Educational Speaking

I had stumbled upon a video that showed the Americans problems in managing their education system. The real main problem was from 2 aspect, one is the public school administrators and another major one is THE TEACHERS UNION. They are the main reasons that is prohibiting the changes in their systems.

The administrators being bureaucrats they resist change and blaming having lack of money as the main reason the Americans children are not preforming well in schools. Then the video showed how a public school had manage to gain an extra funding from the government up to billions of dollar to improve the condition of the school. Sadly, after building an Olympics size swimming pool, hi-tech gym and an indoor miniature stadium, the school's performance drops even worse.

The program then showed a private school that had less money, no gym and swimming pools are have kid that had achieve better result that the heavily funded public school. So, it proves that money doesn't solve the problem. The success of the private school is the sincerity of the principles and the teacher in better educating the children. Having more money clearly doesn't solve the problem of under achieving students.

Then there are the teachers union. One association that I will forbid my wife (yes, she is a teacher) to join up. They are the main culprit of the problem. Why, because they had numbers in their sides! They even manage to mind bogglingly, create an almost impossible system to fire incompetent teachers. Believe me it is really complicated that in a year out of 80,000 teachers working in America only 2 had been fired. Not because they are small numbers of incompetent teachers but because of the complexity of the firing process. And it will took years to do it. That's the power being in numbers.

When they were covering the topic on teachers union that I saw the same phenomenon happeing in Malaysia. MTUC having the numbers try as they might to stop from the PTDs in penetrating the education service. PTDs aren't really taking over as educators but doing the administration job for them. So, they can concentrate more in educating and let the us (yes, I'm one of the PTDs) do the administrating. Thank god that not all teachers object to the government decision to let the PTDs positioned in the State Education Department. Most of them, realised that PTDs are no treat to them.

I was hoping that the Malaysian teachers continue their excellent service to Malaysia futures, instead of concentrating in holding post as administrators. if that were their goals, when I guest they are in the wrong service.

Sayang Ku

Sayang,

Abang tahu hajatmu itu,
kita berusahalah sekadar termampu,
walau tercapai ia belumnya tentu,
itu resam hamba yang serba tidak tahu,
namun jangan diputuskan asamu itu,
dari rahmat Yang Maha Penentu.

Sayang,

Di sini tidak sempurna,
Rupa, harta, kuasa, apa sahaja,
semuanya ini ilusi semata,
buat berteduh basahnya hujan,
dan teriknya suria.

Sayang,

Hidup kita bukan di sini,
hidup kita di kemudian hari,
di mana nanti tiada realiti,
sepertinya suasana di sini.

Sayang,

Abang akan berada di sini,
Selagi diizin Robbul Izzati,
jatuh kita bersama menangis,
melonjak kita sama meninggi,
moga kelak kita bersama,
kekal di firdaus abadi.

Medically Speaking

I am a member of my department medical board. Not an important one but still I am part of it. Every meet brings up new cases of medical claims numbers that is mind boggling. Imagine claims up to RM90, 000! That is more than what I make in a year.

Just to think that the government had to bear all this expense for the benefit of the people is incredible. Who says Malaysia is not a welfare country. If it we are to look at a certain angle, we really mimicked UK. But different from

UK we are afraid of our government. Strange isn’t it? Like it was said in the movie ‘V for Vendetta’, “The government should be afraid of its people not the people afraid of their government.” I mean really, if we are to say anything that is clearly wrong, it is against the interest of Malays, do we do anything? We don’t have the guts to unite and stood against the government. We just let them roll us over.

Even in the virtual space, we reserve our comments on the government’s policies. Why can’t we voice it out? Because we are all civil servants? We are employed by the government with that all of our freedom of expression is pulled away beneath us? What kind of nation we are turning into?

Back to the topic, medical expenses are rising these days. Watching all the figures rising, I could conclude that sooner or later that the government will have to draw the line on giving out free medication. Slowly, the top decision makers are doing just that. They did it slowly with out the mass knowing about it. All the small stuff is beginning to be denied of subsidy. Soon anything that is related to major surgery will not be under the responsibility of the government. Who knows? If there is still some, it would be under certain limits or a certain percentage. No more free health care. Are we Malaysian are prepare for such event?

It is a good thing that even thought you are a civil servant you buy yourselves an insurance policy. Ever since I had seen all of these expenses that I decided that I need an insurance policy to cover me in times of in need. Because you don’t know that someday the government may decide that they didn’t want to take on your medical tab any more. When that happens, I’m already covered.

It’s not the case of feeling safe, it’s the case of having an assurance that I would be a burden to anyone else, if anything do happened to me.

Changing Minds

I was watching a lot of debate video lately. Some by Ahmed Deedat, some Dr. Zakir Naik and even from Sheikh Yusuf Estes (funny guy!). There's a distinct style between all of them. Some confrontational, some more to seek common view.

In the end I concluded that I don't condone Ahmad Deedat's style of confrontational. I mean, if we were selling an idea to someone criticising his idea is a bad thing. it may also creates a different respond that what the preacher wants. I rather like Yusuf Estes ' way of da'wah. He merely asking the Christians to think for themselves. To make differentiation, to evaluate and to make their own conclusion by simple study. Because he said the bible is NOT all of it were rendered to humans words but it also contains Allah's Holy Words. In the case of the bible, the priest that was supposed to preserve those words decided to make certain changes without the authority of it's author.

Instead of debating my showing that 'I am right and you are wrong', Yusuf Estes is more of a smooth persuading guy. Letting the listener do their own evaluation. It's logical! If you are a salesman, condemning his previous purchase is not a very good idea. He is like saying, 'Yes, you've got a good vacuum cleaner but what if I tell you that with a lower price you can get a all-in-1 vacuum that would not only clean you carpet, also it washes your dishes, do your laundry and massage your back when you're tired!". And yes, some will buy it and some will decline. Hey, that's sales for you. Funny as it seems, it the same with da'wa. As Allah said to His Beloved Prophet when he prayed to Allah, asking for Abu Talib to join him in Islam. Allah answered that hidayat is His and He will bestowed it upon who ever he wants.

I gain a lot of knowledge from Yusuf. It's not that local malay Ulamas are not good or not as knowledgeable as him, it is just that his way of conveying the massage of Islam is simple, straight to the point, no politics and a simple, easy to understand Islam. No some mombu jumbo stuff that is so complex. His way can really seduce a lot of Christians and Atheist in joining Islam! It's just pure and simple Islam. And it helps with him being funny!

I hope the wave of Islam continuous until the end of time.