter v cupcakes debate has been raging for years, and even though 1948 UN Charter on Human Rights supposedly represents a universal view, there are sharply diverging points of view.
people need to be fed, the east cries out. and that is paramount. rights can't feed people. bread does. rice does. you think people care about speaking out when they're starving?
(let them have cake, said Marie Antoinette. and the next you know, her head's off on the guillotine and the people are crying for the monarchy to go all the way to hell)
it's a pragmatic viewpoint, but pragmatism isn't all there is to life. i confess i like both bread and butter and cupcakes. and having said that, i would argue that there isn't any dichotomy between being fed and being given human rights. economic necessity must necessarily go hand-in-hand with balancing the rights of the people else the 'life' which is given is only a shadow i.e. mere existence. and as Gopal Sri Ram put so beautifully in Tan Tek Seng v Suruhanjaya Pendidikan Malaysia as well as in Sugumar Balakrishnan - life must be defined widely.
(i m too lazy to extract the relevant passages from the judgments, but all you admin law students under dr gan must be familiar with the passages i am talking about)
have your bread and butter, it's important. but cupcakes make a difference to the meal.
p/s will go into hohfeld's rights analysis another time. kind of tired today. i was inspired to write this by a conversation with a person who actually went for the Hindraf rally. you go, friend.
if you feel hungry after this, don't blame me.
Monday, May 28, 2007
the legacy of the British - for better or for worse?
Looking back at history textbooks, in Malaysia, the British were the bad guys who took our land, and our property, and our right to rule and basically cheated the Sultans and the rulers half blind. they were the 'penjelajah' who 'mengamalkan dasar pecah dan perintah' and basically made life miserable for everyone concerned, if we are to follow the version given in our history textbooks (which are boring and pedestrian, but that's besides the point)
but i wonder whether it was really that bad...
my mother got into a heated argument with her Sejarah Nusantara lecturer as to whether the British were as black as the books said they were. she said that if not for the British, we wouldn't have the sort of progress we had today. and her lecturer shot her down, and said they were liars and cheats. and almost failed her. well, she got through in the end, anyhow.
but the point of the matter is that, approaching our 50th birthday, the question still remains whether the British were indeed the terrible colonial masters they were, or did they bring any good to this nation, at all?
i may be a product of the school system, and ergo, learning 'sejarah' right from Form 1 up to Form 6, where i took history as an elective, but even after reading all of that, i still agree with my mother that the British may have ruled the land for quite awhile, but without them, there would be no real progress.
just take a look at our educational system, adapted from the British system, and even more significantly, missionary schools which have produced among the best and brightest in this nation. also consider our political legacy of democracy, which but for the British, would remain an unreachable aim, owing to the entrenched Sultanate system. at this point, it pays to remember the words of Winston Churchill - that democracy is the worst of all forms of government, except for all the others. and i cannot forget the fact that because of their capital and investments, our country was able to develop and grow to where it is today.
i am not about to get into the question of how they profited or not, because the issue at hand is whether their rule brought any positive benefits for Malaysia as it is now.
in a nutshell, the legacy of the British is a reality, and i am on the side that it was for the better. there were of course, negative consequences, but on the balance, leaving the country in the hands of the Sultans or Yamtuan could not really have done that much better, hypothetically speaking.
i will end this with a statement - renaming roads isn't going to change history. far better to accept the road names as part of what made Malaysia, and get over the whole post-colonial hangover. it's time to move on.
but i wonder whether it was really that bad...
my mother got into a heated argument with her Sejarah Nusantara lecturer as to whether the British were as black as the books said they were. she said that if not for the British, we wouldn't have the sort of progress we had today. and her lecturer shot her down, and said they were liars and cheats. and almost failed her. well, she got through in the end, anyhow.
but the point of the matter is that, approaching our 50th birthday, the question still remains whether the British were indeed the terrible colonial masters they were, or did they bring any good to this nation, at all?
i may be a product of the school system, and ergo, learning 'sejarah' right from Form 1 up to Form 6, where i took history as an elective, but even after reading all of that, i still agree with my mother that the British may have ruled the land for quite awhile, but without them, there would be no real progress.
just take a look at our educational system, adapted from the British system, and even more significantly, missionary schools which have produced among the best and brightest in this nation. also consider our political legacy of democracy, which but for the British, would remain an unreachable aim, owing to the entrenched Sultanate system. at this point, it pays to remember the words of Winston Churchill - that democracy is the worst of all forms of government, except for all the others. and i cannot forget the fact that because of their capital and investments, our country was able to develop and grow to where it is today.
i am not about to get into the question of how they profited or not, because the issue at hand is whether their rule brought any positive benefits for Malaysia as it is now.
in a nutshell, the legacy of the British is a reality, and i am on the side that it was for the better. there were of course, negative consequences, but on the balance, leaving the country in the hands of the Sultans or Yamtuan could not really have done that much better, hypothetically speaking.
i will end this with a statement - renaming roads isn't going to change history. far better to accept the road names as part of what made Malaysia, and get over the whole post-colonial hangover. it's time to move on.
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